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Rugby United New York outmuscled the New England Free Jacks to earn a 29-19 win at Cochrane Stadium on Sunday. It was a hot afternoon on the turf with the visitors struggling to judge a breeze at their backs in the first half and discipline an issue throughout.
The home side’s forwards had the ascendency early. A penalty gave New York an attacking lineout and the drive was exactly as ordered with Dylan Fawsitt on the end for the try. Harry Bennett slotted the conversion to make it a full seven.
Andy Ellis went quick when the Free Jacks were caught offside, the scrumhalf made good ground to put New England on the back foot. The ball went wide right where Benjamín Bonasso was loitering with intent, the rangy flanker offloading in the tackle to send Joel Miranda into the corner.
A response came from New England at least just ahead of the water break. They put the pressure on from a lineout until Joe Johnston sold a dummy and drove low and hard to sneak in under the defense. John Poland’s extras were good and it was a one-score game.
The driving maul nearly produced a third try for New York but this time Fawsitt’s go at the line was stopped. Ellis went to Plan B and quick hands from Bennett, Ben Foden, and Fa’asiu Fuatai found a wide-open Apenisa Cakaubalavu for the simplest of finishes in the left corner.
Fortunes shifted as Nick Civetta fell heavily on his shoulder in the 34th minute. At the next scrum New England went against the grain to win a scrum penalty, with Civetta trudging off to be replaced by Kara Pryor. At the lineout the Free Jacks maul went 20 meters before Wian Conradie broke to the short side and sprinted home untouched to make it 17-12 at halftime.
Aleki Morris-Lome left New England short-handed just a minute into the second half after receiving a yellow card for a high tackle on Hanco Germishuys. New York took advantage of the overlap from a turnover, with Pryor and Foden freeing Bennett on the outside for the bonus point try. The wind took the flyhalf’s kick away from the posts but it was now a 10-point gap.
A series of penalties put New York on the retreat while the Free Jacks were still short-handed. Harrison Boyle took a page from Ellis’ book with the quick tap and the home side were suddenly pinned on their goal line. Conradie took the shortest route to the line, jumping over the ruck to score his double, with Beaudein Waaka’s kick inching New England closer.
Apenisa Cakaubalavu had earlier drawn attention for a shoulder charge on Waaka, and the referee lost his patience with the winger after a scuffle with Conradie. New York’s defense held, however, as the Free Jacks failed to score while Cakaubalavu cooled off on the sidelines.
The last say went to the home side and it was in identical fashion to the first. New England conceded a penalty to give New York at attacking lineout. The maul worked a charm and once again it was captain Fawsitt who would take the credit. Chris Mattina took over the kicking duties with Bennett off the pitch and split the uprights to close the scoring.
It’s a short turnaround for the Free Jacks who host the Toronto Arrows at Union Point Stadium next Saturday. New York are on the road against Old Glory DC at Segra Field on Sunday.
SCORING
NEW YORK 29
Tries – D. Fawsitt 2 (7’, 72’), J. Miranda (12’), A. Cakaubalavu (23’), H. Bennett (43’)
Cons – H. Bennett 1/4 (8’), C. Mattina 1/1 (73’)
Yellow cards – A. Cakaubalavu (53’)
NEW ENGLAND 19
Tries – J. Johnston (18’), W. Conradie 2 (36’, 49’)
Cons – J. Poland 1/2 (19’), B. Waaka 1/1 (50’)
Yellow cards – A. Morris-Lome (41’)
TEAMS
RUGBY UNITED NEW YORK
1 James Rochford (17 Anthony Parry 51’), 2 Dylan Fawsitt (capt.), 3 Samu Tawake (18 Wilton Rebolo HT {1 James Rochford 62’}), 4 Nate Brakeley, 5 Nick Civetta (20 Kara Pryor 35’), 6 Hanco Germishuys, 7 Benjamín Bonasso (19 Kyle Sumsion 56’), 8 Evan Mintern, 9 Andy Ellis, 10 Harry Bennett (21 Conor McManus 56’), 11 Apenisa Cakaubalavu, 12 Will Leonard, 13 Fa’asiu Fuatai (22 Quinn Ngawati 62’), 14 Joel Miranda (23 Chris Mattina 51’), 15 Ben Foden
Not used: 16 Rob Irimescu
NEW ENGLAND FREE JACKS
1 Quentin Newcomer (18 Kyle Ciquera 70’), 2 Pieter Jansen (16 Vili Toluta’u 62’), 3 Erich de Jager (17 Spencer Krueger 73’), 4 Josh Larsen (capt.), 5 Jackson Thiebes, 6 Justin Johnson (19 Tera Mtembu 45’), 7 Joe Johnston (20 Evan Geist 73’), 8 Wian Conradie, 9 John Poland (21 Tom Brusati 73’), 10 Harrison Boyle, 11 Harry Barlow (23 Tuidraki Samusamuvodre 51’), 12 Aleki Morris-Lome, 13 Dougie Fife, 14 Poasa Waqanibau (22 Ewan Brumwell 60’), 15 Beaudein Waaka
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Scott Green (USA)
Assistants: Luke Rogan (USA) & Miles McIvor (USA)
