Strong second half sees Chicago past NOLA into East Final

A dominant second half showing from Chicago saw the Hounds past NOLA by a final score of 45-21 at The Gold Mine on Sunday. Both teams were competing in their first ever playoff match but it was the visitors who tempered the excitement of the occasion while the home side ran short on energy and ideas.

It was a fast start for the Gold. Early penalties conceded by the Hounds gave Rodney Iona a routine three-pointer to open the scoring six minutes in. Not long after the restart NOLA regained possession and Jordan Jackson-Hope spotted a gap on the edge of a ruck near halfway. The midfielder tore up the field, swerving around the corner and winning the race to the corner for a fine individual effort.

Luke Carty got the Hounds on the board with a penalty goal, and then Iona was guilty of a no-arms hit on George Merrick that gave away territory. Carty picked the corner and when the Gold slowed the initial lineout drive, the backs piled in until Dylan Fawsitt was over the line for the try. The extras from Carty put the visitors in the lead by two.

Billy Meakes charged over the gainline on first phase from a lineout and Conall Boomer busted through, leading to a second Carty penalty. Chicago made a hash of the restart, however, and Julian Roberts was in perfect position to snap up the loose ball and speed in to level the scores.

The Gold went back in front when Iona notched a penalty goal but it wouldn’t hold to the half. Carty missed a long-range shot from the tee, and then Jackson-Hope saw yellow for a twisting tackle on Boomer. A minute later the ball was spun wide to Julián Domínguez, the winger bouncing and spinning past three tacklers to touchdown in the corner and leave it 18-16 to the visitors at the intermission.

Not long into the second half Merrick picked from a ruck and galloped up inside Gold territory. The ball was recycled quickly and Carty’s cross-kick deflected off the hands of Taniela Filimone to a waiting Nate Augspurger for the try. A raking kick into the corner then put Dougie Fife under pressure and eventually yielded another shot from Carty that stretched Chicago’s lead to 10 points.

Some inspiration finally appeared in NOLA’s ranks from a lineout near halfway. Jonah Mau’u ran an outside-in angle on first phase and split the seam of Chicago’s defense. The flanker broke one tackle and stepped out of two more on his way to a superb solo try that brought the crowd to their feet.

The turning point came at the hour mark. In loose play a confused Gold defense stood flat-footed as Adriaan Carelse looped around on an arcing attack. Pat O’Toole shot out of the line and Carelse exploited the gap, with Meakes cutting back against the grain for the finish. The Hounds knock-on at the restart but after a few sluggish phases with ball in hand the ball was turned over and NOLA’s chance was gone.

With hope fast fading Ale Lopeti was binned for an off-the-ball hit on Fawsitt. The defense crumbled at the maul leaving a free lane for James Scott to touch down and put the result beyond doubt. One final counter-attack added style points as prop Fred Apulu broke down the left side, delivering the scoring pass to a trailing Jason Higgins.

The result sets up an Eastern Conference Semi Final date with the New England Free Jacks for Chicago, who will travel to Boston next Saturday. NOLA are left to reflect on a performance that didn’t quite live up to the promise of their most accomplished season to date.

 

SCORING

NOLA 21
Tries (3) – J. Jackson-Hope (9′), J. Roberts (26′), J. Mau’u (53′)
Cons (0) – R. Iona 0/3
Pens (2) – R. Iona 2/2 (6′, 31′)
YC (2) – J. Jackson-Hope (35′), A. Lopeti (65′)

CHICAGO 45
Tries (6) – D. Fawsitt (20′), J. Domínguez (36′), N. Augspurger (42′), B. Meakes (59′), J. Scott (65′), J. Higgins (73′)
Cons (3) – L. Carty 3/6 (21′, 60′, 74′)
Pens (3) – L. Carty 3/4 (14′, 25′, 51′)

LINEUPS

NOLA GOLD
1 Jarred Adams (17 Matt Harmon 51′), 2 Pat O’Toole (16 Ale Lopeti 60′), 3 Isaac Salmon (18 James Irey 63′), 4 Malcolm May (19 Callum Botchar 51′), 5 Cam Dolan, 6 Moni Tonga’uiha (capt.) (2 Pat O’Toole 69′-75′), 7 Jonah Mau’u (20 Maciu Koroi 63′), 8 OJ Noa (21 Fintan Coleman 66′), 9 Luke Campbell, 10 Rodney Iona, 11 Julian Roberts (22 Ross Depperschmidt HT), 12 Jordan Jackson-Hope, 13 JP du Plessis, 14 Taniela Filimone, 15 Dougie Fife (23 Reece Botha 55′)

CHICAGO HOUNDS
1 Nicolás Revol (17 Fred Apulu 71′), 2 Dylan Fawsitt (16 Janus Venter 68′), 3 Paddy Ryan (18 Charlie Abel 54′), 4 George Merrick (19 Brad Tucker 52′), 5 James Scott, 6 Mason Flesch (20 Lucas Rumball 60′), 7 Maclean Jones, 8 Conall Boomer, 9 Nick McCarthy (21 Jason Higgins 65′), 10 Luke Carty, 11 Julián Domínguez (23 Noah Brown 60′), 12 Billy Meakes (capt.) (22 Mark O’Keeffe 74′), 13 Bryce Campbell, 14 Nate Augspurger, 15 Adriaan Carelse

MATCH INFO

Date: Sunday, July 21
Venue: The Gold Mine, Metairie
Kickoff: 18:30 local
Weather: overcast, 80°F (27°C), humidex 86°F (30°C), wind SW 7-10mph (11-16km/h)

OFFICIALS

Referee: Scott Green (USA)
Assistants: Federico Anselmi (Argentina) & Austin Reed (USA)
TMO: Cam Russell (Canada)