New York clinches home playoff game, but Utah wins battle

The New York Ironworkers did just enough to clinch home field advantage for the first round of the playoffs on Sunday. It was the Utah Warriors who won the battle, however, with a 43-33 victory at Memorial Field to close out their campaign on a winning note.

A yellow card to Charlie Hewitt for deliberately collapsing a maul just five minutes in gave the visitors the first scoring opportunity. With New York’s biggest forward off the pitch Utah wasted no time opting for the maul, and Henry Bell drive over with ease just seconds later.

The Ironworkers repelled another assault on their line and then Kaleb Geiger blasted through the middle, the prop finally hauled down after gaining 40 meters. A quick recycle and the ball went to Teihorangi Walden, who stabbed a grubber in behind the defense that bounced up perfectly for Brendon O’Connor to regather and score.

Utah struck back from a lineout at halfway. Jesse Hamilton made a half-break and then Joel Hodgson found the space out wide. Caleb Makene fixed the last defender and Cliven Loubser had just enough momentum to slide over the line for the finish.

The lead would change three more times before the interval. Dylan Fawsitt went over on the back of a lineout drive, but then Loubser sped around the outside on first phase from a scrum to grab a double. Saia Uhila was binned for a late hit on Emery, and it was the New York flyhalf himself who slid over after taking an offload from Sam Windsor.

With Uhila still off the pitch, it was the Warriors who hit for a pair of tries in rapid succession early in the second half. Hodgson ripped through the line to score the first, then Calvin Whiting found another gaping hole in defense with the conversions from Hodgson making it 31-19 to the visitors.

Ishmail Shabazz secured the bonus point went he made the corner on the end of a long cutout pass from Walden. The Warriors responded with a multi-phase move that featured two breaks from Hodgson and ended with Jurie van Vuuren crossing for a fifth Utah try.

A 50-22 from Windsor won field position for DaQuan Perry to crash over under the sticks, but the final say went to the visitors. Nick Feakes saw yellow for a high shot on Hamilton, and appropriately it was Hamilton who finished off a counter-attack to grab a try on debut on the final play of the game.

It’s the end of the line for Utah, who finish 4th in the West despite their strong 10-6 record. New York wrap up the regular season at 8-8 but will play on with a home game against Old Glory DC next Sunday, the winner moving on to face the Free Jacks in the Eastern Conference Final.

 

SCORING

NEW YORK 33
Tries (5) – B. O’Connor (11′), D. Fawsitt (27′), J. Emery (36′), I. Shabazz (49′), D. Perry (70′)
Cons (4) – S. Windsor 3/4 (12′, 28′, 50′), No kick (70′)
YC (2) – C. Hewitt (5′), N. Feakes (77′)

UTAH 43
Tries (7) – H. Bell (5′), C. Loubser 2 (18′, 33′), J. Hodgson (42′), C. Whiting (45′), J. van Vuuren (65′), J. Hamilton (80′)
Cons (4) – J. Hodgson 4/7 (34′, 43′, 46′, 66′)
YC (1) – S. Uhila (35′)

 

TEAMS

NEW YORK IRONWORKERS
1 Chance Wenglewski (17 Tevita Langi 48′), 2 Dylan Fawsitt (capt.) (16 DaQuan Perry 50′), 3 Kaleb Geiger (18 Nic Mayhew 48′), 4 Charlie Hewitt, 5 Brad Tucker (19 Hamish Dalzell 60′), 6 Kara Pryor, 7 Brendon O’Connor, 8 Pago Haini (20 Joe Basser 60′), 9 Conor McManus (21 Connor Buckley 52′), 10 Jason Emery, 11 Ishmail Shabazz, 12 Teihorangi Walden (22 Quinn Ngawati 50′), 13 Fa’asiu Fuatai (23 Nick Feakes 50′), 14 Brooklyn Hardaker, 15 Sam Windsor

UTAH WARRIORS
1 Olive Kilifi (17 Emerson Prior HT), 2 Henry Bell (16 Joey Backe 66′), 3 Paul Mullen (18 Angus MacLellan HT), 4 Saia Uhila (19 Jurie van Vuuren 50′), 5 Jamie Lane, 6 Bailey Wilson (capt.), 7 Lance Williams (22 Jeremiah Noaese 69′), 8 Onehunga Havili (20 Thomas Tu’avao 50′), 9 Zion Going (21 Connor McLeod 60′), 10 Joel Hodgson, 11 Jesse Hamilton, 12 Calvin Whiting, 13 Tyler Fisher, 14 Caleb Makene (23 Logan Tago HT), 15 Cliven Loubser

 

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Joe James (England)
Assistants: Miles McIvor (USA) & Marty Steffens (USA)
TMO: Greg Gilliam (USA)