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The first ever match between Old Glory DC and the New England Free Jacks has been a long time coming. Both sides joined Major League Rugby in 2020 but the season was cancelled a month before they were due to meet. A preseason game scheduled for March of this year was also a casualty of the pandemic.
It’s the third home game of the season for Old Glory, who won the opener at Segra Field against ATL but were second-best against the Arrows. They are coming off a 38-34 loss to Rugby United New York in New Jersey and have picked up some reinforcements to help cover for injuries in the backline.
Thomas Morani and Osea Kolinisau arrive from Houston to start at outside center and right wing respectively. Renata Roberts-Te Nana pushes back out to the left wing with D’Montae Noble named on the bench and Sam Cusano missing out entirely.
The first choice forward pack is in place but there are three changes to the bench. Max Lum covers hooker this week as Jack Iscaro returns to the match day squad. Dante Lopresti makes his first appearance of the campaign as a reserve tighthead prop, with Casey Renaud tagging in for Api Naikatini.
New England were in an exciting battle in muddy New Orleans, ultimately falling on the short end of the 30-29 result to the Gold. They are also feeling the after-effects with Conor Kindregan and Mitch Wilson ruled out, while Joe Johnston is serving the last week of his suspension.
Ronan McCusker gets the nod in the run-on side in place of Kindregan at lock, with flanker Evan Geist called up to the bench. Tera Mtembu again settles for a reserve role with skipper Josh Larsen again employed on the blindside flank.
A backline shuffle sees Dougie Fife starting in a third position this season at outside center. Poasa Waqanibau swaps to the wing, with Harry Barlow filling the other wing vacancy left by Wilson. Peceli Rinakama and Jared Collinson, the team’s Strength & Conditioning Coach, asked to provide emergency backline cover from the bench.
Like many others this is a difficult match to call with both sides entering on relatively even footing. Each team looks stretched when it comes to their replacement options. Old Glory have added experience to their backline though it comes at the expense of continuity. That might be just enough for the Free Jacks to exploit with conditions set to be prime for running rugby.
Kickoff is set for 3:30pm local, 12:30pm Pacific. Fox Sports 1 will broadcast live in the USA and Canada, with The Rugby Network streaming abroad.
OLD GLORY DC
1 Jamie Dever, 2 Mike Sosene-Feagai, 3 Steven Longwell, 4 Tevita Naqali, 5 Stan South, 6 Callum Gibbins, 7 Mungo Mason (capt.), 8 Jamason Fa’anana-Schultz, 9 Danny Tusitala, 10 Jason Robertson, 11 Renata Roberts-Te Nana, 12 Thretton Palamo (co-capt.), 13 Thomas Morani, 14 Osea Kolinisau, 15 Mike Dabulas
Replacements: 16 Max Lum, 17 Jack Iscaro, 18 Dante Lopresti, 19 Casey Renaud, 20 Josh Brown, 21 Danny Thomas, 22 D’Montae Noble, 23 Cory Daniel
NEW ENGLAND FREE JACKS
1 Sef Fa’agase, 2 Pieter Jansen, 3 Erich de Jager, 4 Jackson Thiebes, 5 Ronan McCusker, 6 Josh Larsen (capt.), 7 Justin Johnson, 8 Wian Conradie, 9 John Poland, 10 Harrison Boyle, 11 Harry Barlow, 12 Aleki Morris-Lome, 13 Dougie Fife, 14 Poasa Waqanibau, 15 Beaudein Waaka
Replacements: 16 Vili Toluta’u, 17 Kensuke Hatakeyama, 18 Quentin Newcomer, 19 Tera Mtembu, 20 Evan Geist, 21 Tom Brusati, 22 Jared Collinson, 23 Peceli Rinakama
Date: Sunday, April 25
Venue: Segra Field, Leesburg
Kickoff: 15:30 local (12:30 Pacific)
Referee: Lex Weiner (USA)
Assistants: Mike O’Brien (USA) & Gavin McCandless (USA)
Broadcasts: Fox Sports 1, The Rugby Network
Historical Results
n/a
