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Saturday’s Major League Rugby preseason action included a unique double-header at Houston’s AVEVA Stadium. Fans were treated to a 50-minute curtain-raiser between the Austin Gilgronis and a NOLA Gold reserve side, and then watched NOLA’s senior selection take on the hometown SaberCats.
Austin ran out two pre-determined lineups in each half and showed off their much-improved depth with a dominant 40-7 win. Zinzan Elan-Puttick led the way with two first-half tries with singles coming from Dominic Akina, Hugh Roach, Michael de Waal, and Cam Dodson.
The Gold used the match to give valuable game time to second and third choice players, and gave a first run-out to new arrival Timothée Guillimin. They did manage to score one try, with collegiate signing Keanu Andrade scoring his first try at the professional level.
SCORING
AUSTIN 40
Tries – Z. Elan-Puttick 2 (10’, 24’), D. Akina (16’), H. Roach (26’), M. de Waal (31’), C. Dodson (40’)
Cons – M. Mason 5/6 (11’, 17’, 25’, 32’, 41’)
NOLA 7
Tries – K. Andrade (46’)
Cons – T. Guillimin 1/1 (47’)
TEAMS
AUSTIN (1st half)
1 Jamie Mackintosh, 2 Robbie Coetzee, 3 Mason Pedersen, 4 Sebastian de Chaves, 5 Christian Ostberg, 6 Moe Abdelmonem, 7 Maclean Jones, 8 Dominic Akina, 9 Pele Cowley, 10 Will Magie, 11 Cole Davis, 12 Mack Mason, 13 Bryce Campbell, 14 Rodrick Waters, 15 Zinzan Elan-Puttick
AUSTIN (2nd half)
1 LaRome White, 2 Hugh Roach, 3 Paddy Ryan, 4 Cam Dodson, 5 Christian Ostberg, 6 Dom Bailey, 7 Moe Abdelmonem, 8 Michael de Waal, 9 Marcelo Torrealba, 10 Kurt Morath, 11 Cole Davis, 12 Mack Mason, 13 Lui Sitama, 14 Frank Halai, 15 Conner Mooneyham
Replacements: Angel Torres, Sidney Shoop
NOLA GOLD
1 John Sullivan, 2 Kevin O’Connor (capt.), 3 Brian Nault, 4 William Waguespack, 5 Kane Thompson, 6 Malcolm May, 7 Giovanni Lapp, 8 Osaiasi Tonga’uiha, 9 Damian Stevens, 10 Timothée Guillimin, 11 Kenneth Jinkins, 12 Gabe Farley, 13 Ross Depperschmidt, 14 Jack Webster, 15 Cian Barry
Replacements: Steven McLeish, Kavika Peniata, Nikola Bursic, Keanu Andrade
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Derek Summers (USA)
The second match was a more conventional 80-minute match though substitutes were used liberally. As we saw in the Utah match earlier, both teams were finding their feet in the opening quarter with defense limiting offensive forays. Veramu Dikidikilati was particularly present with two shuddering tackles, one of which left Carl Meyer in a heap and forced off the pitch.
Once NOLA found their groove they looked in control. By the hour mark they had scored three tries with Dino Waldren, Eric Howard, and Cam Dolan all touching down from close range. Houston would finally get on the scoreboard late on with Zack Godfrey scoring a fine solo effort and a penalty try sandwiched around NOLA’s fourth, scored by Moni Tonga’uiha
The Gold do not currently have any further warm-up matches scheduled before their regular season home opener against Old Glory on March 20. Houston will face off against Austin in a dress rehearsal for the Texas Cup on Thursday, March 11, also at AVEVA Stadium.
SCORING
HOUSTON 14
Tries – Z. Godfrey, Penalty try
Cons – S. Windsor 1/1
NOLA 24
Tries – D. Waldren, E. Howard, C. Dolan, M. Tonga’uiha
Cons – C. Meyer 1/1, T. Guillimin 1/2, D. Stevens 0/1
TEAMS
HOUSTON SABERCATS
1 Liam Murray, 2 Tiaan Erasmus, 3 Nikoloz Khatiashvili, 4 Kody O’Neil, 5 Apisai Tauyavuca, 6 Bronson Teles, 7 Cecil Garber, 8 Adriaan Booysen, 9 De Wet Roos (capt.), 10 Taylor Howden, 11 Matías Freyre, 12 Max Tacket, 13 Veramu Dikidikilati, 14 Paula Balekana, 15 Zach Pangelinan
Replacements: Diego Fortuny, Nicolás Solveyra, Valdemar Lee-Lo, Nik Hildebrand, Van Stewart, Jinho Mun, Zachary Short, Sam Windsor, Thomas Morani, Zack Godfrey
NOLA GOLD
1 Matt Harmon, 2 Eric Howard, 3 Dino Waldren, 4 Billy Stewart, 5 Kyle Baillie (capt.), 6 Devin Short, 7 Andrew Guerra, 8 Cam Dolan, 9 Holden Yungert, 10 Robbie Coleman, 11 Julián Domínguez, 12 JP du Plessis, 13 Juan Cappiello, 14 Tim Maupin, 15 Carl Meyer
Replacements: Pat O’Toole, Kevin Sullivan, James Irey, William Waguespack, Moni Tonga’uiha, Nikola Bursic, Damian Stevens, Timothée Guillimin
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Scott Green (USA)
