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The New England Free Jacks have punched their ticket to their first ever Championship Final with a dominant 25-7 win over Old Glory DC on Saturday. A strong crowd at Veteran Memorial Stadium watched their home side claim the Eastern Conference title in style with a shutout for over 70 minutes.
It was a storming start for the home side. Taniela Filimone and Reece MacDonald combined to win a turnover after a Junior Sa’u break, and the Free Jacks pushed into DC territory. The attack came up the middle and Le Roux Malan burst free to slide in under the posts for the opening score.
DC were again stuck in their end and from an attacking lineout Andrew Quattrin went over for another five. Tito Díaz Bonilla, a late addition to the lineup in place of Gradyn Bowd, then kicked too long on the restart to concede a scrum. Jayson Potroz fired a 50-22 into the corner and after sustained pressure added three points from the tee to make it a three-score game.
When Old Glory finally got some possession they pushed into New England’s half, but time and again they were repelled by a swarming defense. The Free Jacks held on and pushed back out towards halfway. Eventually a penalty was conceded in kicking range for Potroz who made no mistake to leave it 18-nil to the home side at halftime.
Both sides brought on fresh legs early in the second half, but neither could make a dent on the scoreboard. Two New England assaults were turned away with some committed goal-line defense, and Old Glory held on to the hour mark with the score remaining identical.
On the other side of the hydration break the Free Jacks put the game out of sight. Kurt Baker knocked on and Ben LeSage dropped a grubber that bounced to in-goal. Filimone won the race to the ball and the try went up on the board, with Potroz making it 25-nil to the home side.
Old Glory finally got on the board at the 72 minute mark when a cross-kick from Díaz Bonilla found Thretton Palamo loitering out wide. Díaz Bonilla landed the extras but it was too little, too late. The final minutes ticked away with no further scoring.
It’s off to Chicago next Saturday for the Free Jacks, who now await the winner of Sunday’s Western Conference Final between San Diego and Seattle. Despite the disappointment Old Glory have much to celebrate after their first ever trip to the playoffs and now turn their eye to the 2024 campaign.
SCORING
NEW ENGLAND 25
Tries (3) – L. Malan (4′), A. Quattrin (12′), T. Filimone (64′)
Cons (2) – No kick (4′), J. Potroz 1/2 (65′)
Pens (2) – J. Potroz 2/2 (18′, 40’+3′)
DC 7
Tries (1) – T. Palamo (72′)
Cons (1) – J. Díaz Bonilla 1/1 (73′)
TEAMS
NEW ENGLAND FREE JACKS
1 Kianu Kereru-Symes (17 Kyle Ciquera 47′), 2 Andrew Quattrin (16 Mills Sanerivi 47′), 3 Joel Hintz (18 Cole Keith 47′), 4 Conor Keys, 5 Reegan O’Gorman (19 Semisi Paea 47′), 6 Mitch Jacobson (capt.), 7 Joe Johnston (20 Cam Davidowicz 65′), 8 Wian Conradie, 9 John Poland (21 Holden Yungert 73′), 10 Jayson Potroz (22 Spencer Jones 73′), 11 Paula Balekana, 12 Le Roux Malan, 13 Ben LeSage, 14 Taniela Filimone (23 Zach Bastres 73′), 15 Reece MacDonald
OLD GLORY DC
1 Jack Iscaro (17 Cali Martinez 60′), 2 Nic Souchon (16 Facundo Gattas 55′), 3 Kyle Stewart (18 Quentin Newcomer 55′), 4 Tevita Naqali (19 Collin Grosse 47′), 5 Kyle Baillie (capt.), 6 Jamason Fa’anana-Schultz (20 Langilangi Haupeakui 47′), 7 Lautaro Bavaro, 8 Niko Jones (23 Alejo Daireaux 55′), 9 Danny Tusitala, 10 Joaquín Díaz Bonilla, 11 Junior Sa’u, 12 Doug Fraser (22 Thretton Palamo 47′), 13 William Talataina, 14 Marcos Young (21 John Rizzo 47′), 15 Kurt Baker
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Joe James (England)
Assistants: Federico Anselmi (Argentina) & Peter Pender (Canada)
TMO: Chris Assmus (Canada)
Attendance: 3,414
