Austin claims chaotic Texas Cup victory over Houston

The Austin Gilgronis put their enormous disappointment for 80 minutes to defeat the SaberCats 29-14 in Houston on Friday evening. It was chaotic match that culminated in three players being carded at once, two of them red, with off-the-ball skirmishes scattered throughout.

Three players – namely Sebastian de Chaves, Ryan Louwrens, and Julián Domínguez – pulled out of the AG lineup seemingly in response to the decision by Major League Rugby to disqualify them from the playoffs. It saw last-minute changes and those that did take the field were determined to make the most of it.

A turnover with Houston on attack created a line break for Isaac Ross. The big second row galloped away and put the SaberCats on the back foot. A couple phases later Ronan Murphy charged up the middle and though he was stopped, an offload found Bryce Campbell in support to crash in under the posts.

Mason Koch was held up over the line a few minutes later but the AG’s would get a second try just after the hydration break. After attacking wide right, the ball came back to the left and Chris Mattina floated a pass over the top of Zach Pangelinan to a waiting Zinzan Elan-Puttick for an easy finish.

Things began to look ominous at the half-hour mark when Faka’osi Pifeleti powered over from close range after Pele Cowley had come just a couple meters short. Houston get a score just before halftime, however, when Emmanuel Albert slipped through the middle of a ruck past an unsuspecting defense.

The physicality increased in the second half. Cowley was binned for a flying no-arms takeout of Gideon van Wyk. The scrumhalf had no sooner returned when the SaberCats drove in for a second try. It was replacement hooker Axel Zapata who touched down, breaking away from a driving maul at the last moment to make it a one-score game.

Gerrie Labuschagne found himself in trouble for a deliberate knock-on just moments before tempers exploded. Jake Turnbull took out Keni Nasoqeqe with a shoulder check to the head, and then Maikeli Naromaitoga came rushing across the pitch to flatten Turnbull. When the melee cleared Labuschagne received yellow, and it was red for both Turnbull and Naromaitoga.

Mack Mason knocked over a penalty goal from the infraction and the game continued cautiously. A set move at the front of a lineout saw Hugh Roach work a give-and-go with Ross that put the hooker into the corner for the decisive try. Kian Meadon’s chip ahead nearly resulted in a late Houston try but Sidney Shoop grounded the ball in-goal a millisecond before Trace Bolstad arrived.

There is no next week for the AG’s, who instead of competing for a spot in the Western Conference Final are now resigned to wonder ‘what if’? It remains to be seen what lies ahead for the Austin franchise and its players. Houston meanwhile now have one more home game to prepare for with either San Diego or Seattle to be their playoff opponents next Sunday.

 

SCORING

HOUSTON 14
Tries – E. Albert (37′), A. Zapata (58′)
Cons – K. Meadon 2/2 (38′, 59′)
YC – G. Labuschagne (63′)
RC – M. Naromaitoga (63′)

AUSTIN 29
Tries – B. Campbell (9′), Z. Elan-Puttick (23′), F. Pifeleti (31′), H. Roach (72′)
Cons – No kick 2 (9′, 31′), M. Mason 1/1 (24′), W. Magie 0/1
Pens – M. Mason 1/1 (63′)
YC – P. Cowley (47′)
RC – J. Turnbull (63′)

 

TEAMS

HOUSTON SABERCATS
1 Frikkie de Beer (17 Alec McDonnell 49′), 2 Diego Fortuny (16 Axel Zapata 52′), 3 Aaron Mitchell (18 Juan Pablo Zeiss 61′), 4 Emmanuel Albert (19 Maikeli Naromaitoga 57′), 5 Will Crawford (20 Keni Nasoqeqe 61′), 6 Gideon van Wyk, 7 Wynand Grassmann, 8 Willie Britz (capt.) (4 Emmanuel Albert 77′), 9 Nick Boyer, 10 Kian Meadon, 11 Marcos Moroni, 12 Matai Leuta (23 Trace Bolstad 72′), 13 Kisi Unufe (21 Zachary Short 57′), 14 Gerrie Labuschagne, 15 Zach Pangelinan (22 Robbie Povey 59′)

AUSTIN GILGRONIS
1 Faka’osi Pifeleti (17 Jake Turnbull HT), 2 Mason Koch (16 Hugh Roach HT-77′), 3 Namatahi Waa (18 LaRome White 30′), 4 Cam Dodson, 5 Isaac Ross, 6 Ronan Murphy (19 Payton Telea-Ilalio 67′), 7 Maclean Jones, 8 Michael de Waal (20 Luke Beauchamp 50′), 9 Pele Cowley (21 Sidney Shoop 63′), 10 Mack Mason, 11 Zinzan Elan-Puttick (23 Caleb Strum 59′), 12 Bryce Campbell (capt.), 13 Marcel Brache, 14 Conner Mooneyham, 15 Chris Mattina (22 Will Magie 63′)

 

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Luke Rogan (USA)
Assistants: Paulo Duarte (Portugal) & Kat Roche (USA)
TMO: Derek Summers (USA)