Legion pull away from Hounds for fifth straight win

The Legion made it five wins on the trot with a 48-24 victory over the Chicago Hounds at Snapdragon Stadium on Sunday. It was a tie game early in the second half, but the visitors couldn’t keep up with San Diego’s high powered offense that has them in top spot at the season’s midpoint.

It didn’t take long for San Diego to find the scoreboard. Ma’a Nonu hacked a loose ball downfield and Sean Yacoubian sliced his clearance attempt. After a short lineout drive the ball went to the backs and Marcel Brache’s miss-out pass found Mikey Te’o in acres of space for the finish.

A weaving run by JP Eloff put Chicago into scoring position. The Legion foiled their first attack, and then shut down a driving maul, but the third time was a the charm as Billy Meakes wrapped around a ruck and slipped past a shooting Josh Henderson.

Nate Augspurger raced free on a set move from a lineout, but a TMO review spotted a clear obstruction and instead of seven points it was a penalty against the Legion. Augspurger would be back soon, however, as Nonu picked off a loose pass from Bryce Campbell at halfway and handed off to his winger to do the honors. Henderson’s extras made it a full seven-point lead.

The Hounds won a scrum against the head and Meakes tore upfield, making it to San Diego’s 22 before dishing off to Caleb Strum. A chip kick into space drifted too long and the ball went dead before the winger could regather. The Legion couldn’t clear their lines, however, and from a rolling maul Hugh Roach touched down with Chris Mattina’s conversion leveling the scores.

San Diego pushed back out in front on the stroke of halftime. Nonu barreled up the middle to put Chicago back on their heels. The defense regrouped and sent the invaders back towards the 22-meter line but Henderson connected with Augspurger and when Mattina turned his back on Dan Pryor, the flanker was wide open to take the pass and dive into the corner.

A response came from the visitors not long into the second half. Brache won a turnover in his own end and Shilo Klein hoofed the ball downfield. It took a wacky bounce and Eloff was suddenly flying up the touchline. Meakes was on his left waiting to take the pass, and with Te’o the only man back to corral three attackers it was Mark O’Keeffe who would swerve back outside for the try.

As if to prove a point, San Diego fired back in seconds. Matías Freyre gathered Michael Baska’s clearance from the restart and popped to Augspurger. Four sets of outstretched arms missed him and Tom Franklin was there to take the pass. Next it was Pryor, then Jason Higgins, and finally Nonu with a 25-meter run to score untouched on the left side. Henderson landed the kick from wide out to restore a seven-point lead to the home side.

On came fresh legs for the Legion and Brache combined with Higgins to free Thomas Morani with his first touch. The flyer was stopped just short, but he would get another crack soon after. Augspurger sent Hooley through a gap and a flat pass sent Morani away with nobody home to stop him. Hooley’s conversion attempt rang off the post and then the upright but the flags stayed down.

Chicago closed the gap immediately after the hydration break. Hooley’s clearance didn’t find touch and Mattina was waiting to launch a long, multi-phased counter-attack. Nearly every player on the team got their hands on the ball during the sequence that ended with Michael de Waal in under the posts. The four-try bonus point was secured and there was still plenty of time left on the clock.

In the blink of an eye San Diego were in again. An overthrow at the lineout gave the ball straight to Sean McNulty. He dished off to Finn Kearns, and then Hooley delivered a perfectly-weighted grubber to Morani to slide onto, his outstretched hand grounding the ball a fraction of a second before Baska.

The restart then went dreadfully wrong for Luke Carty. Not only did it fail to go 10 meters, it landed straight in the hands of Franklin who needed only to find Tupou Afungia on his inside for a clear run to the line. Hooley’s kick shaved the upright on its way over the bar to put the result beyond doubt.

Augspurger almost had a double on a slick set move from a scrum, but again the try was called back for an obstruction. San Diego would still get the final say with Chris Baumann wrestling his way over with a little help from Jale Railala just as the hooter sounded.

It’s a short turnaround for San Diego who will travel to Dallas on Saturday. The Hounds return home and will have the usual six days to prepare for NOLA’s arrival on Sunday.

 

SCORING

SAN DIEGO 48
Tries (8) – M. Te’o (4′), N. Augspurger (24′), D. Pryor (40′), M. Nonu (48′), T. Morani 2 (60′, 68′), T. Afungia (69′), C. Baumann (80′)
Cons (4) – J. Henderson 2/4 (25′, 49′), W. Hooley 2/4 (70′, 80’+1′)

CHICAGO 24
Tries (4) – B. Meakes (14′), H. Roach (32′), M. O’Keeffe (46′), M. de Waal (63′)
Cons (2) – C. Mattina 1/3 (33′), No kick (63′)

 

TEAMS

SAN DIEGO LEGION
1 Nathan Sylvia (17 Djustice Sears-Duru 51′), 2 Shilo Klein (16 Sean McNulty 51′), 3 Luke Green (18 Chris Baumann 71′), 4 Ben Grant (19 Jale Railala 61′), 5 Tom Franklin, 6 Tupou Afungia, 7 Dan Pryor, 8 Tevita Tameilau (20 Finn Kearns 61′), 9 Jason Higgins, 10 Josh Henderson (21 Will Hooley 57′), 11 Nate Augspurger, 12 M’a Nonu (22 Alex Horan 71′), 13 Marcel Brache (capt.), 14 Mikey Te’o, 15 Matías Freyre (23 Thomas Morani 57′)

CHICAGO HOUNDS
1 George Thornton (17 LaRome White 67′), 2 Hugh Roach (16 Mason Koch 54′), 3 Charlie Abel (18 Mika Felix 67′), 4 Mike Matarazzo, 5 John Cullen (21 Michael de Waal 54′), 6 Dacoda Worth (19 Duke Krishnan 76′), 7 Maclean Jones, 8 Luke White (20 Sam Peri 76′), 9 Sean Yacoubian (22 Michael Baska 43′), 10 Chris Mattina, 11 Caleb Strum (23 Luke Carty 51′), 12 Billy Meakes, 13 Bryce Campbell (capt.), 14 Mark O’Keeffe, 15 JP Eloff

 

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Cam Stone (New Zealand)
Assistants: Marquise Goodwin (USA) & Alexis Alfaro (USA)
TMO: Derek Summers (USA)