NOLA celebrate blowout win over DC

Nate Osborne’s return to New Orleans on Saturday did not go as planned. NOLA Gold produced their best performance of the season with a 50-21 victory over Old Glory DC. The visitors had no answer for an attack that seemed to come from all angles over 80 minutes.

NOLA got off to a stunning start with a try just two minutes into the game. Devin Short tore down the left side of the field, then the ball was flung wide right where Cam Dolan fed Pat O’Toole to dive over in the corner. Damian Stevens bounced his kick off the left upright and through to make it a full seven.

Five minutes later the Gold were in for their second. DC conceded a penalty and Cam Dolan skied to take the throw-in at the back. The drive came on and when it was collapsed illegally, the referee awarded a penalty try and sent Jack Iscaro to the sin bin.

Old Glory’s nightmare continued. Rohan Saifoloi’s restart went straight out, and from the scrum a first phase set move saw Juan Cappiello cut through the middle. Short was on hand to take the scoring pass in under the posts and suddenly it was 21-nil to the home side.

DC finally caught a break when Nick Feakes deflected a Saifoloi kick through touch-in-goal to concede an attacking scrum. The first sequence was not fruitful, but when a free kick was awarded at a second scrum Luke Campbell went quick and barged over for the try.

Another mistake on the restart cost Old Glory dearly. NOLA were handed another prime attacking scrum, and after a couple phases Kevin Sullivan broke to within a couple meters of the line. The ball went wide right to Harley Wheeler who rounded the corner for the bonus point try. Stevens nailed the extras from a challenging angle.

NOLA looked to have scored a fifth try on a long breakout finished by Cappiello, but the TMO ruled Dolan had played the ball from an offside position at the start of the move. Instead Old Glory would strike back with Peni Lasaqa showing his footwork on a switch play from Saifoloi. The conversion made the halftime score 28-14.

A second TMO intervention was required in the second half when Feakes broke through on a set move, but the scoring pass from O’Toole was forward and Old Glory were instead awarded a scrum. The Gold kept the pressure on and settled for a three-pointer from the boot of Stevens.

They would get their fifth try just before the hydration break. Penalties from DC conceded an attacking lineout and the drive was unstoppable with O’Toole grabbing his double. Stevens converted and headed to the sidelines in what was his final act of the day.

Slick hands from Robbie Coleman and Cappiello sent Wheeler in for his second. Wheeler would have his hat trick soon after on a counter-attack with Dolan delivering the final pass. The last say would go to the visitors, with Lasaqa sending Saifoloi free for a try under the posts.

Both teams are at home next Saturday. DC welcome the Houston SaberCats to Segra Field, while NOLA take on the San Diego Legion at The Gold Mine.

 

SCORING

NOLA 50
Tries – P. O’Toole 2 (2′, 57′), Penalty try (7′), D. Short (10′), H. Wheeler 3 (22′, 66′, 70′)
Cons – D. Stevens 3/3 (3′, 23′, 58′), No kick 2 (7′, 10′), J. Eloff 1/2 (67′)
Pens – D. Stevens 1/1 (52′)

DC 21
Tries – L. Campbell (19′), P. Lasaqa (37′), R. Saifoloi (80′)
Cons – R. Saifoloi 2/2 (20′, 38′), No kick (80′)
YC – J. Iscaro (7′)

 

TEAMS

NOLA GOLD
1 Kevin Sullivan (17 Matt Harmon 50′), 2 Pat O’Toole (16 George Sharpe 27′-38′, 58′), 3 Brian Nault (18 Dino Waldren HT), 4 Ignacio Dotti (21 Osaiasi Tonga’uiha 54′), 5 Billy Stewart (19 William Waguespack 54′), 6 Moni Tonga’uiha (20 Maciu Koroi 51′), 7 Devin Short, 8 Cam Dolan (capt.), 9 Damian Stevens (22 Devereaux Ferris 58′), 10 Robbie Coleman, 11 Nick Feakes (23 Ross Depperschmidt 51′), 12 JP du Plessis, 13 Juan Cappiello, 14 Harley Wheeler, 15 JP Eloff

OLD GLORY DC
1 Jack Iscaro (18 Dante Lopresti 59′), 2 Rob Irimescu (16 Mo Katz HT), 3 Kyle Stewart (17 Jake Ilnicki 50′), 4 Tevita Naqali, 5 Stan South (17 Jake Ilnicki 8′-17′) (19 Api Naikatini 58′), 6 Felix Kalapu, 7 Cory Daniel (21 Dom Bailey 59′), 8 Luke Campbell (20 Fintan Coleman 58′), 9 Danny Tusitala (capt.), 10 Rohan Saifoloi, 11 Doug Fraser (22 Danny Thomas 58′), 12 Junior Sa’u, 13 William Talataina, 14 Peni Lasaqa, 15 Owen Sheehy (23 John Rizzo 51′)

 

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Jack Gohl (Australia)
Assistants: De Wet Roos (USA) & Allen Alongi (USA)
TMO: Derek Summers (USA)