San Diego survives Sunday thriller in Austin

A late try saved San Diego from a second defeat to start the new Major League Rugby season, as the Legion survived Austin with a 14-11 victory. It’s the second week in a row that the Gilgronis have finished on the wrong side of a narrow result.

San Diego skipper Joe Pietersen made a surprising decision just a couple minutes in, turning down a shot at goal from in front of the posts to instead kick to the corner. The gamble didn’t pay off. Austin turned the ball over, cleared their lines, and soon after Mack Mason slotted his first kick off the tee to give the Gilgronis the first points of the game.

The Legion looked for all money to be in for a try when a Cameron Clark line break ended with Save Totovosau crossing the line, but the final one-handed pass from Siaosi Mahoni drifted forward and the play was called back.

MLR’s controversial trial laws were on full display at the half-hour mark. Austin were dominant at a 5-meter scrum but the referee awarded only a penalty and the AGs were forced to kick for the corner. At the lineout the ball was knocked on and the Legion escaped without conceding points.

An unfortunate pause in the action came two minutes into the second half. Jamie Mackintosh inadvertently landed on Bryce Campbell’s head in a tackle and the Austin captain was knocked out cold. Campbell was stretchered off the pitch with Frank Halai entering the game at outside center.

Mason’s second penalty gave Austin the lead and soon they would add a try. Conner Mooneyham broke down the right side to move them into scoring position, and after winning another penalty the forwards attacked from the lineout. This time their hard work paid off as Mackintosh drove in from close range. The conversion did not find the uprights but the home side were up 11-nil.

After a long stretch inside their own territory San Diego finally got points on the board after the hydration break. Three waves were repelled but Travis Larsen stepped back against the grain and had the strength to touch down against his former team despite the attention of three defenders. Pietersen chipped over the extras and it was a four-point game.

The AGs looked to be headed towards a try of their own, but a risky call to the middle of the lineout was overthrown. Aaron Mitchell snapped up the loose ball and within an instant the Legion were on the doorstep. A valiant tackle from Rodrick Waters only delayed the inevitable as Carlo de Nysschen stepped through a gap to score under the posts.

With time winding down Larsen was binned for disrupting a rolling maul inside the 5-meter line. Austin appealed for a penalty try but again it was not forthcoming. A last gasp attack ended when the ball was knocked on in a tackle.

Both teams will return to action on six days rest this coming Saturday. Austin will look to take out their frustrations against Houston with the Texas Cup on the line. San Diego head further east for a cross-conference meeting with Rugby ATL.

 

SCORING

AUSTIN 11
Tries – J. Mackintosh (56’)
Cons – M. Mason 0/1
Pens – M. Mason 2/2 (9’, 53’)

SAN DIEGO 14
Tries – T. Larsen (63’), C. de Nysschen (73’)
Cons – J. Pietersen 1/1 (64’), No kick (73’)
Yellow cards – T. Larsen (77’)

 

TEAMS

AUSTIN GILGRONIS
1 Jamie Mackintosh (17 Jake Turnbull 62’), 2 Mason Koch, 3 Paddy Ryan (18 Mason Pedersen HT), 4 Sebastian de Chaves, 5 Michael de Waal, 6 Dom Bailey, 7 Moe Abdelmonem (20 Kyle Breytenbach 64’), 8 Maclean Jones (19 Reegan O’Gorman 49’), 9 Pele Cowley (21 Marcelo Torrealba 59’), 10 Mack Mason, 11 Conner Mooneyham, 12 Ned Hodson, 13 Bryce Campbell (capt.) (23 Frank Halai 42’), 14 Cole Davis (22 Rodrick Waters 67’), 15 Will Magie

Not used: 16 LaRome White

SAN DIEGO LEGION
1 Nathan Sylvia (17 Faka’osi Pifeleti HT), 2 Peter Malcolm, 3 Chris Baumann (18 Aaron Mitchell HT), 4 Ben Mitchell (16 Tevita Tameilau 60′), 5 Siaosi Mahoni (20 Travis Larsen HT), 6 Jasa Veremalua, 7 Psalm Wooching, 8 Keni Nasoqeqe, 9 Carlo de Nysschen, 10 Joe Pietersen (capt.), 11 Bjorn Basson (22 Ryan Matyas 70’), 12 Santiago González Iglesias, 13 Cameron Clark, 14 Save Totovosau (23 Cecil Afrika 62′), 15 Dylan Audsley

Not used: 19 Chris Schade, 21 Patrick Madden

 

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Mike Lash (New Zealand)
Assistants: Kat Roche (USA) & Butch Neuenschwander (USA)