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The top two teams in the Eastern Conference collide at The Gold Mine on Saturday. Both hosts NOLA and their guests New England have already clinched their spots in the post-season, but the Gold still have an outside shot at the first seed if they can upset the Free Jacks.
| CURRENT STANDINGS |
9-5-0 (W2) East 2nd
10-4-0 (W3) East 1st
| STARTING LINEUP CHANGES |
1 Jarred Adams replaces Matt Harmon
2 Pat O’Toole replaces Ale Lopeti
4 Malcolm May replaces Callum Botchar
7 Jonah Mau’u replaces William Waguespack (No5 vs LA)
9 Luke Campbell replaces Damian Stevens
15 Dougie Fife replaces Reece Botha (No10 vs LA)
2 Foster DeWitt replaces Andrew Quattrin
5 Jackson Thiebes replaces Kyle Baillie
6 Ethan Fryer replaces Piers von Dadelszen
8 Mitch Jacobson replaces Martín Sigren
12 Le Roux Malan replaces Wayne van der Bank
14 Mitch Wilson replaces Paula Balekana
15 Danyon Morgan-Puterangi replaces Jayson Potroz (No10 vs Utah)
| CAPPED INTERNATIONALS |
(6) – Dolan, M Tonga’uiha, Harmon (USA), Iona (Samoa), Fife (Scotland), Botchar (Canada)
(7) – DeWitt, Keys, LeSage, Keith, von Dadelszen (Canada), Malan (Namibia), Wilson (USA)
| CLUB DEBUTS |
(1) – Oscar Lennon*
* – MLR debut
| NOTABLE ABSENTEES |
– OJ Noa (N8), Ed Fidow (WI)
– Andrew Quattrin (HO), Josh Larsen (LO), Martín Sigren (FL/N8), Wian Conradie (N8), John Poland (SH), Jayson Potroz (FH), Wayne van der Bank (CE), Paula Balekana (WI)
| NOTES |
- a draw is good enough to clinch top spot in the East for the Free Jacks… a draw with a bonus point, or any kind of win would guarantee a home Quarter Final for NOLA
- Jonah Mau’u returns from a knee injury to take up the Gold’s No7 shirt after a four-game absence… Malcolm May joins Cam Dolan at lock effectively giving NOLA six loose forwards in their pack
- Rodney Iona starts at flyhalf for the first time since early April… with Dougie Fife also back in the lineup NOLA fields their top backline with the exception of injured winger Ed Fidow
- it’s a 6/2 split for the Gold on the bench, with the versatile Julian Roberts joining Reece Botha as the only back reserves… Roberts has no MLR experience at scrumhalf to date
- the Free Jacks have taken a different approach, with several leading players rested… hooker Andrew Quattrin, flyhalf Jayson Potroz, center Wayne van der Bank, and winger Paula Balekana will all sit out to manage wear-and-tear ahead of the postseason
- Mitch Jacobson assumes the captaincy and gets his first start since late April with a conservative approach taken on his return from a shoulder injury… it’s the first time he has lined up at No8 for the Free Jacks
- Reece MacDonald wears the No10 shirt for New England in place of Potroz… it’s the first run at flyhalf for MacDonald this year, with Danyon Morgan-Puterangi starting the only other time Potroz wasn’t in the lineup
- Oscar Lennon is set to make his MLR debut as a replacement… he joins the Free Jacks directly from Bristol Bears in the English Premiership… the 23-year-old is Welsh-born but US-eligible and will no doubt be closely watched by Eagles selectors
| PREDICTION |
The Gold haven’t beaten the Free Jacks since 2021 which accounts for six straight defeats. This is one of the strongest lineups in NOLA’s history, however, with the return of Mau’u providing a major boost to their chances. The visitors did not fare well in similar conditions at Miami, and without some of their big guns look vulnerable on paper. New England are slight favorites on the road.
| LINEUPS |
NOLA GOLD
1 Jarred Adams, 2 Pat O’Toole, 3 Isaac Salmon, 4 Malcolm May, 5 Cam Dolan, 6 Moni Tonga’uiha (capt.), 7 Jonah Mau’u, 8 Tom Florence, 9 Luke Campbell, 10 Rodney Iona, 11 Taniela Filimone, 12 Jordan Jackson-Hope, 13 JP du Plessis, 14 Harley Wheeler, 15 Dougie Fife
Replacements: 16 Ale Lopeti, 17 Matt Harmon, 18 James Irey, 19 Callum Botchar, 20 William Waguespack, 21 Osaiasi Tonga’uiha, 22 Julian Roberts, 23 Reece Botha
NEW ENGLAND FREE JACKS
1 Kyle Ciquera, 2 Foster DeWitt, 3 John-Roy Jenkinson, 4 Conor Keys, 5 Jackson Thiebes, 6 Ethan Fryer, 7 Jed Melvin, 8 Mitch Jacobson (capt.), 9 Holden Yungert, 10 Reece MacDonald, 11 Toby Fricker, 12 Le Roux Malan, 13 Ben LeSage, 14 Mitch Wilson, 15 Danyon Morgan-Puterangi
Replacements: 16 Sean Ralph, 17 Malakai Hala-Ngatai, 18 Cole Keith, 19 Piers von Dadelszen, 20 Seta Baker, 21 Oscar Lennon, 22 Killian Coghlan, 23 Cam Davidowicz
| MATCH INFO |
Date: Saturday, June 22
Venue: The Gold Mine, Metairie
Kickoff: 17:00 local (15:00 Pacific, 18:00 Eastern)
Weather Forecast: sunny, 90°F (32°C), humidex 95°F (35°C), wind SE 7-11mph (11-18km/h)
Broadcasts: Fox Sports 2, The Rugby Network
| OFFICIALS |
Referee: Federico Anselmi (Argentina)
Assistants: Marquise Goodwin (USA) & Ian Seaton (USA)
TMO: Cam Russell (Canada)
| HISTORY |
HEAD-TO-HEAD (9) – New England 6, NOLA 3, STREAK New England +6
2024-03-16 – New England Free Jacks 27, NOLA Gold 21 (Veterans Memorial Stadium)
2023-05-21 – New England Free Jacks 50, NOLA Gold 3 (Veterans Memorial Stadium)
2023-02-17 – NOLA Gold 12, New England Free Jacks 36 (The Gold Mine)
2022-05-29 – New England Free Jacks 57, NOLA Gold 5 (Veterans Memorial Stadium)
2022-04-02 – New England Free Jacks 33, NOLA Gold 29 (Veterans Memorial Stadium)
2022-02-05 – NOLA Gold 13, New England Free Jacks 24 (The Gold Mine)
2021-06-26 – New England Free Jacks 9, NOLA Gold 17 (Union Point Stadium)
2021-04-17 – NOLA Gold 30, New England Free Jacks 29 (The Gold Mine)
2020-03-07 – NOLA Gold 31, New England Free Jacks 22 (The Gold Mine)
