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The New England Free Jacks bid farewell to Union Point Stadium with a stunning 22-6 win over Rugby United New York on Saturday. It was played in atrocious conditions as a sheets of rain fell throughout. Kickoff had been delayed by over an hour due to lightning near the area.
Ball handling was a challenge throughout and a stiff breeze favored the home side in the first half. New England enjoyed a significant territorial advantage but points proved difficult to come by with a Beaudein Waaka penalty attempt pushed wide just after the hydration break.
A moment of madness from Fa’asiu Fuatai cost New York dearly. The outside center attempted a quick thrown-in but it went to Harry Barlow instead. After one quick recycle the ball was spun wide right with a tap-pass from Dougie Fife reaching Mitch Wilson to somehow ground the ball despite being wrapped up by two defenders.
New York launched a furious assault on the line just before halftime. Three driving mauls were repelled only for New England to concede penalties each time to bring on another. The fourth desperate push was again held short and a knock-on left the score 5-nil as the teams ran for cover.
With the wind now at their back the visitors piled the pressure on his the second half. Dan Hollinshead enter the game at halftime and opted for a penalty goal at 56 minutes to put New York on the board.
A contentious moment came soon after as with the Free Jacks on attack. Waaka slipped a grubber through the line towards in-goal. Conor McManus seemed to have clipped the ball with his fingertips but it kept rolling and Harrison Boyle was there for a definitive grounding. The officials ruled the try valid and Waaka landed the conversion.
Hollinshead fired back with his second penalty goal but it was Waaka again who drove a dagger into New York’s hopes. It was another grubber, this time perfectly placed into the corner for Barlow to score unchallenged. The flags stayed down on the conversion but time was against the visitors.
More handling errors put paid to New York’s attempts to secure a losing bonus point, but New England were determined to add one more score for good measure. With time long expired they refused to kick the ball dead and instead conjured enough space for Tuidraki Samusamuvodre down the left side for a sensational finish.
The loss leaves the door open for NOLA who will stay within reach of a playoff spot regardless of Sunday’s result. New York return home to play Houston next Saturday with the Free Jacks heading to Marietta to face the Toronto Arrows on Sunday.
SCORING
NEW ENGLAND 22
Tries – M. Wilson (35’), H. Boyle (63’), H. Barlow (71’), T. Samusamuvodre (80’+4’)
Cons – B. Waaka 1/3 (64’), T. Samusamuvodre 0/1
Pens – B. Waaka 0/1
NEW YORK 6
Pens – D. Hollinshead 2/2 (56’, 68’)
TEAMS
NEW ENGLAND FREE JACKS
1 Sef Fa’agase (18 Kyle Ciquera 76’), 2 Pieter Jansen (16 Stephan Coetzee 76′), 3 Erich de Jager (17 Quentin Newcomer 53’), 4 Jackson Thiebes, 5 Conor Kindregan (20 Vili Toluta’u 51’), 6 Tera Mtembu, 7 Joe Johnston (capt.), 8 Wian Conradie (19 Justin Johnson 76′), 9 John Poland (21 Tom Brusati 76′), 10 Beaudein Waaka, 11 Harry Barlow (23 Tuidraki Samusamuvodre 74′), 12 Harrison Boyle, 13 Poasa Waqanibau, 14 Mitch Wilson (22 Josateki Degei 76′), 15 Dougie Fife
RUGBY UNITED NEW YORK
1 Zak Taulafo (17 Anthony Parry 61’), 2 Dylan Fawsitt (capt.) (16 Diego Maquieira 76’), 3 Samu Tawake (18 Kirk Hamilton 69’), 4 Charlie Hewitt (19 Max Dacey 61’), 5 Evan Mintern, 6 Kyle Sumsion, 7 Benjamín Bonasso, 8 Kara Pryor (20 Rob Irimescu 65′), 9 Conor McManus (21 Connor Buckley 74’), 10 Harry Bennett (22 Dan Hollinshead HT), 11 Apenisa Cakaubalavu (23 Troy Lockyear 50′), 12 Will Leonard, 13 Fa’asiu Fuatai, 14 Chris Mattina, 15 Ben Foden (23 Troy Lockyear 33’-HT)
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: JP Doyle (England)
Assistants: Amelia Luciano (USA) & Mike Rudzinsky (USA)
