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Old Glory DC secured a comfortable 29-3 win over the Toronto Arrows at Segra Field on Saturday evening. After giving up the opening score to the visitors, the home side completely shut down their opponents and earned a four-try bonus point in the process.
A bobbled ball in the second minute produced the eye-popping sight of giant Arrows prop Lolani Faleiva sprinting 50 meters upfield. The DC defense caught up with him, but conceded a penalty for Sam Malcolm to send through the posts.
There was also bad news for Toronto as Noel Reid was escorted from the pitch after taking a blow to the head in the opening sequence. Mitch Richardson moved into the midfield with Avery Oitomen coming in on the left wing.
DC then lost a player when Kurt Baker bounced his head off the turf in a tackle. Mike Dabulas came on as the kick to the corner set a lineout. The drive came on and over the line it went, with Nic Souchon getting the credit for the try. Tito Díaz Bonilla tacked on the extras to make it a full seven.
On Toronto throw-ins the home side chose not to contest the drive, which resulted in a penalty against the Arrows for obstruction on the first occasion. The second, however, was not executed correctly and Toronto made huge territory. They nearly scored but Richardson lost possession when he collided with the post, and the chance went begging.
At the other end Old Glory won a penalty but Díaz Bonilla’s kick for the corner went too far and instead the Arrows were awarded a 22-meter drop-out. Almost immediately DC were back in Toronto’s end and Mitch Eadie was binned for cynically slapping the ball out of Danny Tusitala’s hands. Diaz Bonilla put the home side into double-digits with the penalty goal.
Díaz Bonilla would miss a chance for three more when Ciaran Breen was caught running away from his support in his own end. Toronto were unable to clear, and Collin Grosse made ground to put Old Glory back in scoring position but nothing would come as a knock-on ended the move.
Early in the second half Jamason Fa’anana-Schultz powered over the gainline from the back of a scrum. The ball was produced quickly and straight hands down the lane caught the defense out of sorts, leaving room for Marcos Young to squeeze into the corner.
As the teams got set for the restart, the Arrows saw their other starting center Tautalatasi Tasi limp off with a twisted knee. A 50-22 from Diaz Bonilla earned DC an attacking lineout, and soon after William Talataina punched through to score DC’s third try.
Lautaro Bavaro pinched an Arrows throw-in on Old Glory’s 22-meter line. Díaz Bonilla then picked out Talataina with a cross-kick, whose flick pass freed Tevita Naqali down the sideline. James O’Neill tracked down the second row but Kobe Faust stuck a hand out to prevent the offload and was summarily dispatched to the sideline for 10 minutes.
The Arrows stopped DC’s first attack and cleared their lines, but an overthrow at the lineout gave the ball straight back. Fermín Martínez found a gap and connected with Fa’anana-Schultz, who in turn set Tusitala free for the bonus point try.
It’s back to the drawing board for Toronto, who still have two away games before their home opener. The first is at Utah next Saturday. Old Glory will face a revitalised NOLA Gold in Leesburg on the same day.
SCORING
DC 29
Tries (4) – N. Souchon (14′), M. Young (44′) W. Talataina (50′), D. Tusitala (73′)
Cons (3) – J. Díaz Bonilla 3/4 (15′, 51′, 74′)
Pens (1) – J. Díaz Bonilla 1/2 (36′)
TORONTO 3
Pens (1) – S. Malcolm 1/1 (3′)
YC (2) – M. Eadie (35′), K. Faust (68′)
TEAMS
OLD GLORY DC
1 Jack Iscaro (17 Quentin Newcomer 74′), 2 Nic Souchon (16 Facundo Gattas 67′), 3 Ramiro Herrera (18 Kyle Stewart 53′), 4 Collin Grosse (19 Fintan Coleman 74′), 5 Tevita Naqali, 6 Lautaro Bavaro, 7 Cory Daniel (20 Alejo Daireaux 64′), 8 Jamason Fa’anana-Schultz (capt.), 9 Danny Tusitala (21 John LeFevre 74′), 10 Joaquín Díaz Bonilla, 11 Owen Sheehy (22 Thretton Palamo 57′), 12 Fermín Martínez, 13 William Talataina, 14 Marcos Young, 15 Kurt Baker (23 Mike Dabulas 13′)
TORONTO ARROWS
1 Lolani Faleiva (17 Nik Hildebrand 74′), 2 Ramón Ayarza (16 Jack McRogers 60′), 3 Tyler Rowland (18 Conan O’Donnell 51′), 4 Mike Sheppard, 5 Adrian Wadden (19 Owain Ruttan 74′), 6 Mason Flesch (20 James O’Neill HT), 7 Lucas Rumball (capt.), 8 Mitch Eadie, 9 Ross Braude (21 Will Grant 55′), 10 Sam Malcolm, 11 Mitch Richardson, 12 Noel Reid (23 Avery Oitomen 3′), 13 Tautalatasi Tasi (22 Kobe Faust 45′), 14 Fabian Goodall, 15 Ciaran Breen
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Chris Assmus (Canada)
Assistants: Craig Sakowski (USA) & Ian Seaton (USA)
TMO: Austin Reed (USA)
