NOLA still perfect with win over Seattle

Recap

The New Orleans Gold kept their perfect start to the Major League Rugby season intact as they defeated the defending champion Seattle Seawolves 41-31 in a thoroughly entertaining contest at Gold Stadium on Sunday afternoon. Fans were treated to nine tries in all and plenty of open attacking rugby.

Seattle let the Gold know they were in for a match early as Brock Staller had them up by three in as many minutes. JP Eloff countered for the home side but the Seawolves were also the first to crack the tryline.

Con Foley’s yellow card for a dangerous chop tackle left the NOLA midfield short-handed and Seattle worked a beautiful set move to exploit the space. Peter Tiberio popped up on the shoulder of a looping Ben Cima and the winger broke through before feeding fullback Mat Turner for a cracking score.

For the first time in the season the Gold were playing catch-up but it didn’t take long to conjure a response. The forwards rolled up their sleeves and after numerous knocks on the door Ignacio Dotti used his long arms and experience to sneak the ball over the line on the edge of a ruck.

Not content with one score, the forwards took it upon themselves once again to crank up the heat. The front row began to exert dominance in the scrum and the tiring Seattle pack conceded a penalty on a kick-chase that landed them on their goal line. There was no stopping the lineout drive and when Brad Tucker collapsed it the referee went under the sticks to award the penalty try and a yellow card.

Immediately after the break Eloff landed a second penalty and suddenly Seattle were in danger of being left behind. The alarm bells became deafening when Taylor Howden stepped instead Cima for his third try in two games. Eloff’s extras made it 27-10 were on the verge of not just defeat but a hiding.

The champions would not go out quietly. Fresh legs came into the game and Phil Mack found Api Naikatini on a short line to start the comeback. A second try came in almost identical fashion only this time Naikatini offloaded to Kellen Gordon for the score.

With the gap down to three NOLA needed to take the momentum back and they did just that. Howden’s miss-pass found Tristan Blewett in space and he palmed off Tiberio, circling in around under the posts to get maximum return. Next it was Eloff who cut through the middle, finding Foley on his shoulder with a streaking Joeli Tikoisuva there to take the final pass.

The result was no longer in doubt but there was still time for Seattle to earn a bonus point, and that they did. Riekert Hattingh grabbed the fourth try as he slipped between two defenders to make the line. The sting of defeat remained but the extra effort may prove significant at the business end of the season.

SCORING

NOLA 41
Tries – I. Dotti (33’), Penalty try (40’), T. Howden (48’), T. Blewett (69’), J. Tikoisuva (71’)
Cons – J. Eloff 4/4 (34’, 49’, 70’, 72’)
Pens – J. Eloff 2/2 (11’, 42’)
Yellow cards – C. Foley (18’)

SEATTLE 31
Tries – M. Turner (26’), A. Naikatini (59’), K. Gordon (64’), R. Hattingh (78’)
Cons – B. Staller 4/4 (27’, 60’, 65’, 79’)
Pens – B. Staller 1/1 (3’)
Yellow cards – B. Tucker (40′)

TEAMS

NOLA GOLD
1 Hubert Buydens (18 Kevin Sullivan 56’), 2 Matt Harmon (16 Mason Briant 75’), 3 Ben Tarr (17 Cam Falcon 58’), 4 Ignacio Dotti, 5 Billy Stewart, 6 John Sullivan, 7 Zack Stryffeler (21 Caleb Meyer 75’), 8 Kane Thompson (20 Malcolm May 66’), 9 Holden Yungert, 10 Nick Feakes (22 Michael Baska 78’), 11 Joeli Tikoisuva (23 Cameron Troxler 79’), 12 Con Foley, 13 Taylor Howden, 14 Tristan Blewett, 15 JP Eloff (capt.)

Not used: 19 William Waguespack

SEATTLE SEAWOLVES
1 Olive Kilifi (17 Kellen Gordon 51’), 2 Stephan Coetzee (16 Mike Shepherd 73’), 3 Tim Metcher (18 John Hayden 51’), 4 Taylor Krumrei (20 Cole van Harn 59’), 5 Api Naikatini (19 Jérémy Lenaerts 66’), 6 Eric Duechle, 7 Brad Tucker, 8 Riekert Hattingh, 9 JP Smith (21 Phil Mack 51’), 10 Ben Cima, 11 Peter Tiberio, 12 Shalom Suniula (capt.), 13 William Rasileka (22 George Barton 61’), 14 Brock Staller, 15 Mat Turner

Not used: 23 Scott Dean