Americas Rugby News Rugby news from across the Americas!
Rugby ATL snapped their three-game losing streak with a 35-27 win over Old Glory DC at Silverbacks Park on Saturday. The home side’s larger physically superior forward pack dominated the set piece and wore down their opponents in cold and wet conditions.
There was just over three minutes on the clock when ATL scored the first try. Duncan van Schalkwyk’s sneaky chip kick off the outside of his boot eluded the cover and bounced up for Rewita Biddle to regather and score. van Schalkwyk added the extras to make it a full seven.
Old Glory had an immediate opportunity for a reply. Marcos Young reeled in the restart with one hand but his pass was behind William Talataina and ATL cleared their lines. The home side regained possession and moved upfield with runs up the middle from Ross Deacon and Rowan Gouws. After winning a penalty van Schalkwyk put up three points off the kicking tee.
Another Deacon burst from the restart pushed the peach jerseys back into DC territory. ATL pressed right, then came back to the left. The defense held but conceded another penalty and again van Schalkwyk was on target to make it 13-nil with only 14 minutes played.
A pinpoint 50-22 from Biddle stuck DC back on their own goal line. Alex Maughan crossed on the back of a driving maul but was held up. It was only a stay of execution. The dropout from Tito Diaz Bonilla went too far and gave away a 5-meter scrum. When both sides collapsed Deacon cleaned up at the back, and then Biddle fired a no-look between-the-legs pass to a wide open Te Rangatira Waitokia for the try.
Johan Momsen was picked out by the TMO for going to high in a challenge on Fintan Coleman and was dispatched to the bin. He would soon be joined by Biddle, who slapped the ball into touch-in-goal after Díaz Bonilla tried to connect with Young on a cross-kick. With ATL down to 13 men it was just a matter of time before DC found space, and Talataina exploited the gap up the middle to score under the posts.
Despite their numerical disadvantage the home side pressed for another score just before halftime. Jonas Petrakopoulos came close and then Maughan looked to have grounded the ball on the line, but the referee’s call was held up and the TMO determined the footage was inconclusive, so the two teams headed to the change rooms with the score held at 20-7 in favor of ATL.
It didn’t take long for ATL to find a score in the second half. A penalty straight away gave them an attacking lineout. Momsen was the target at the lineout, and with advantage van Schalkwyk dropped a kick into the corner and the bounce was again favorable with Waitokia the benefactor this time. The conversion attempt hit the left upright and the flags stayed down.
DC got one back with an opportunistic score from Danny Tusitala. Vili Helu stole their throw-in but it was given straight back with an illegal entry at the ensuing breakdown. Tusitala opted for the quick tap and caught the ATL defense unawares, spring 40 meters to touch down under the sticks.
A third try came just moments later after pressure from Peni Lasaqa forced a knock-on from a Tusitala high ball. The scrumhalf quickly shipped the ball to Jamason Fa’anana-Schultz, who in turn fired a wide pass to a streaking Young down the left sideline and he had just enough room to take the corner. Gradyn Bowd’s first kick of the game drifted wide right of the posts but suddenly it was a one-score game.
Fermín Martínez broke up the middle next to set up a routine penalty goal for Bowd, and the gap closed to just three points. That would be as close as they would get. ATL went back to their pack to rebuild their lead, with a driving maul ending in a try for Maughan. With van Schalkwyk now off the pitch it was Biddle’s turn to take the kicks, and his first was straight through the middle.
Biddle would add a penalty goal to stretch the lead. A scrum penalty then pinned DC in their own end but the ball was turned over, leading to a contentious yellow card against Waitokia when Thretton Palamo slipped and fell head-first into his arm. It would be Palamo with the final say of the day, the powerful midfielder taking an offload from Lasaqa in for a bonus point try seconds before full-time. Bowd’s conversion attempt faded to the right and a second bonus eluded the visitors.
It’s a road game for ATL next Saturday as they play the Gold in New Orleans. Old Glory return home to take on the defending champion New York Ironworkers on Sunday.
SCORING
ATL 35
Tries (4) – R. Biddle (4′), T. Waitokia 2 (28′, 43′), A. Maughan (58′)
Cons (3) – D. van Schalkwyk 2/3 (5′, 29′), R. Biddle 1/1 (59′)
Pens (3) – D. van Schalkwyk 2/2 (11′, 14′), R. Biddle 1/1 (67′)
YC (3) – J. Momsen (32′), R. Biddle (36′), T. Waitokia (72′)
DC 27
Tries (4) – W. Talataina (38′), D. Tusitala (47′), M. Young (50′), T. Palamo (79′)
Cons (2) – No kick 2 (38′, 47′), G. Bowd 0/2
Pens (1) – G. Bowd 1/1 (56′)
TEAMS
RUGBY ATL
1 Jonas Petrakopoulos (17 Will Burke 51′), 2 Alex Maughan (16 Isaac Bales 73′), 3 John-Roy Jenkinson (18 Wikus Groenewald 59′), 4 Justin Basson (19 Nahuel Milán 59′), 5 Johan Momsen (capt.), 6 Vili Helu, 7 Matt Heaton (20 Frederick Henry-Ajudua 67′), 8 Ross Deacon (21 Daemon Torres 51′), 9 Rowan Gouws, 10 Duncan van Schalkwyk (23 Martini Talapusi 54′), 11 Nolan Tuamoheloa, 12 George Barton (22 Seth Purdey 67′), 13 Will Leonard, 14 Te Rangatira Waitokia, 15 Rewita Biddle
OLD GLORY DC
1 Jack Iscaro (18 Cali Martinez 72′), 2 Nic Souchon (16 Facundo Gattas 51′), 3 Ramiro Herrera (17 Kyle Stewart 46′), 4 Collin Grosse, 5 Fintan Coleman (19 Langilangi Haupeakui 46′), 6 Lautaro Bavaro (5 Fintan Coleman 56′), 7 Alejo Daireaux (20 Brady Daniel 75′), 8 Jamason Fa’anana-Schultz (capt.), 9 Danny Tusitala (21 John LeFevre 75′), 10 Joaquín Díaz Bonilla (23 Gradyn Bowd 46′), 11 Peni Lasaqa, 12 Fermín Martínez, 13 William Talataina, 14 Marcos Young (22 Thretton Palamo 61′), 15 Kurt Baker
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Cam Stone (New Zealand)
Assistants: Dave Edwards (USA) & Bryan Hall (USA)
TMO: Nick Hannon (USA)
