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The historic first victory for Chicago against a spirited Dallas side was the highlight in Round 5. Elsewhere there were convincing wins for NOLA, San Diego, DC, and New England. The defending champions now sport a losing record after five games while the Legion and Free Jacks continue to show their quality.
1 – Faka’osi Pifeleti (San Diego Legion) All about defensive ferocity. Two huge tackles in particular sent ATL men reeling backwards. His energy lifted the Legion pack.
2 – Pat O’Toole (NOLA Gold) Found his targets at the set piece and it was his ball running in the loose that got him the nod. Scored an impressive solo try in the big win over the Warriors. DC’s Nic Souchon also went well with a breakdown turnover and one try scored from a maul.
3 – Juan Pablo Zeiss (Dallas Jackals) An outstanding 80-minute effort against Chicago. The Jackals were dominant in the scrum and Zeiss also contributed several strong carries into traffic and some thumping tackles that stopped Hounds forwards dead in their tracks.
4 – Tevita Naqali (Old Glory DC) An all-around effort that was capped with a highlight reel gallop down the right sideline. He made hard yards on other occasions and put in a couple smashing hits.
5 – Ben Grant (San Diego Legion) ATL had big problems trying to throw over him in the lineout, leading to a halftime change at hooker. Grant is the form lock in the competition at the moment with his presence at the set piece and in the loose.
6 – Jerónimo Gómez Vara (Dallas Jackals) A titan who almost willed Dallas to victory by himself. Two stolen lineouts, a critical breakdown steal, and a superb finish after Marcos Moroni broke on the outside. NOLA’s Malcolm May also impressed, but Gómez Vara was in a class of his own this week.
7 – Joe Johnston (New England Free Jacks) The Mechanic stepped up as pack leader in Josh Larsen’s absence and led from the front. Nearly scored twice in the first half and won a key turnover in the second half that led directly to a try for Wayne van der Bank.
8 – Jamason Fa’anana-Schultz (Old Glory DC) Provided a steady stream of front foot ball for his men, both off the scrum and the breakdown. Played link man on the final score for Danny Tusitala. Jason Damm fought courageously against the tide for ATL.
9 – Richard Judd (San Diego Legion) A dominant showing with sharp distribution and two tries scored. Both were opportunistic breaks that will force defenses to pay closer attention to him moving forward. Former Bay of Plenty teammate Luke Campbell had a fine game for NOLA.
10 – Rodney Iona (NOLA Gold) Every week this spot is up for debate and this time it no exception. Old Glory’s Tito Díaz Bonilla and New England’s Jayson Potroz were both worthy contenders. Iona’s distribution was on point, including a grubber off the left foot for Cael Hodgson to score. On the other side of the ball he made a try-saving tackle on Caleb Makene.
11 – Julián Domínguez (Chicago Hounds) Scored two tries, both of which required top class finishes. His performance was even more remarkable given his shoulder injury just two weeks before. New England’s Paula Balekana grabbed his second brace in as many weeks.
12 – Wayne van der Bank (New England Free Jacks) Early intercept pinned the Ironworkers in their end and his wide pass set Balekana free for a try. van der Bank was held up once himself but scored a fine individual effort that secured the bonus point. Honorable mention to NOLA’s Jordan Jackson-Hope.
13 – Marcel Brache (San Diego Legion) Seemed to take the right option every time. Soft hands to free Tomas Aoake, line breaks up the middle, raking kicks in behind the defense. One perfectly-placed grubber led to a try for Nathan Sylvia.
14 – Mark O’Keeffe (Chicago Hounds) An ill-advised penalty proved very costly, but O’Keeffe was otherwise a big part of Chicago’s first win. Scored the first try and set up the second for Domínguez. Quinn Ngawati was the standout player for New York after replacing Andrew Coe in the first minute.
15 – Chris Mattina (Chicago Hounds) Another tough spot this week with ATL’s Martini Talapusi and New England’s Reece MacDonald also in the mix. The history-making penalty goal nudges Mattina over the line, though he already had a strong case with multiple line breaks.
