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NOLA Gold made it two wins from two with a 34-19 win over Anthem Carolina at the Gold Mine on Saturday. While the result was never in doubt, the visitors outscored their hosts in the second half and the home side were left to count the cost with three players injured and another sent off.
It was a dominant opening half for the Gold. Ross Depperschmidt looked to have crossed just two minutes in but the TMO spotted an obstruction by JP du Plessis and the try was waved off. Depperschmidt would depart soon after for an HIA from which he would not return.
The Gold went back to work and were awarded a penalty try when Reagan Leslie illegally collapsed a maul, with the Anthem lock given a 10-minute break for his troubles. Pat O’Toole then limped off with what looked like an ankle injury, replaced at hooker by Ale Lopeti.
Three tries would be scored by NOLA in a span of 10 minutes. A Dorian Jones grubber bounced up fortuitously for Dougie Fife to score, and then du Plessis crossed from short range after Jones had regathered his own long kick ahead. Damian Stevens then sprinted home from the base of a scrum won against the head.
Facing a 24-nil scoreboard, Anthem came out with more determination in the second half. A quick tap from Oscar Koller caught the Gold defense napping and with Siaosi Nai acting as a link Shane Barry sprinted through a gap to score the first try for the visitors.
NOLA fired back with two quick tries through their forwards. The first saw Lopeti getting credit on the end of a driving maul, and then Jonah Mau’u barged over from in tight though neither would be converted. Soon after the Anthem scrum held firm and Nai broke to the short side, fending off two would-be tacklers to score a long-range solo effort. A third try for Anthem came when Nai picked out an unguarded Tyren Al-Jiboori from the base of a maul.
With seven minutes to play OJ Noa was sent from the field after a brutal head-high hit on Shneil Singh. The latter was forced off with a blood injury, with Logan Weidner returning, while at the same time Lopeti limped off with Jarred Adams returning to the fray. Time would expire with no further incidents.
It’s the first road game of the season for the Gold next Saturday as they face the New England Free Jacks at Veterans Memorial Stadium. Anthem return home to host the Dallas Jackals on Sunday.
| SCORING |
NOLA 34
Tries (6) – Penalty try (7′), D. Fife (15′), J. du Plessis (21′), D. Stevens (25′), A. Lopeti (55′), J. Mau’u (59′)
Cons (2) – No kick (7′), D. Jones 1/4 (16′), R. Botha 0/1
RC (1) – O. Noa (74′)
CAROLINA 19
Tries (3) – S. Barry (49′), S. Nai (61′), T. Al-Jiboori (66′)
Cons (2) – O. Koller 2/3 (50′, 62′)
YC (1) – R. Leslie (7′)
| LINEUPS |
NOLA GOLD
1 Jarred Adams (17 Matt Harmon 48′), 2 Pat O’Toole (16 Ale Lopeti 10′ {1 Jarred Adams74′}), 3 Isaac Salmon (18 Sam Klimkowski 48′), 4 Malcolm May, 5 William Waguespack (19 Fintan Coleman 54′), 6 Moni Tonga’uiha (capt.) (20 Maciu Koroi 54′), 7 Jonah Mau’u, 8 OJ Noa, 9 Damian Stevens (21 Sebastiano Villani 60′), 10 Dorian Jones, 11 Taniela Filimone, 12 Jordan Jackson-Hope, 13 JP du Plessis (22 Reece Botha 54′), 14 Ross Depperschmidt (23 Jack Webster 5′), 15 Dougie Fife
ANTHEM CAROLINA
1 Jake Turnbull (capt.) (17 Dan Hanson 71′), 2 Jack Manzo (16 Declan Moore HT), 3 Mika Felix (18 Stephan Bernal-Wendt 54′), 4 Reagan Leslie, 5 Logan Weidner (19 Shneil Singh HT-74′), 6 Braemar Murray, 7 Albert O’Shannessey, 8 Dylan Fortune (20 Joe Basser 60′), 9 Siaosi Nai, 10 Oscar Koller, 11 David Still (22 Ulu Niutupuivaha HT), 12 Mateo Gadsden (23 Cliven Loubser 60′), 13 Cael Hodgson (21 Te Rangatira Waitokia 53′), 14 Tyren Al-Jiboori, 15 Shane Barry
| MATCH INFO |
Date: Saturday, March 9
Venue: The Gold Mine, Metairie
Kickoff: 15:00 local
Weather: cloudy, 69°F (20°C), wind NW 11-16mph (18-26km/h)
| OFFICIALS |
Referee: Kahlil Harrison (USA)
Assistants: Amelia Luciano (USA) & Rob Halcomb (USA)
TMO: Austin Reed (USA)
