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The Free Jacks came away with a 28-17 win over the Arrows in Marietta on Sunday afternoon. New England scored four tries before the hour mark to secure the result. To their credit the Arrows would score twice in the final quarter to bring the curtain down on what has been a grueling season.
It wasn’t until just ahead of the water break when a scoreless tie was broken. Sam Malcolm landed a penalty kick to give the Arrows a lead but it would be some time before Toronto would find points again.
New England scored two tries in a five-minute stretch before halftime. Both came via driving mauls at the lineout. Stephan Coetzee was on the end of the first with the second going to Vili Toluta’u to leave it 14-3 at the intermission.
Malcolm left the field early in the second half with a leg injury and Toronto would soon be left with only seven forwards on the pitch. Alex Russell came on for his professional debut with captain Guiseppe du Toit forced to fill in as a makeshift flanker.
Harry Barlow was on the spot to score in the corner after the ball had spilled lose in a tackle on Poaqa Waqanibau. The fourth try for the Free Jacks was again a product of the maul with Conor Kindregan this time getting the credit.
Tomás de la Vega went to the sideline for running repairs but returned to score Toronto’s first try from close range just after the hydration break. A break down the left sideline from Manuel Montero put Joaquín Tuculet in under the posts.
Wian Conradie looked certain to score with a clean run down the middle in the 80th minute. Russell arrived at the last moment to haul the New England eightman down, forcing a knock-on and the referee blew his whistle for full-time.
The Arrows will bid adieu to their season-long dwellings in Georgia on Tuesday to make the long-awaited flight back to Canada. New England celebrate new beginnings next Sunday as they take the field at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Quincy for the first time, with Rugby ATL their guests.
SCORING
TORONTO 17
Tries – T. de la Vega (61′), J. Tuculet (74′)
Cons – A. Ferguson 1/1 (62′), No kick (74′)
Pens – S. Malcolm 1/1 (18′)
NEW ENGLAND 28
Tries – S. Coetzee (30′), V. Toluta’u (35′), H. Barlow (54′), C. Kindregan (57′)
Cons – B. Waaka 4/4 (31′, 36′, 55′, 58′)
TEAMS
TORONTO ARROWS
1 Rob Brouwer (17 Pat Lynott 52′), 2 Jack McRogers (16 Joe Tomlinson 52′), 3 Gastón Cortes (18 Marc-Antoine Ouellet 52′), 4 Mike Sheppard (20 Mason Flesch 52′), 5 Paul Ciulini (19 Adrian Wadden HT), 6 Ollie Nott, 7 Tomás de la Vega, 8 Ronan Foley (*23 Alex Russell 56′), 9 Andrew Ferguson, 10 Sam Malcolm (21 Jason Higgins 46′), 11 Manuel Montero, 12 Guiseppe du Toit (capt.), 13 Mitch Richardson, 14 Johnny Sheridan (22 Kobe Faust HT), 15 Joaquín Tuculet
*8 Ronan Foley left the field at 52 mins for treatment but was not replaced by 23 Alex Russell until 56 mins. During that time Toronto played with 14 men.
NEW ENGLAND FREE JACKS
1 Sef Fa’agase (17 Spencer Krueger 69′), 2 Stephan Coetzee (16 Pieter Jansen 46′), 3 Quentin Newcomer (18 Erich de Jager 51′), 4 Jackson Thiebes, 5 Vili Toluta’u (20 Justin Johnson 59′), 6 Wian Conradie, 7 Joe Johnston (capt.), 8 Tera Mtembu (19 Conor Kindregan 51′), 9 John Poland (21 Tom Brusati 69′), 10 Beaudein Waaka, 11 Tuidraki Samusamuvodre (22 Josateki Degei 69′), 12 Harrison Boyle (23 Harry Barlow 26′), 13 Poasa Waqanibau, 14 Mitch Wilson, 15 Dougie Fife
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Derek Summers (USA)
Assistants: Kat Roche (USA) & Cisco Lopez (USA)
