NOLA stay alive with scrappy road win over DC

NOLA kept their playoff hopes alive with a 25-21 win over Old Glory DC at Segra Field on Saturday. It was a scrappy match that saw three Gold players spending time in the sin bin. Each side scored three tries with penalty kicks proving to be the difference.

The Gold were first to the tryline and it came with worrying ease. From a scrum Holden Yungert hit Juan Cappiello with a flat pass and the Argentine midfielder simply ran straight and hard through the tackle attempt of Mike Dabulas to touch down under the sticks.

Dubious defense would also plague NOLA, however, as Old Glory struck back with two tries of their own. Thretton Palamo broke through the line on halfway and stepped past first Hanno Dirksen and finally Yungert to score a even the scores.

The lead passed to DC just after the hydration break. Penalties gave them field position and then Mungo Mason spun away from a grasping Moni Tonga’uiha to reach the line, with Jason Robertson on target with his conversion.

Dirksen would make up for it with a searing line break soon after. Dabulas had the speed to catch up but couldn’t prevent Dirksen from grounding the ball. Yungert’s kick bounced off both uprights before falling over the crossbar to bring the teams level on 14 points apiece.

Repeated scruffles after the whistle saw the referee losing his patience with both sides. After another melee involving numerous players he opted to sit down Danny Tusitala and Juan Cappiello for 10 minutes in an attempt to cool the boiling tempers.

NOLA were reduced to 13 men just before the halftime whistle. Eric Howard was ruled to have interfered with an Old Glory attacked while still on the deck. A speculative grubber in behind the defense was cleared by the Gold cover.

Despite being shorthanded it was NOLA who scored first in the second half. Yungert knocked over a penalty, and then a Lockie Kratz offload set up a fine finish for Julián Domínguez in the corner. The conversion was no good but the visitors were suddenly 8 points to the good.

A 20-minute stalemate ended with three points from the boot of Damian Stevens to stretch NOLA’s lead. Old Glory mounted a late surge with D’Montae Noble causing havoc after coming on as a replacement for Sam Cusano. The speedster’s third break saw him reach the corner with Dabulas landing a quick conversion but 80 minutes were already up on the clock.

Old Glory will have a week off before returning on June 26 to play Rugby ATL at The Snake Pit. The road trip continues for NOLA next weekend as they face the Toronto Arrows in Marietta.

 

SCORING

DC 21
Tries – T. Palamo (14’), M. Mason (23’), D. Noble (80’)
Cons – No kick (14’), J. Robertson 1/1 (24’), M. Dabulas 1/1 (80′)
Yellow cards – D. Tusitala (36’)

NOLA 25
Tries – J. Cappiello (8’), H. Dirksen (28’), J. Domínguez (49’)
Cons – No kick (8’), H. Yungert 1/2 (29’)
Pens – H. Yungert 1/1 (44’), D. Stevens 1/1 (71’)
Yellow cards – J. Cappiello (36’), E. Howard (40’), B. Nault (78’)

 

TEAMS

OLD GLORY DC
1 Jamie Dever (17 Jack Iscaro 50’), 2 James King (18 Jack Carroll 69’), 3 Steven Longwell (16 Dante Lopresti 50’), 4 Tevita Naqali, 5 Stan South, 6 Callum Gibbins (19 Casey Renaud 73’), 7 Mungo Mason (co-capt.), 8 Josh Brown (20 Cory Daniel 59’), 9 Danny Tusitala (21 Danny Thomas 69’), 10 Mike Dabulas, 11 Renata Roberts-Te Nana, 12 Jason Robertson (22 Ciaran Hearn 55’), 13 Thretton Palamo (co-capt.), 14 Sam Cusano (23 D’Montae Noble 63’), 15 Dylan Taikato-Simpson

NOLA GOLD
1 Kevin Sullivan (17 Matt Harmon HT), 2 Eric Howard (16 Kevin O’Connor 62’), 3 Dino Waldren (18 Brian Nault 71′), 4 Ignacio Dotti, 5 Nikola Bursic (19 Billy Stewart 55’), 6 Moni Tonga’uiha (16 Kevin O’Connor 40’-50’), 7 Devin Short (20 Malcolm May 62’), 8 Cam Dolan (capt.) (23 Kane Thompson 73’ {3 Dino Waldren 78’}), 9 Holden Yungert (21 Damian Stevens 59’), 10 Kyle Rogers, 11 Julián Domínguez, 12 Juan Cappiello, 13 Lockie Kratz (22 JP du Plessis 50’), 14 Ross Depperschmidt, 15 Hanno Dirksen

 

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Derek Summers (USA)
Assistants: Gavin McCandless (USA) & AN Other (USA)