Ratlers shut down Gold in defensive battle

Rugby ATL made it two wins from two as they defeated NOLA Gold 14-9 at The Gold Mine on Saturday evening. It was a game dominated by defense, with the Ratlers preventing their hosts from scoring a single try while grabbing two themselves.

The two sides were stuck in a stalemate for the first quarter of the game. NOLA owned the bulk of the possession but were shut down at the gain line time and again by the stifling Ratlers defense. After turning down an earlier shot at goal, the Gold eventually settled for three points from the boot of Carl Meyer in the 26th minute.

When ATL finally got the ball they also found progress difficult, but manufactured a hole just before halftime. Daemon Torres hit Johan Momsen with a short pass to send the big second row through the line, and with only one cover defender left the return pass was enough for Torres to ground the ball. Joaquín de la Vega Mendía tacked on the routine extras to make it a 7-3 game at the intermission.

The arm-wrestle continued in the second half, and it was the Gold who nearly scored when Eric Howard’s inside pass put Meyer clean through the line. Devin Short couldn’t handle the scoring pass, however, and NOLA would instead ask Meyer to take another three points.

At the other end Te Rangatira Waitokia sliced through and had de la Vega Mendía with him but the pass was too high for the Argentine to take. Waitokia took a knee-on-knee hit in the process and after bravely attempting to walk off the blow was forced off, replaced by Martini Talapusi.

It wasn’t long before Talapusi found himself on the score sheet, touching down under the posts after a lineout throw went astray. The NOLA midfield attempted to fly-hack the loose ball, only to miss and allow Talapusi a free run to the line.

With time winding down the Gold scrum had the ascendency and won Meyer a long-range shot at goal, which he duly obliged. After the restart it was another scrum penalty that earned field position, but NOLA couldn’t control the ball at the breakdown and when it slipped out the side of a ruck Rowan Gouws was quickest to pounce and kick the ball dead for full-time.

Both teams will play home games next Saturday. ATL hosts Rugby New York at Silverbacks Park, with the Toronto Arrows making their way to New Orleans.

 

SCORING

NOLA 9
Pens – C. Meyer 3/3 (26′, 56′, 75′)

ATL 14
Tries – D. Torres (33′), M. Talapusi (68′)
Cons – J. de la Vega Mendía 1/1 (34′), No kick (68′)

 

TEAMS

NOLA GOLD
1 Matt Harmon (17 Kevin Sullivan 60′), 2 Eric Howard (16 Pat O’Toole 53′), 3 Dino Waldren (18 Brian Nault 60′), 4 Malcolm May (19 William Waguespack 50′), 5 Taylor Krumrei (20 Chase Schor-Haskin HT), 6 Maciu Koroi, 7 Devin Short, 8 Cam Dolan (capt.), 9 Damian Stevens (21 Devereaux Ferris 53′), 10 Robbie Coleman, 11 Nick Feakes (23 Kyle Rogers 64′), 12 JP du Plessis (22 JP Eloff 71′), 13 Juan Cappiello, 14 Harley Wheeler, 15 Carl Meyer

RUGBY ATL
1 Will Burke (17 Jonas Petrakopoulos 51′), 2 Marko Janse van Rensburg (16 Alex Maughan 51′), 3 John Sullivan (18 Wikus Groenewald 51′), 4 Justin Basson (19 Conor Keys 71′), 5 Johan Momsen, 6 Vili Helu, 7 Matt Heaton (co-capt.), 8 Daemon Torres (20 Evan Mintern 55′), 9 Ryan Rees (21 Rowan Gouws 50′), 10 Kurt Coleman (22 Duncan van Schalkwyk 50′), 11 Austin White, 12 Ryan Nell (co-capt.), 13 Te Rangatira Waitokia (23 Martini Talapusi 66′), 14 Harley Davidson (23 Martini Talapusi 5′-13′), 15 Joaquín de la Vega Mendía

 

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Mike Lash (New Zealand)
Assistants: Allen Alongi (USA) & Saade Bou-Mikael (USA)
TMO: Kahlil Harrison (USA)