Dramatic stoppage-time win for Warriors over Old Glory

Mika Kruse’s try two minutes into stoppage time brought a dramatic close to Saturday night’s match between the Utah Warriors and Old Glory DC. The result was 34-33 to the home side at Zions Bank Stadium in a terrific back-and-forth contest that delighted a strong partisan crowd.

There was tension from the outset with the visitors getting on the board first through a Jason Robertson penalty goal. It was almost immediately cancelled an identical effort from Hagen Schulte. Moments later Utah had their first try as Josh Whippy snatched a loose pass from Dylan Taikato-Simpson to race free from halfway, with Schulte adding the extras.

Old Glory replied straight away. They attacked right, then pulled it left with a miss-out pass from Thretton Palamo finding Renata Roberts-Te Nana in the open. The winger fixed the final defender with a back-handed offload to Doug Fraser putting five on the board.

Robertson missed the conversation but landed a drop goal from 40 meters out to nudge DC into a one-point lead heading into the hydration break. The lead would change hands twice more before halftime. In the midst of the action Old Glory lost captain Mungo Mason to a shoulder injury with Luke Campbell summoned from the bench.

Aston Fortuin muscled over from in close with a Schulte conversion putting Utah in the lead. At the other end a superb line from Jamason Fa’anana-Schultz going full tilt was impossible to defend, Robertson’s kick making it 18-17 to Old Glory at the intermission.

Robertson nearly had an intercept try early in the second half, stopped only by a desperate Calvin Whiting tackle inches from the line. The flyhalf would create one for Roberts-Te Nana soon enough. Fa’anana-Schultz thundered ahead with Robertson’s cross-kick finding his left winger open for an automatic seven.

A magnificent touch-finder from Schulte gave Utah the throw-in just five meters out from the DC line. Repeat collapses of the lineout drive first landed Api Naikatini in the bin, and was then rewarded with a penalty try. A second Schulte three-pointer came just after Old Glory were back to full strength.

An immediate reply from Robertson put three more up for DC and then Callum Gibbins scored on the short side of a lineout drive. With the clock ticking over full-time Old Glory’s defense held until at last a gap appeared for Kruse to exploit, with Schulte’s kick securing a famous victory.

Utah hit the road next Saturday to take on West Conference leaders LA in the first ever rugby match at SoFi Stadium. It’s an extra day off for DC, who head home to host the Seattle Seawolves on Sunday.

 

SCORING

UTAH 34
Tries – J. Whippy (12’), A. Fortuin (29’), Penalty try (56’), M. Kruse (80’+2’)
Cons – H. Schulte 3/3 (13’, 30’, 80’+3’), No kick (56’)
Pens – H. Schulte 2/2 (11’, 67’)

DC 33
Tries – D. Fraser (16’), J. Fa’anana-Schultz (33’), R. Roberts-Te Nana (49’), C. Gibbins (73’)
Cons – J. Robertson 1/3 (34’), No kick (49’)
Pens – J. Robertson 2/2 (9’, 69’)
Drop goals – J. Robertson 1/1 (20’)
Yellow cards – A. Naikatini (55’)

 

TEAMS

UTAH WARRIORS
1 Olive Kilifi (17 Alex Tucci 70’), 2 Veremalua Vugakoto (16 Chad Gough 62’), 3 Angus MacLellan (18 Paul Mullen 50′), 4 Jurie van Vuuren, 5 Aston Fortuin, 6 Thomas Tu’avao (19 Mike Gieselman 57’), 7 Bailey Wilson (capt.), 8 Lance Williams (20 Saia Uhila 62’), 9 Michael Baska (21 Fraser Hurst 67’), 10 Hagen Schulte, 11 Joseph Mano (22 Derek Ellingson 67’), 12 Calvin Whiting, 13 Mika Kruse, 14 Josh Whippy, 15 Mike Te’o

Not used: 23 James Vaifale

OLD GLORY DC
1 Jamie Dever (17 Jack Iscaro 62’), 2 Mike Sosene-Feagai (16 Max Lum 70′), 3 Dante Lopresti (18 Steven Longwell 48’), 4 Api Naikatini, 5 Stan South, 6 Callum Gibbins, 7 Mungo Mason (co-capt.) (23 Luke Campbell 24’), 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 Doug Fraser, 15 Dylan Taikato-Simpson

Not used: 19 Casey Renaud, 20 Mike Dabulas, 21 Danny Thomas, 22 Simi Moala

 

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Scott Green (USA)
Assistants: Kahlil Harrison (USA) & Niku Kruger (USA)