Free Jacks score slim victory over Warriors in home opener

It was awfully close in the end, but the Free Jacks got the result they wanted in their long-awaited Major League Rugby home debut on Saturday. At the end of 80 minutes it was New England 22, Utah 21 as the Warriors were left to rue a 20-minute stretch in the middle of the game that was controlled by their hosts.

The two sides fought tooth and nail in the opening quarter but there were no points on the board at the hydration break. An opportunity presented itself in the 25th minute when Dougie Fife snapped up a loose ball and broke into Utah territory. At the ensuing breakdown Jurie van Vuuren came in from the side and was summarily dispatched to the sidelines for 10 minutes. Beaudein Waaka stepped up to take the kick and nailed the three-pointer from a tricky angle.

With van Vuuren still off the pitch when Utah conjured a bit of magic. Cliven Loubser’s long kick ahead stayed in the field of play, and when Waaka cleared the Warriors were waiting. Josh Whippy chipped over the defensive line, regathered, and connected with Bailey Wilson on his left. John Poland snagged the loose forward but Whippy was there to take the return pass in for a superb try. Hagen Schulte split the uprights and the visitors were up by four.

It took no time before the home side responded. A mistake at the restart handed the penalty to the Free Jacks and Harrison Boyle found the corner. Utah were wise to the trick play at the lineout but Joe Johnston spin through a tackle and over the line with the referee on the spot to award the try. Waaka’s kick curled too far left as the conversion went begging.

A chance for redemption was soon on the table for Waaka. Utah transgressed at the breakdown and this time the Free Jacks fullback had no trouble finding his mark. The two sides would head into the sheds with the score 11-7 in favor of New England.

Just two minutes into the second half the home side found a way through the Utah defense. An offside penalty gave the Free Jacks field position, and their driving maul pushed them close to the line. John Poland found Boyle looping around the short side and the flyhalf double-pumped to fool Mike Te’o and send Fife in at the corner.

The conversion eluded Waaka but he would again come good on a penalty goal not long after. Utah’s discipline cost them territory and then more points. A fourth Waaka penalty rang true as the the Free Packs pulled away to a 22-7 lead with a little over 20 minutes to play.

Whatever was said at the hydration break seemed to wake the Warriors from their slumber. The forwards piled in and from a lineout drive close to the line. Ronan McCusker was adjudged to have pulled down the maul though the video evidence suggested it was a clear case of mistaken identity. In any event the referee went under the sticks to award the penalty try, with a yellow card brandished to the New England lock for good measure.

Line breaks from Mika Kruse, Matt Jensen, and Joseph Mano were thwarted by the Free Jacks defense but with an opportunity to kill the clock Boyle missed touch on a penalty kick. Utah had one last roll of the dice and Te’o took a page out of Whippy’s book with a chip and chase to score with time expired. There was no time left to press for the win but the Warriors at least secured a losing bonus point.

New England will celebrate long into the evening with the Free Jacks on a bye next weekend. They will return for a road game against NOLA on April 17. Utah are back in action at home next Saturday against the Seattle Seawolves.

 

SCORING

NEW ENGLAND 22
Tries – J. Johnston (34’), D. Fife (42’)
Cons – B. Waaka 0/2
Pens – B. Waaka 4/4 (26’, 38’, 50’, 57’)
Yellow cards – R. McCusker (65’)

UTAH 21
Tries – J. Whippy (31’), Penalty try (65’), M. Te’o (80’)
Cons – H. Schulte 2/2 (32’, 80’)
Yellow cards – J. van Vuuren (25’)

 

TEAMS

NEW ENGLAND FREE JACKS
1 Sef Fa’agase, 2 Pieter Jansen (16 Vili Toluta’u 74’), 3 Erich de Jager (17 Kensuke Hatakeyama 66’), 4 Josh Larsen (capt.), 5 Jackson Thiebes (20 Ronan McCusker 55’), 6 Justin Johnson (19 Conor Kindregan 64’), 7 Joe Johnston, 8 Wian Conradie, 9 John Poland, 10 Harrison Boyle, 11 Mitch Wilson, 12 Aleki Morris-Lome, 13 Poasa Waqanibau, 14 Dougie Fife, 15 Beaudein Waaka (22 Harry Barlow 75’)

Not used: 18 Quentin Newcomer, 21 Ollie Engelhart, 23 Danny Collins

UTAH WARRIORS
1 Franco van den Berg (17 Alex Tucci 66’), 2 Sama Malolo (16 Veremalua Vugakoto 44’-46’, 47’), 3 Angus MacLellan (18 Olive Kilifi 52’), 4 Aston Fortuin (19 James Mocke HT), 5 Matt Jensen, 6 Lance Williams, 7 Bailey Wilson (capt.) (20 Thomas Tu’avao 66’), 8 Jurie van Vuuren, 9 Fraser Hurst, 10 Hagen Schulte, 11 Josh Whippy (23 Joseph Mano 59’), 12 Calvin Whiting, 13 Tyler Fisher (22 Mika Kruse 59’), 14 Mike Te’o, 15 Cliven Loubser

Not used: 21 Danny Christensen

 

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Mike Lash (New Zealand)
Assistants: Amelia Luciano (USA) & Pearce Mara (USA)