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Austin made it four wins in a row as they coasted to a 32-10 result over NOLA at The Gold Mine on Saturday. The Gilgronis maintain their first overall position while the Gold suffer their seventh consecutive home defeat dating back to last season.
It didn’t take long for Austin to find the tryline. Two minutes in Hugh Roach crashed over after NOLA was caught trying to play out of their own end. Will Magie missed the conversion but he would have another opportunity in no time. Pele Cowley charged down Robbie Coleman’s clearance attempt and this time Magie found his mark to make it 12-nil to the visitors with just eight minutes played.
Eric Howard had taken a knock on the first sequence of the game. The Canadian international tried manfully to stick it out but at the 11 minute mark he trudged off for an HIA, replaced by Alex Lopeti in only his second professional match.
Lopeti’s first lineout throw was well off its intended target, but he found Ignacio Dotti with his second. The Gold went through the phases and then Robbie Coleman fired an inside ball to Nick Feakes, who had come infield from his left wing position, to get NOLA on the board. Damian Stevens sent the conversion attempt wide of the uprights.
Howard miraculously reappeared and he overthrew at the lineout, but JP du Plessis was quickest to the ball and with legs pumping he made it to within a couple meters of the line. Kevin Sullivan was there to pick and drive over for NOLA’s second try, but Stevens again sliced his conversion attempt and Austin held a slender lead.
The AG pack reorganized and pushed back into NOLA territory. They turned down a shot at goal for the corner, and it paid off as the driving maul went over with ease. Michael de Waal took the credit for the try and Magie nailed the extras from a difficult angle to make the halftime score 19-10 to the visitors.
When the two sides emerged from the sheds Lopeti was back on at hooker for NOLA. He found Billy Stewart at the lineout but the Gold coughed up possession at the maul, and shortly after Faka’osi Pifeleti barged over the line. A TMO review, however, revealed a knock-on in the build-up and the try was called off as JP Eloff cleared to halfway.
Austin’s scrum was in command and after winning a penalty, Magie added three points from 40 meters. A dozen minutes later it was the same scenario with Magie stretching Austin’s lead to 15 points.
A Ryan Louwrens break set up a try for Locky McCaffrey that secured the bonus point and put the result beyond doubt. Payton Telea-Ilalio received a yellow card in the final minute for a late tackle but NOLA’s last attacking opportunity would fizzle out with a knock-on.
Both teams return to action next Sunday. The Gold head north to play Rugby New York while Austin head home for a match against the Seattle Seawolves.
SCORING
NOLA 10
Tries – N. Feakes (14′), K. Sullivan (26′)
Cons – D. Stevens 0/2
AUSTIN 32
Tries – H. Roach (2′), P. Cowley (7′), M. de Waal (36′), L. McCaffrey (70′)
Cons – W. Magie 2/3 (8′, 37′), C. Mattina 1/1 (71′)
Pens – W. Magie 2/2 (50′, 62′)
YC – P. Telea-Ilalio (80′)
TEAMS
NOLA GOLD
1 Kevin Sullivan (17 James Irey 69′), 2 Eric Howard (16 Alex Lopeti 11′-22′, HT), 3 Brian Nault (18 Dino Waldren 50′), 4 Ignacio Dotti (19 Malcolm May 59′), 5 Billy Stewart, 6 Moni Tonga’uiha (20 Maciu Koroi 59′), 7 Devin Short, 8 Cam Dolan (capt.), 9 Damian Stevens (21 Devereaux Ferris 71′), 10 Robbie Coleman, 11 Nick Feakes, 12 JP du Plessis, 13 Juan Cappiello (22 Aaron Matthews 69′), 14 Harley Wheeler, 15 JP Eloff (23 Ross Depperschmidt 62′)
AUSTIN GILGRONIS
1 Faka’osi Pifeleti (17 Payton Telea-Ilalio 44′), 2 Hugh Roach (16 Mason Koch 69′), 3 Mason Pedersen (18 LaRome White 71′), 4 Cam Dodson, 5 Isaac Ross (19 Sebastian de Chaves 48′), 6 Ronan Murphy (20 Christian Ostberg 62′), 7 Locky McCaffrey (22 Jake Turnbull 73′), 8 Michael de Waal, 9 Pele Cowley (21 Ryan Louwrens 50′), 10 Will Magie (23 Conner Mooneyham 69′), 11 Julián Domínguez, 12 Bryce Campbell (capt.), 13 Mark O’Keeffe, 14 Zinzan Elan-Puttick, 15 Chris Mattina
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Federico Anselmi (Argentina)
Assistants: Allen Alongi (USA) & Rob Halcomb (USA)
TMO: Derek Summers (USA)
