Record-breaking day as New York outlasts DC

Rugby New York outlasted Old Glory DC to win 59-49 at Segra Field on Sunday. The results sets a new Major League Rugby mark for most combined points in a match and most tries scored, just a week after the record had been set in DC’s loss to Houston.

DC found the scoreboard first. A high ball was tapped down by Nate Brakeley, but it was Doug Fraser who regathered. He busted two tackles and ran 50 meters with no cover defense in sight. New York fired back with a penalty try from a collapsed maul, with Stan South paying the price with a yellow card.

A simple first-phase backline move completely flummoxed the DC defense and Waisake Naholo sauntered in for the easiest try of his career. At the other end Fa’asiu Fuatai shot out of the line and left a gap for William Talataina to score from close range.

There was little opposition on another lineout drive from New York with Kaleb Geiger getting the credit for the try. Next it was a Jason Emery kick ahead into wide open space for Ed Fidow to regather and score. Talataina took a quick tap at a penalty and ran through some half-hearted tackle attempts to make it 26-21 in favor of the visitors at halftime.

Fuatai’s chip kick landed in Sam Windsor’s hands, with Conor McManus racing free to score under a minute into the second half. Windsor then took on the line himself, passing back inside to a trailing Fidow who swerved around what was left of the DC defense to score his brace.

A turnover from Antonio Kiri Kiri saw Naholo gliding 60 meters untouched down the sideline for his second try of the day. Next would be the hat-trick for Fidow at the end of a Nehe Milner-Skudder grubber to make it 28 unanswered points and 54-21 to New York.

Talataina put a grubber in for Saifoloi to score, but New York again had a reply. Naholo made ground up the middle, and then an offload from Dylan Fawsitt freed Connor Buckley. He in turn found Andy Ellis on his shoulder for the finish.

Chance Wenglewski was binned for cynical play in his own end and Josh Brown bashed over from close range. Two more tries from DC closed out the scoring. Junior Sa’u ran through four defenders to grab the first, and the second saw Renata Roberts-Te Nana casually round several New York players for the record-breaking try.

The bonus-point victory puts New York level with ATL on points and sets up an exciting match against the Free Jacks next Friday, though New England may have already clinched first place in the East pending the result against NOLA. Old Glory end their season against the Arrows in Toronto on Sunday.

 

SCORING

DC 49
Tries – D. Fraser (6′), W. Talataina 2 (20′, 38′), R. Saifoloi (55′), J. Brown (62′), J. Sa’u (69′), R. Roberts-Te Nana (78′)
Cons – R. Saifoloi 6/6 (7′, 21′, 39′, 56′, 70′, 79′), No kick (62′)
YC – S. South (10′)

NEW YORK 59
Tries – Penalty try (10′), W. Naholo 2 (15′, 49′), K. Geiger (27′), E. Fidow 3 (32′, 45′, 52′), C. McManus (41′), A. Ellis (58′)
Cons – No kick (10′), S. Windsor 6/8 (28′, 33′, 41′, 46′, 50′, 53′)
YC – C. Wenglewski (62′)

 

TEAMS

OLD GLORY DC
1 Jack Iscaro (19 Will Vakalahi 62’), 2 Mo Katz (16 Rob Irimescu 46′), 3 Kyle Stewart (17 Jake Ilnicki 56’), 4 Tevita Naqali (21 Dacoda Worth 62’), 5 Stan South, 6 Felix Kalapu, 7 Cory Daniel (18 Dom Bailey 68’), 8 Luke Campbell (20 Josh Brown 56’), 9 Danny Tusitala (capt.) (22 Danny Thomas 62’), 10 Rohan Saifoloi, 11 Junior Sa’u, 12 William Talataina, 13 Doug Fraser (23 John Rizzo 56’), 14 Peni Lasaqa, 15 Renata Roberts-Te Nana

RUGBY NEW YORK
1 Nic Mayhew (17 Chance Wenglewski HT), 2 Kaleb Geiger (16 Dylan Fawsitt HT), 3 Kalolo Tuiloma (18 Wilton Rebolo 51’), 4 Nate Brakeley (capt.), 5 Nick Civetta, 6 Benjamin Bonasso, 7 Brendon O’Connor (20 Joe Basser 51′), 8 Antonio Kiri Kiri (1 Nic Mayhew 65′-72′), 9 Conor McManus (21 Connor Buckley 53′), 10 Sam Windsor, 11 Ed Fidow (23 Andrew Coe 59’), 12 Jason Emery (22 Andy Ellis 53′), 13 Fa’asiu Fuatai, 14 Waisake Naholo, 15 Nehe Milner-Skudder

Not used: 19 Charlie Hewitt

 

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: George Selwood (England)
Assistants: Gavin McCandless (USA) & Aaron Davis (USA)
TMO: Kahlil Harrison (USA)