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Utah put a halt to New England’s three-game winning streak with a 26-24 victory at Zions Bank Stadium on Friday night. It was an enthralling contest from start to finish, with the Warriors and Free Jacks going toe-to-toe in what was arguably the most exciting match of the Major League Rugby season to date.
An offside penalty gave Joel Hodgson an early shot a the posts that was successful. A few minutes later Jayson Potroz equalled the effort after Utah were pinged for Hands in at the breakdown. The first try-scoring opportunity went to the Warriors when a Hodgson cross-kick found Joe Mano but his inside pass to Bailey Wilson was knocked forward.
Hodgson stuck with the short kicking strategy and his chip kick into space was regathered by Mano. John Poland stuck an arm out to disrupt a pass and the referee signaled advantage but it wasn’t needed. Connor McLeod broke free from a ruck, and then Onehunga Havili powered over the line with Hodgson adding the extras.
New England fired back through their forwards. Penalties put them into position and eventually yielded a 5-meter attacking scrum. Poland reached in to move the ball but Wian Conradie waved him off and urged his forwards on, and was rewarded with a pushover try. Potroz leveled the scores with the conversion.
Mano’s scintillating form continued with a spectacular solo effort that began well inside his own end. The left wing received the ball on the end of an overlap and from 65 meters out took the corner on the first man, stepped through the tackle of a second, wrong-footed a third, and then stepped off both feet to beat the last defender to bring the crowd to their feet.
It was a mistake from Mano at the restart, however, that gave the points straight back to the Free Jacks. After stepping out of bounds, the lineout drive came on. The forwards bashed ahead and when the Warriors defense held the ball was spun wide to Paula Balekana waiting on the touchline to finish in the corner. There was no sign of strain on the face of Potroz as he coolly nailed the conversion to give the visitors a two-point lead.
A scary moment came when Mitch Wilson was sent flying by a rampaging Paul Lasike. The winger was helped off, replaced by Isaac Olson. Conor Keys was then binned for taking out a lifter at the lineout. The Warriors went with a scrum and on a set move, Mika Kruse cut back inside to take a short ball from a drifting Hodgson and the Free Jacks defense didn’t have enough bodies to plug the gap.
The Warriors lost both Mano and Jamie Lane just before halftime, both failing head injury assessments. Not long after the second half began McLeod slipped through on a quick tap penalty but Lasike went down clutching his lower leg on the move, with Calvin Whiting summoned to take over in the midfield.
New England regained possession and Joe Johnston took on the line, freeing his hands in the tackle to set Wayne van der Bank free. The inside center deftly put the ball to his left foot and Olson regathered, having just enough pace to reach the line for another highlight reel try. Potroz was again accurate off the tee and the visitors took a four-point lead though there was still plenty of time left on the clock.
The final half-hour was constant back-and-forth action with both teams throwing themselves into the tackle. Mitch Jacobson sent a Utah carrier backwards and then Mika Kruse cut down Ben LeSage. Just shy of the hour mark Hodgson made it a one-point game after a series of phases. He would land the winner with four minutes to play, a turnover and then a knock-on ending New England’s hopes of conjuring their own penalty in the final moments.
Both teams return to action next Saturday. The Free Jacks will have a home date against the Chicago Hounds, while the Warriors are on the road opposite the Houston SaberCats.
SCORING
UTAH 26
Tries (3) – O. Havili (17′), J. Mano (26′), M. Kruse (35′)
Cons (1) – J. Hodgson 1/3 (18′)
Pens (3) – J. Hodgson 3/3 (4′, 59′, 76′)
NEW ENGLAND 24
Tries (3) – W. Conradie (22′), P. Balekana (29′), I. Olson (47′)
Cons (3) – J. Potroz 3/3 (23′, 30′, 48′)
Pens (1) – J. Potroz 1/1 (10′)
YC (1) – C. Keys (34′)
TEAMS
UTAH WARRIORS
1 Franco van den Berg (17 Olive Kilifi 51′), 2 Joey Backe (16 Chad Gough 51′), 3 Angus MacLellan (18 Takaji Young Yen 51′), 4 Onehunga Havili, 5 Jamie Lane (19 Saia Uhila 37′), 6 Bailey Wilson (capt.), 7 Lance Williams (20 Jeremiah Noaese 76′), 8 Thomas Tu’avao, 9 Connor McLeod, 10 Joel Hodgson, 11 Joe Mano (22 Connor Burns 38′), 12 Paul Lasike (23 Calvin Whiting 43′), 13 Tyler Fisher, 14 Mika Kruse, 15 Caleb Makene
Not used: 21 Zion Going
NEW ENGLAND FREE JACKS
1 Kyle Ciquera (17 Foster DeWitt 45′), 2 Andrew Quattrin (16 Kianu Kereru-Symes 45′), 3 Cole Keith (18 Joel Hintz 45′), 4 Conor Keys (20 Sam Fischli 67′), 5 Semisi Paea (19 Jesse Parete 30′), 6 Mitch Jacobson (capt.), 7 Joe Johnston (23 Cam Davidowicz 59′), 8 Wian Conradie, 9 John Poland (21 Holden Yungert 68′), 10 Jayson Potroz, 11 Paula Balekana, 12 Wayne van der Bank, 13 Ben LeSage, 14 Mitch Wilson (22 Isaac Olson 33′), 15 Reece MacDonald
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Federico Anselmi (Argentina)
Assistants: Kahlil Harrison (USA) & Kage Green (USA)
TMO: Luke Rogan (USA)
