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New England can make history in more ways than one on Sunday. A win over the NOLA Gold at Veterans Memorial Stadium would see the Free Jacks becoming the first team in Major League Rugby history to win 13 games in the regular season. It would also clinch first place overall on the standings, which would be a first for an Eastern Conference team.
The record books might already have been written a week ago were it not for their slip-up against the Arrows in Toronto. A 10-game winning streak was halted in the process, but like New York the Free Jacks had several players dealing with illness heading into the game.
Beaudein Waaka was one of those, and he is fit to return at flyhalf this week in one of five changes to the run-on side. The only other alteration in the backline is on the left wing where Paula Balakena comes back in at the expense of Jack Reeves.
A change at loosehead prop sees Quentin Newcomer making his first start of the season, while Erich de Jager is back in at tighthead. Terrell Peita starts on the blindside flank with Cam Davidowicz dropping to the reserves, which show a conventional 5/3 split this week.
NOLA fell back to earth last week with a heavy defeat against San Diego. They will finish out the season on the road with only their final standing on the overall table to be determined. Can the Gold find the inspiration that was missing against the Legion?
Big changes to the tight five sees George Sharpe handed his first Major League Rugby start at hooker in the absence of Pat O’Toole, with Alex Lopeti a similarly inexperienced backup. Sharpe will have Eagles prop Matt Harmon beside him in place of Kevin Sullivan, while the new second row pairing is Malcolm May and Taylor Krumrei.
Damian Stevens returns from injury to start at scrumhalf, and Robbie Coleman has shaken off a knock suffered against San Diego to retain his spot at flyhalf. Harley Wheeler is recalled on the right wing with Kyle Rogers missing out entirely this week.
The Free Jacks won both of the previous matches between the two sides this season, though their most recent in April was a close call. Despite the hiccup against the Arrows there’s really no comparison in form between the two. Expect New England to wrap up the regular season race on Sunday.
Kickoff is set for 6:30pm local time, 5:30pm Central, 3:30pm Pacific. Fox Sports 1 will broadcast nationwide with The Rugby Network streaming to viewers abroad.
NEW ENGLAND FREE JACKS
1 Quentin Newcomer, 2 Mills Sanerivi, 3 Erich de Jager, 4 Josh Larsen (capt.), 5 Stan van den Hoven, 6 Terrell Peita, 7 Joe Johnston, 8 Wian Conradie, 9 John Poland, 10 Beaudein Waaka, 11 Paula Balekana, 12 Le Roux Malan, 13 Wayne van der Bank, 14 Mitch Wilson, 15 Dougie Fife
Replacements: 16 Foster DeWitt, 17 Kyle Ciquera, 18 Tevita Sole, 19 Justin Johnson, 20 Cam Davidowicz, 21 Holden Yungert, 22 Jack Reeves 23 Harrison Boyle
NOLA GOLD
1 Matt Harmon, 2 George Sharpe, 3 Brian Nault, 4 Malcolm May, 5 Taylor Krumrei, 6 Moni Tonga’uiha, 7 Devin Short, 8 Cam Dolan (capt.), 9 Damian Stevens, 10 Robbie Coleman, 11 Nick Feakes, 12 Aaron Matthews, 13 JP du Plessis, 14 Harley Wheeler, 15 JP Eloff
Replacements: 16 Alex Lopeti, 17 Kevin Sullivan, 18 Dino Waldren, 19 Billy Stewart, 20 William Waguespack, 21 Osaiasi Tonga’uiha, 22 Devereaux Ferris, 23 Ross Depperschmidt
Date: Sunday, May 29
Venue: Veterans Memorial Stadium, Quincy
Kickoff: 18:30 local (15:30 Pacific, 17:30 Central)
Referee: Paulo Duarte (Portugal)
Assistants: Chris Micheletti (Canada) & Amelia Luciano (USA)
TMO: Nick Hannon (USA)
Broadcasts: Fox Sports 1, The Rugby Network
HISTORICAL RESULTS
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)
