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The New England Free Jacks are Major League Rugby champions for a third successive year. Fans were treated to an absorbing final in Rhode Island on Saturday, with the Houston SaberCats coming up just short 28-22. The result was still in doubt to the final whistle and the match wasn’t without controversy with a key scrum decision in the second half going against the challengers.
Both sides were showing the effects of nerves in the opening exchanges. A knock-on from AJ Alatimu lead to a scrum penalty going to New England, and Dan Hollinshead opened the scoring with a routine three-pointer. Alatimu got a chance to erase the points soon after in almost identical fashion. It was Le Roux Malan with the handling error in his own end, and this time the SaberCats got the call in the scrum leading to the equalizer from the Houston flyhalf.
The first try went to the Free Jacks. Brock Webster’s searing break from halfway left the SaberCats defense out wide in tatters, and a brilliant over-the-shoulder pass back inside to a trailing Paula Balekana saw the Fijian stepping back against the grain for an easy finish. Hollinshead tacked on the extras, and added another three points after an off-the-ball penalty against Pita Anae-Ah Sue.
Houston moved back into scoring position and turned down what would have been an easy kick for Alatimu. Instead they opted for a tap play, with the forwards bashing ahead until the ball was spun wide to an open Max Schumacher to slide in for the score. Alatimu’s conversion closed the gap to three points. Injury then hit the Free Jacks as tighthead prop Jone Koroiduadua hobbled off with a bad knee.
Three points were on offer to Alatimu after a big Houston scrum, but this time he dragged the strike just left of the uprights. A wild scramble then ensued with Webster winning the race to a chip ahead, but Alatimu somehow managed to slip a hand under the ball and prevent the grounding. The Free Jacks were denied a second time on the stroke of halftime when Nathan Den Hoedt held up Andrew Quattrin over the line after the hooker had broken from the back of a driving maul.
New England stretched their lead early in the second half. A grubber from Malan was knocked on and caught Drake Davis in an offside position. From the ensuing lineout the Free Jacks forwards endlessly attacked the line until Sam Caird muscled his way over, with the conversion from Hollinshead making it 20-10 for the defending champions.
Another knock-on, this time from Quattrin, gave Houston possession inside Free Jacks territory. The SaberCats pressed and made slow progress as New England’s tacklers arrived in twos, but Davis suddenly arrived infield and broke clean through a tackle to bring the Texans back to within three points. Just before the hour mark Hollinshead made it 23-17 after the Free Jacks won a breakdown penalty.
A consequential sequence came soon after. With the SaberCats knocking on the door, Piers von Dadelszen was binned for using his hands in ruck just a couple meters out from the line. Houston opted for a scrum and got the shove-on. The referee’s arm went up for a penalty, though not the automatic seven. Den Hoedt asked to pack down again but because the scrum had already been reset once, MLR’s law variations did not allow them to call another. The Cats went for the lineout and the opportunity was then lost as the ball went forward while setting up the maul, allowing the Free Jacks to clear their lines.
Now back in Houston territory, the Free Jacks forwards tied in the defense until there was just enough space for Webster to again find Balekana. This time the winger was met by his opposite but he had the strength to wriggle through the tackle and ground the ball to make it a two-score game with under 10 minutes on the clock.
Time was well against Houston but they kept coming and Alatimu stabbed the ball in behind the defense with Schumacher pouncing to score a minute from time. The conversion attempt was wide, leaving the SaberCats with it all to do. They would press to just over halfway but a handling error turned over possession and the Free Jacks smashed the ball into touch to the delight of their traveling faithful.
| SCORING |
NEW ENGLAND 28
Tries (3) – P. Balekana 2 (14′, 70′), S. Caird (46′)
Cons (2) – D. Hollinshead 2/3 (15′, 47′)
Pens (3) – D. Hollinshead 3/3 (8′, 18′, 59′)
YC (1) – P. von Dadelszen (62′)
HOUSTON 22
Tries (3) – M. Schumacher 2 (21′, 79′), D. Davis (52′)
Cons (2) – A. Alatimu 2/3 (22′, 53′)
Pens (1) – A. Alatimu 1/2 (11′)
| LINEUPS |
NEW ENGLAND FREE JACKS
1 Malakai Hala-Ngatai (17 Kyle Ciquera 53′), 2 Andrew Quattrin (16 Foster DeWitt 59′), 3 Jone Koroiduadua (18 Kaleb Geiger 23′), 4 Piers von Dadelszen (19 Josh Larsen 72′), 5 Sam Caird, 6 Jed Melvin (20 Ethan Fryer 72′), 7 Joe Johnston (capt.), 8 Wian Conradie (6 Jed Melvin 75′), 9 Cam Nordli-Kelemeti (21 Oscar Lennon 72′), 10 Dan Hollinshead, 11 Paula Balekana (23 Harrison Boyle 75′), 12 Le Roux Malan (13 Ben LeSage 76′), 13 Ben LeSage (22 Wayne van der Bank 50′), 14 Simon-Peter Toleafoa, 15 Brock Webster
HOUSTON SABERCATS
1 Ezekiel Lindenmuth (17 Wilton Rebolo 71′), 2 Pita Anae-Ah Sue (16 Seth Smith 65′), 3 Pono Davis (18 Michael Scott 65′), 4 Justin Basson (19 Javon Camp 71′), 5 Nathan Den Hoedt (capt.), 6 Emmanuel Albert (20 Keni Nasoqeqe 69′), 7 Johan Momsen, 8 Marno Redelinghuys, 9 André Warner (22 Jay Renton 67′), 10 AJ Alatimu, 11 Drake Davis (23 Dom Akina 75′), 12 Sam Hill (21 Louritz van der Schyff 47′), 13 Tautalatasi Tasi, 14 Rufus McLean, 15 Max Schumacher
| MATCH INFO |
Date: Saturday, June 28
Venue: Centreville Bank Stadium, Pawtucket
Kickoff: 14:00 local
Weather: cloudy with showers, 73°F (23°C), wind S 12-18mph (19-29km/h)
| OFFICIALS |
Referee: Luke Rogan (USA)
Assistants: Robin Kaluzniak (Canada) & Federico Anselmi (Argentina)
TMO: Derek Summers (USA)
