The New England Free Jacks head coach Scott Mathie talks about the new training facility in Quincy. You can watch Free Jacks matches on NBC Sports Boston.
Week 17 of Major League Rugby (MLR) saw the first-place New England Free Jacks face off against second-place NOLA Gold on Saturday at the Gold Mine in New Orleans. With a playoff spot clinched, the Free Jacks rested many starters for the postseason. NOLA Gold came out on top 27-17. The match was played in brutal heat, with temperatures feeling like a hundred degrees.
In the third minute of the game, the Free Jacks got on the board early with three points from Reece MacDonald after a penalty kick. Despite the early points and consistent ball possession, NOLA Gold controlled much of the first half.
Two minutes later, NOLA was on the verge of scoring after a well-executed kick and chase, but Jed Melvin, a Free Jacks mid-season addition, held up the attack. After a five-meter scrum to NOLA, Cam Dolan scored a try. NOLA made the conversion for their first lead of the match, 7-3.
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Three minutes later, NOLA’s Jonah Mau’u scored a breakaway try between the posts earning his team an automatic seven points to up the home side's lead to 14-3.
Twenty minutes into the match, Taniela Filimone scored a try for NOLA after a maul forced the Free Jacks into a difficult position. NOLA missed the conversion, making the score 19-3.
The Free Jacks had 50 percent possession in the first half and fought hard in the heat, but the score remained 19-3 until halftime. It was the seventh straight match the Free Jacks have trailed at halftime.
New England came out of the locker room with a bang, pushing a maul over the line for a try from Foster DeWitt and a conversion from MacDonald. The true team effort made the score just a nine-point difference 19-10.
Ten minutes later, NOLA collected a misplayed kick and Jordan Jackson-Hope dove into the try zone, scoring for the Gold. NOLA missed the conversion, setting the score at 24-10.
At the 60-minute mark, New England earned a line out at the five-meter mark. The Free Jacks were on the attack and Sean Ralph dove over the line for a New England try. MacDonald made the conversion tightening the match to a one-score game at 24-17.
Nearing the end of the game at the 74-minute mark, NOLA’s Rodney Iona made an impressive penalty kick from 54 meters out to put the game away for the Gold. It also denied the Free Jacks a bonus point loss. The final score: NOLA 27, Free Jacks 17.
While the Free Jacks have clinched a home quarterfinal playoff game, the No. 1 seed in the East will be on the line next week. A win would give New England (10-5-0, 50 pts) home matches in the Eastern Conference bracket.
New England is set to play last-place Anthem RC on Saturday at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Quincy for their final regular season match. The first kick is at 5:00 p.m. and the match will air on NBC Sports Boston.
