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The New England Free Jacks made it four wins on the trot as they shut out the New York Ironworkers by a score of 8-0 at Veterans Memorial Stadium on Sunday. Wet and windy conditions limited expansive play and it was tactical kicking and the set piece that dominated large portions of the contest.
New England were on the offensive from the opening kickoff. A penalty conceded an attacking lineout and though a knock-on turned the ball over to New York, the same fate gave possession straight back on the next play. The pressure stayed on until Jayson Potroz spotted Paula Balekana all alone on the left side and fired a cross-kick straight into the winger’s arms for the opening try.
A knock-on at the restart gave New York a chance to respond straight away. Sam Windsor fired a well-placed grubber into the corner and Potroz only just beat Monate Akuei to the grounding. After the drop-out New England lost Semisi Paea to a head knock after a thunderous challenge on Pago Haini, replaced by Reegan O’Gorman. The Ironworkers would get a scrum put-in but the Free Jacks drove them straight backwards with the resulting penalty getting them out of their end.
Conor McManus twisted his ankle when he landed awkwardly catching a high ball and Connor Buckley took over at scrumhalf for New York. With the Free Jacks on attack, Chance Wenglewski was pinged for a deliberate knock-on and the Ironworkers were suddenly back on their own goal line. Mills Sanerivi bashed over the line from close range but Akuei was under him and prevented the grounding. Sanerivi crossed again moments later at the back of a lineout drive and this time it was Kara Pryor who held him up.
The two sides engaged in a prolonged kicking exchange until finally a Free Jacks attack yielded a penalty in range of the posts. Potroz had the distance but not the accuracy as the ball faded wide left. A second shot was forthcoming from almost the exact same spot after New York were too slow to roll from a breakdown. This time Potroz found his mark and the flags went up to make it 8-nil to the home side at halftime.
It was a stalemate for most of the second half, the two sides crashing into each other in neutral territory. Reece MacDonald was binned near the 70-minute mark for sticking out a hand to prevent a line break, but soon after a high tackle instead gave Potroz a shot at the posts from 40 meters. The assistant referees seemed confused and half-heartedly raised their flags, but the referee signaled no good and ordered a 22-meter drop-out.
A chance for New England to score from a scrum in the dying moments went for naught as Wian Conradie lost possession ahead of the line. New York couldn’t escape their end and there was no hope for a bonus point as a Potroz high ball put Nick Feakes under pressure and there was nowhere to go but the sidelines.
The Ironworkers are straight back into the fire with a pivotal home game against the NOLA Gold next Sunday. It’s a bye week for the Free Jacks who will regenerate ahead of their away match against Old Glory DC on Sunday, May 14.
SCORING
NEW ENGLAND 8
Tries (1) – P. Balekana (6′)
Cons (0) – J. Potroz 0/1
Pens (1) – J. Potroz 1/3 (39′)
YC (1) – R. MacDonald (69′)
NEW YORK 0
TEAMS
NEW ENGLAND FREE JACKS
1 Tevita Sole (17 Kyle Ciquera 50′), 2 Mills Sanerivi (16 Kianu Kereru-Symes 64′), 3 Cole Keith (18 Conor Young 64′), 4 Semisi Paea (19 Reegan O’Gorman 11′), 5 Conor Keys, 6 Mitch Jacobson (capt.), 7 Slade McDowall (20 Joe Johnston 50′), 8 Wian Conradie (23 Cam Davidowicz 77′), 9 Kieran McClea (21 Holden Yungert 64′), 10 Jayson Potroz, 11 Paula Balekana (22 Isaac Olson 71′), 12 Le Roux Malan, 13 Ben LeSage, 14 Mitch Wilson, 15 Reece MacDonald
NEW YORK IRONWORKERS
1 Chance Wenglewski (17 Tevita Langi 60′), 2 Dylan Fawsitt, 3 Kaleb Geiger (18 Sam Davies 60′), 4 Nate Brakeley (capt.) (19 Charlie Hewitt 59′), 5 Hamish Dalzell, 6 Kara Pryor, 7 Monate Akuei, 8 Pago Haini (20 Joe Basser HT), 9 Conor McManus (21 Connor Buckley 16′), 10 Sam Windsor, 11 Teofilo Fidow, 12 Teihorangi Walden, 13 Fa’asiu Fuatai, 14 Andrew Coe, 15 Nick Feakes
Not used: 16 DaQuan Perry, 22 Kieran Joyce, 23 Brooklyn Hardaker
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Chris Assmus (Canada)
Assistants: Amelia Luciano (USA) & Jarrod Ford (USA)
TMO: Mike Lash (New Zealand)
