Gold recover from sloppy start to pull away from Arrows

The NOLA Gold secured a 40-24 bonus point victory over the Toronto Arrows in New Orleans on Sunday afternoon. Though the Gold looked the dominant side throughout, it wasn’t until the final quarter when the home side pulled away after several scoring opportunities were squandered by unforced errors.

Toronto’s injury curse continued as they lost hooker Gene Syminton to a head knock on the opening sequence, replaced by Ramón Ayarza. The Gold maintained possession and after numerous phases JP du Plessis stepped back inside through a gap, swerving around the cover to touch down between the sticks.

The Arrows thwarted the second NOLA attack but not the third. Jarred Adams broke from a ruck deep in his own half and the prop stepped past two would-be tacklers to bring the ball over halfway. Luke Campbell was there in support, and the scrumhalf connected with Eric Howard for a stunning end-to-end try. The conversion was a chip shot for Rodney Iona.

Syminton re-emerged from his HIA with the scoreline 14-nil to the home side. His first throw-in was on target and the Arrows were on the front foot. Noel Reid stabbed a grubber into the corner with D’Shawn Bowen hot on the chase but Aaron Matthews got there first and Iona cleared to safety. When NOLA regained possession Maciu Koroi broke clean up the middle, but a loose pass from Liam Hallam-Eames was picked off by Mitch Richardson who sprinted 50 meters to score untouched under the posts against the run of play.

It didn’t take long for the Gold to strike back. Or so it seemed. Toronto let the restart bounce and NOLA snatched up possession. The ball went wide right then back to the left. Campbell attacked the line and offloaded to William Waguespack, who sold a dummy to score. On TMO review, however, the try was wiped off with Koroi guilty of a dangerous clearout in the buildup.

The Gold threated twice in quick succession only to come up short both teams. An obstruction at a driving maul foiled one advance, then du Plessis was held-up in-goal after a searing break from Dougie Fife. Behind the play the Arrows lost two players with Fabian Goodall and Mitch Eadie both trudging off the pitch at the same time, replaced by Dawson Fatoric and Travis Larsen.

NOLA seemed to take a breather just before halftime and it led to a pair of kicking opportunities for Shane O’Leary. The first bounced off the left upright and through for three points, the second hit the right and stayed out. Despite possession and territory both heavily in favor of the Gold, they led by just four points as the teams headed into the sheds.

The second half started poorly for the Gold. A penalty gave away field position, and when the lineout drive was slowed Toronto attacked up the middle. Isaac Salmon and then Syminton barged close to the line, and then the third member of the front row Lolani Faleiva reached over top of the ruck to ground the ball. O’Leary’s conversion gave the visitors an improbable 17-14 lead.

Almost immediately a high ball from Iona was allowed to bounce by the Arrows. Waguespack regathered and Jordan Jackson-Hope made a half-break on the left side. Campbell broke from a ruck and made it to the line but somehow Syminton was there to meet him and managed to hold the ball off the ground.

Finally the Gold got the rewards they were looking for. Quick hands from Iona and Koroi put Adams into space down the left side. Jackson-Hope chipped ahead into space and there was nobody home to stop him from plucking the ball off the deck and diving in under the posts. It grabbed the lead back for NOLA, one they would not relinquish.

The game was stopped for several minutes when Pat O’Toole was knocked unconscious in tackle attempt on Faleiva. Matt Harmon came on at hooker and would soon be on the score sheet. Jackson-Hope broke down the right side from his own end, connecting with du Plessis. A high tackle stopped progress and on advantage, the ball was flung wide left where Harmon was loitering with intent to do his best winger impression. Iona nailed the extras from the tough angle to make it a full seven.

On the other side of the hydration break the Gold struck for another try. Jackson-Hope and du Plessis again combined down the left side, with Ross Depperschmidt taking it on further. Hands down the line found Harley Wheeler for the finish into the right corner. The kick eluded Iona this time but it was a three-score game.

Koroi went over from short range after a penalty gave an attacking lineout to the Gold. The conversion brought up 40 points, and soon after Wheeler looked to be in for a double only for a TMO review to scrub the try for a marginal obstruction call. Toronto would get a consolation score on full-time from Ayarza after sustained pressure from a tap penalty.

It’s a road game for the Gold next Sunday when they take on the New York Ironworkers. The Arrows have now lost seven in a row and will have a bye week to regroup before returning on Friday, May 12, against Rugby ATL in Toronto.

 

SCORING

NOLA 40
Tries (6) – J. du Plessis (7′), E. Howard (11′), J. Jackson-Hope (50′), M. Harmon (61′), H. Wheeler (67′), M. Koroi (71′)
Cons (5) – No kick 2 (7′, 50′), R. Iona 2/3 (12′, 62′), D. Stevens 1/1 (72′)

TORONTO 24
Tries (3) – M. Richardson (18′), L. Faleiva (43′), R. Ayarza (80’+1′)
Cons (3) – No kick (18′), S. O’Leary 2/2 (44′, 80’+2′)
Pens (1) – S. O’Leary 1/2 (33′)

 

TEAMS

NOLA GOLD
1 Matt Harmon (17 Kevin Sullivan 56′), 2 Eric Howard (16 Pat O’Toole 51′ {1 Matt Harmon 58′}), 3 Jarred Adams (18 Dino Waldren 56′), 4 William Waguespack, 5 Liam Hallam-Eames (19 Billy Stewart 33′), 6 Moni Tonga’uiha (20 Cam Dolan 58′), 7 Devin Short (21 Malcolm May 56′), 8 Maciu Koroi, 9 Luke Campbell (capt.), 10 Rodney Iona (22 Damian Stevens 68′), 11 Aaron Matthews (23 Harley Wheeler 56′), 12 Jordan Jackson-Hope, 13 JP du Plessis, 14 Ross Depperschmidt, 15 Dougie Fife

TORONTO ARROWS
1 Lolani Faleiva (16 Tyler Wong 62′), 2 Gene Syminton (17 Ramón Ayarza 2′-14′, 49′), 3 Isaac Salmon (18 Tyler Rowland 62′), 4 Adrian Wadden, 5 Shay Kerry (19 Mike Sheppard 68′), 6 Mason Flesch (21 James O’Neill 55′), 7 Lucas Rumball (capt.) (21 James O’Neill 49′-52′), 8 Mitch Eadie (20 Travis Larsen 26′), 9 Ross Braude (22 Will Grant 62′), 10 Shane O’Leary, 11 Fabian Goodall (23 Dawson Fatoric 26′), 12 Noel Reid, 13 Mitch Richardson, 14 D’Shawn Bowen, 15 Kobe Faust

 

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Paulo Duarte (Portugal)
Assistants: Allen Alongi (USA) & Rob Halcomb (USA)
TMO: Scott Green (USA)