Austin cruise past Dallas by record margin

The Austin Gilgronis cruised to a 57-3 win over the Dallas Jackals at Choctaw Stadium on Saturday evening. It set a new Major League Rugby record for points differential, eclipsing the previous mark of 47, as the AG’s poured on nine tries with none conceded.

Dallas suffered a crushing blow not two minutes into the game when Alejandro Torres was carried from the field with a knee injury. A backline reshuffle saw Chris Pennell moving up to flyhalf, with Campbell Johnstone dropping to fullback and Matoko Noudéhou summoned from the bench to make his MLR debut in the midfield.

Just two minutes later Austin had their first try. It came via the lineout drive but it was unusually Will Magie who got the credit, the flyhalf joining in at the back of the maul. He converted his own try from a tough angle to make it a full seven.

Pennell slotted a long range penalty goal to calm the nerves, but it was only a temporary reprieve. A stray lineout throw handed the ball back to Austin and a few quick phases later Namatahi Waa hurtled through the Dallas line to score Austin’s second try. Again Magie was on song with the conversion.

Payton Telea-Ilalio celebrated his pro debut with a try at the 18-minute mark, powering over from close range after another multi-phase attack. Incredibly he would have a double on the other side of the hydration break, again taking a short line that seemed to surprise the Dallas defense.

The Jackals finally got some field position and sustained pressure would result in a yellow card to Cam Dodson for repeat team infringements. Augusto Böhme tapped and charged at the line, reaching out and appearing to ground the ball on the line. The TMO however ruled he had knocked on and awarded a goal-line drop-out to Austin.

At the other end Mark O’Keeffe sliced through to touch down under the posts for a fifth Gilgronis try. Just before halftime Dallas lost another player to injury as Bronson Teles replaced Asa Carter on the flank.

Pele Cowley and Chris Mattina combined to set up O’Keeffe for his double early in the second half. It would take nearly 20 minutes for the next score, when an awkward bounce of the ball eluded Pennell and gifted Conner Mooneyham a try.

With time winding down the AG’s would grab two more tries. Short passes from Ronan Murphy and O’Keeffe put Casey McDermott Vai in for the first, and finally Sidney Shoop raced into the corner after good work from Marcel Brache and Mattina.

Both teams are on the road against Eastern Conference teams next Saturday. Austin head to New Orleans while the Jackals are off to Leesburg to play Old Glory DC.

 

SCORING

DALLAS 3
Pens – C. Pennell 1/1 (7′)

AUSTIN 57
Tries – W. Magie (4′), N. Waa (9′), P. Telea-Ilalio 2 (18′, 22′), M. O’Keeffe 2 (36′, 46′), C. Mooneyham (65′), C. McDermott Vai (74′), S. Shoop (78′)
Cons – W. Magie 5/8 (5′, 10′, 19′, 66′, 75′), No kick (36′)
YC – C. Dodson (29′)

 

TEAMS

DALLAS JACKALS
1 Ryan Bower (16 Alex Tucci 61′), 2 Augusto Böhme (17 Brendan Rams 47′-58′, 67′), 3 Herman Agenbag (18 Tommy Madaras 61′), 4 Mike Matarazzo (20 Campbell Robinson 58′), 5 Charlie Hola (4 Mike Matarazzo 75′), 6 Asa Carter (19 Bronson Teles 39′), 7 Conrado Roura, 8 Adriaan Booysen, 9 Tom Brusati (21 Kurtis Werner 66′), 10 Alejandro Torres (22 Matoko Noudéhou 2′), 11 Cael Hodgson, 12 Chad London, 13 Campbell Johnstone, 14 Shawn Clark (23 Hayden Hill 67′), 15 Chris Pennell (capt.)

AUSTIN GILGRONIS
1 Payton Telea-Ilalio (17 Jake Turnbull 55′), 2 Robbie Coetzee (16 Mason Koch 47′), 3 Namatahi Waa (18 LaRome White 52′), 4 Cam Dodson, 5 Sebastian de Chaves (capt.), 6 Ronan Murphy, 7 Maclean Jones (20 Casey McDermott Vai 61′), 8 Locky McCaffrey (19 Isaac Ross 70′), 9 Pele Cowley (21 Sidney Shoop 61′), 10 Will Magie, 11 Julián Domínguez (22 Marcel Brache 58′), 12 Dom Akina (23 Caleb Strum 20′), 13 Mark O’Keeffe, 14 Conner Mooneyham, 15 Chris Mattina

 

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Lex Weiner (USA)
Assistants: Scott Green (USA) & Andrew Low (USA)
TMO: Davey Ardrey (USA)