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San Francisco has broken their duck and achieved their first PRO Rugby victory over the visiting Ohio at Boxer Field on Sunday. While the slight upset doesn’t come as a great surprise, the relative ease in which they took the win was. Four tries and a strong kicking performance from Volney Rouse got the job done, with a late Ohio try restoring a bit of respectability to an otherwise lopsided result.
It was Ohio who got on the board first via their omnipresent no8 Sebastián Kalm. The hard-working Chilean wriggled his way over from close range to give his side an early lead. Shaun Davies’ conversion attempt rang off the uprights but the temporary advantage was with the visitors.
The big San Francisco forwards were making their presence felt, however, and a quick response came from an attacking scrum. Rouse hit a half-gap and Mils Muliaina, on debut, took the inside ball on a textbook support angle to race under the sticks untouched for a memorable start to his PRO career.
A much more cohesive pattern was evident early in the San Francisco attack. Their heavy ball runners continued to make inroads, staying on their feet with numerous offloads to teammates in close support. Ohio did their best to stem the tide and it was Davies who would strike with a penalty goal to give the visitors an unlikely lead on the half hour mark, but again it was only a temporary reprieve.
The piano movers tucked the ball up their jumper and went to work. Even scrumhalf Michael Reid got in on the carrying act, and eventually it was Bill Fukofuka who stretched over for the score. Ohio were beginning to show some frustration and their lack of discipline landed Davies in the bin after repeat team infringements. Within moments replacement hooker Jay Finau found a gap on the fringes and screamed over for another try and a convincing 21-8 lead at the half.
With Davies still in the bin Rouse hit his fourth kick of the game, this time a penalty goal, but then it was Ohio’s turn to strike back in double quick time. Roland Suniula snagged the loose ball off the restart and then Matt Hughston followed up, coming within inches of the line. His flanker mate Filippo Ferrarini was on hand to take the quick feed and he piled over for what looked to be a vital score.
The day was not to be spoiled for San Francisco, and Rouse sent over two more penalty goals to take some wind from the Ohio sails. Pila Iongi struck the killer blow with a long-range try from a scrum on half way. Quick ball to the wing put him in space and he stepped the cover tackler with ease to erase any doubt of the end result. Dylan Fawsitt’s try soon after was academic, the home side had taken the spoils.
Both teams now enjoy a week off with only one PRO fixture next weekend. Ohio are back in action on June 12 when they host San Diego at Memorial Park. San Francisco have an extra week to celebrate and prepare for that same San Diego side, with the match set for June 18 at Torero Stadium.
SAN FRANCISCO 35
Tries – M. Muliaina (15), B. Fukofuka (32), J. Finau (37), P. Iongi (66)
Cons – V. Rouse 3 (16, 33, 38)
Pens – V. Rouse 3 (44, 50, 59)
OHIO 20
Tries – S. Kalm (11), F. Ferrarini (45), D. Fawsitt (70)
Cons – R. Shaw (46)
Pens – S. Davies (29)
Yellow cards – S. Davies (36)
SAN FRANCISCO
1 Niko Lolohea 2 Patrick Latu 3 Fancy Namulau’ulu 4 Brendan Daly 5 David Tameilau 6 Sam Finau 7 Isaac Helu 8 Bill Fukofuka 9 Michael Reid 10 Volney Rouse (capt.) 11 Pila Iongi 12 Orene Ai’i 13 Mils Muliaina 14 Michael Haley 15 Martini Talapusi
16 Jacbo Finau 17 Maka Tameilau 18 Codi Jones 19 Siaosi Mahoni 20 Siupeli Sakalia 21 Junior Helu 22 Jake Anderson 23 Pila Huihui
OHIO
1 Jamie Mackintosh 2 Dylan Fawsitt 3 Angus MacLellan 4 Pierce Dargan 5 Kyle Baillie 6 Filippo Ferrarini 7 Matt Hughston 8 Sebastián Kalm 9 Shaun Davies 10 Robbie Shaw 11 Ahmad Harajly 12 Roland Suniula 13 Ryan Cochran 14 Spike Davis 15 Allan Hanson
16 Peter Malcolm 17 Demecus Beach 18 Ryan McTiernan 19 Chad Joseph 20 Alex Elkins 21 Chris Kunkel 22 Shawn Riley 23 Sam McGuffie
Referee: Scott Green
Assistants: Kurt Weaver & Derek Summers
