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Rugby New York are headed to their first Championship Final after a stirring come-from-behind win over the New England Free Jacks on Sunday. The home side led by six points until two late tries gave the visitors a famous 24-16 result and keep them on course to contest the MLR Shield next weekend.
It was an electric start with both teams intent on using the width of the field. A lineout steal gave the Free Jacks the first scoring opportunity. The ball went wide to Mitch Wilson, and then back to the midfield were Jesse Parete’s angled run got in behind the defense. An inside pass from Le Roux Malan put Beaudein Waaka through a gap and he stepped his way over for the try, converting his own to make it seven.
Waisake Naholo got New York on the front foot with a slashing run against the grain, but Parete stripped the ball and New England cleared. Another advance pushed the visitors back into scoring range and this time Jason Emery opted for a shot at goal when a penalty was awarded. It wouldn’t find the target, however, as Emery sliced it off the inside of his boot and three points went begging.
Mills Sanerivi was forced off at the 11-minute mark with Foster DeWitt coming in at hooker for the home side. The Free Jacks went on the attack and quickly won a penalty, with allowed Waaka to slot it through from 40 meters in front of the sticks.
An Andy Ellis chip kick was gathered by Jack Heighton, who then put Andrew Coe into space. The winger was stopped short, and then Chance Wenglewski came close. One phase later the ball went wide to Kara Pryor, whose over-the-top pass found Benjamin Bonasso for a try in the corner. Emery’s radar was accurate from the sideline for the extra two points.
Waaka and Emery exchanged penalty goals and then the Free Jacks came within a meter of scoring. Parete went on a rampaging run and connected with Paula Balekana flying down the left sideline. He looked odds-on to score but a desperate tackle from Heighton drove Balekana into touch.
Pryor knocked-on at a scrum deep in his own end, but he was bailed out by a scrum penalty on New England’s out-in. After winning the lineout, a sweeping attack from New York had alarm bells ringing with Bonasso charging ahead. Nick Civetta took Pryor’s would-be scoring pass over the line but this time it was Wian Conradie’s heroics that dislodged the ball to end a breathtaking first half.
An early penalty gave the Free Jacks an attacking lineout. John Poland darted around the short side and Emery was pinged for an offense at a tackle. Waaka lined up the penalty and found his mark to make it a six-point lead for the home side.
Malan sparked a long break-out from New England but Antonio Kiri Kiri snuffed out the attack with a turnover at the breakdown. New York then won a scrum penalty, and after moving deep into scoring position they turned down a shot at goal for a 5-meter scrum. The shove was on but the ball popped out the back, and a couple phases later Joe Johnston mimicked Kiri Kiri’s effort to save the Free Jacks.
Sam Windsor came into the game for Naholo with Nehe Milner-Skudder shifting to the wing. New York went back on the attack and Ellis popped a short ball to Coe streaking up the middle. Poland cut him down but the ball was recycled and Milner-Skudder ducked in for the try, with Windsor curling in the conversion from out wide to give New York their first lead of the match.
Coe broke free down the left side but a connecting pass to Heighton didn’t work out. Reegan O’Gorman was then singled out for a shoulder charge and sent to the sin bin. The visitors took full advantage, and after several phases Heighton’s miss-out pass found Coe in space and this time he would slide in for the finish himself. Windsor nailed the sideline conversion and New England’s hopes evaporated.
New York will now host the Seattle Seawolves next Saturday with the MLR Shield on the line. While JFK Stadium in Hoboken has been their home field to date, the venue for the Final is yet to be confirmed by Major League Rugby.
SCORING
NEW ENGLAND 16
Tries – B. Waaka (4′)
Cons – B. Waaka 1/1 (5′)
Pens – B. Waaka 3/3 (17′, 28′, 46′)
YC – R. O’Gorman (73′)
NEW YORK 24
Tries – B. Bonasso (19′), N. Milner-Skudder (69′), A. Coe (76′)
Cons – J. Emery 1/1 (20′), S. Windsor 2/2 (70′, 77′)
Pens – J. Emery 1/2 (32′)
TEAMS
NEW ENGLAND FREE JACKS
1 Kyle Ciquera (17 Quentin Newcomer 56′), 2 Mills Sanerivi (16 Foster DeWitt 11′), 3 Erich de Jager (18 Tevita Sole 49′), 4 Josh Larsen (capt.), 5 Stan van den Hoven (19 Reegan O’Gorman 56′), 6 Jesse Parete (23 Terrell Peita 70′), 7 Joe Johnston, 8 Wian Conradie (20 Cam Davidowicz 77′), 9 John Poland (21 Holden Yungert 73′), 10 Beaudein Waaka, 11 Paula Balekana, 12 Le Roux Malan, 13 Wayne van der Bank, 14 Mitch Wilson, 15 Dougie Fife (22 Jack Reeves 73′)
RUGBY NEW YORK
1 Chance Wenglewski (17 Nic Mayhew 47′), 2 Dylan Fawsitt, 3 Wilton Rebolo (18 Kalolo Tuiloma 47′), 4 Benjamín Bonasso (capt.), 5 Nick Civetta (19 Nate Brakeley 47′), 6 Antonio Kiri Kiri, 7 Brendon O’Connor, 8 Kara Pryor (16 Kaleb Geiger 59′), 9 Andy Ellis, 10 Jack Heighton, 11 Andrew Coe, 12 Jason Emery, 13 Fa’asiu Fuatai, 14 Waisake Naholo (22 Sam Windsor 68′), 15 Nehe Milner-Skudder (23 Quinn Ngawati 77′)
Not used: 20 Joe Basser, 21 Conor McManus
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Federico Anselmi (Argentina)
Assistants: Mike Lash (New Zealand) & Cisco Lopez (USA)
TMO: Nick Hannon (USA)
Attendance: 3,500
