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The New England Free Jacks hammered the Toronto Arrows by a final score of 80-5 at York Lions Stadium on Saturday. It sets new Major League Rugby marks for points scored, winning margin, and tries scored by one team as the visitors rained in a dozen from all angles while conceding only one themselves.
There was nowhere to turn for the Arrows in the first half. The Free Jacks seemed to score at will, with complete dominance at the set piece and a ragged Toronto defense that provided little opposition. A strong crowd were left almost silent as the visitors went through their paces as if in a training exercise.
The first scrum was an ominous sign, with New England sending Toronto straight backwards. It was appropriately former Arrows hooker Andrew Quattrin who scored first on the back of a driving maul soon after. Peter Nelson was binned for what was deemed poor timing in an aerial collision with Taniela Filimone. Just seconds after the game resumed Le Roux Malan offloaded to Filimone, who sent an over-the-top delivery to Mitch Jacobson out wide for the finish.
A penalty try was next when the Arrows scrum capitulated on an attacking Free Jacks put-in. Nelson returned and Toronto made it to the hydration break without giving up another score, but that wouldn’t last long once play resumed. Spencer Jones chipped and regathered on a counter-attack, popping off the deck to Malan. He found Filimone, who this time picked out John Poland on his inside for a runaway try.
It was Malan’s kick into the corner that forced Ross Braude to seek the safety of the touchline and give up an attacking lineout. The result was a second try for Quattrin at the end of the inevitable forward drive. Braude then inspired a rare moment of light for the Arrows with a quick tap and line break. The ball was flung wide to Mason Flesch who seemed to bungle the two-on-one but eventually sent Dawson Fatoric into the corner, only for the try to be waved off for an earlier act of foul play at the breakdown.
New England’s wingers got into the act next. Paula Balekana stepped past one and chipped ahead, only for Fatoric to slap the ball through in-goal. Fatoric was issued a yellow card and another seven points went up on the board. Quick hands down the short side of a ruck then put Filimone into space for a diving finish on the right side.
Even short moment of success ended in horror for the Arrows. D’Shawn Bowen slipped through a half-gap, but his pass attempt went to nobody and was instead scooped up by Malan. Isaac Olson, now on for Filimone, took the corner and committed the last man before sending Balekana clear on a 45-meter stroll to the line. Jayson Potroz landed his fifth conversion of the day to make it 54-nil at halftime.
A Lucas Rumball turnover gave the fans something to applaud early after the intermission. It amounted to little, however, as the Free Jacks resumed their scoring spree. The TMO called back a second try for Poland, but then Olson broke clean up the middle to put the Arrows back on their heels. Moments later Malan was in with no objections.
The Arrows would at least manufacture one score. It was helped when the referee awarded a scrum to Toronto after Poland took too long to clear the ball from a ruck. Bowen made short break up the middle and then Shane O’Leary switched the direction of play, finding Lolani Faleiva in a one-on-one with Balekana. The winger made the tackle but Faleiva’s offload sent Noel Reid into the corner.
New England responded with a try to Joe Johnston after Potroz sliced through a giant gap in the line. As the conversion went over Reid was helped from the field with a leg injury. The final score saw two more tries scored by the visitors. Malan got his double attacking an outnumbered short side, and then Mills Sanerivi broke from the edge of a ruck and bumped off two defenders before offloading to Cam Davidowicz to bring up the record tally.
The Free Jacks head home to meet another Eastern Conference side in Rugby ATL next Saturday. Toronto have another day to ruminate over the abysmal performance before being asked to front up against another title contender in the Seattle Seawolves at home on Sunday.
SCORING
TORONTO 5
Tries (1) – N. Reid (50′)
Cons (0) – S. O’Leary 0/1
YC (2) – P. Nelson (5′), D. Fatoric (32′)
NEW ENGLAND 80
Tries (12) – A. Quattrin 2 (3′, 29′), M. Jacobson (6′), Penalty try 2 (13′, 32′), J. Poland (24′), T. Filimone (36′), P. Balekana (39′), L. Malan 2 (47′, 66′), J. Johnston (54′), C. Davidowicz (71′)
Cons (10) – J. Potroz 8/10 (4′, 7′, 25′, 30′, 40′, 55′, 67′, 72′), No kick 2 (13′, 32′)
TEAMS
TORONTO ARROWS
1 Ramón Ayarza (17 Connor Grindal HT {3 Lolani Faleiva 73}), 2 Gene Syminton (16 Jack McRogers 12′-23′, 59′), 3 Lolani Faleiva (18 Nik Hildebrand 64′), 4 Mike Sheppard (19 Mitch Eadie 44′), 5 Adrian Wadden, 6 Mason Flesch (20 James O’Neill 49′), 7 Lucas Rumball (capt.), 8 Shay Kerry, 9 Ross Braude (21 Will Grant 49′), 10 Shane O’Leary, 11 Dawson Fatoric, 12 Noel Reid (23 Kobe Faust 55′), 13 Mitch Richardson, 14 D’Shawn Bowen, 15 Peter Nelson (22 Fabian Goodall 33′)
NEW ENGLAND FREE JACKS
1 Kyle Ciquera (17 Foster DeWitt 49′-62′), 2 Andrew Quattrin (16 Mills Sanerivi 49′), 3 Cole Keith (18 Tevita Sole 49′), 4 Jesse Parete (19 Reegan O’Gorman 49′), 5 Conor Keys, 6 Joe Johnston (20 Cam Davidowicz 59′), 7 Mitch Jacobson (capt.) (23 Slade McDowall 61′), 8 Wian Conradie, 9 John Poland (21 Holden Yungert 49′), 10 Jayson Potroz, 11 Paula Balekana, 12 Le Roux Malan, 13 Ben LeSage, 14 Taniela Filimone (22 Isaac Olson 37′), 15 Spencer Jones
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Paulo Duarte (Portugal)
Assistants: Michael Jones (Canada) & Peter Pender (Canada)
TMO: Andrew Hosie (Canada)
