Rugby New York Out Races Old Glory DC in Record Day + Interviews

Photo- Cool Rugby Photos
For the second straight week, Old Glory DC was involved in setting a new Major League Rugby combined points scoring record (108) in their 49-59 loss to Rugby New York in their final home match of the regular season at Segra Field in Leesburg, Virginia. The teams also set a combined try-scoring record with 16 tries.

It was Military Appreciation Day and teams wore specialty jerseys bid on for auction. The match was broadcast on NBC Sports Washington and streamed internationally on The Rugby Network.

The match festivities include a meet and greet with former Old Glory and Springbok legend Tendai ‘Beast’Mtawarira, promotion with Service dogs for Veterans, as well as a promotion for the July 16 stop-in DC by Premier Rugby Sevens which will be held at Audi Field.

Preceding the match, Young Old Glory Under-23s played the New York Foundry with D.Fernandez scoring in the last three minutes for a 22-19 Foundry win. NOVA Women’s D1 Team was honored for their second consecutive National Championship at halftime of the MLR match.

In the first meeting between New York and DC, Rugby New York defeated Old Glory 35-31 in Hoboken, New Jersey on April 3. Since then, Interim head coach Nate Osborne has changed the belief system positively for DC, and Old Glory has played an exciting brand of attacking rugby and has thrilled the enthusiastic DC fans. More than 3000 fans bought tickets for the home final against New York.

Match Recap

Old Glory struck first after Doug Fraser gathered a loose ball following a tap down by Nate Brakeley. Fraser evaded a tackler and raced from midfield for the try with Rohan Saifoloi adding the extras, 7-0.

Rugby New York answered back as they mauled near the left corner with Stan South being sent to the bin for collapsing the maul, resulting in a penalty try, 7-7.

Waisake Naholo scored his first try of the season after New York moved the ball wide left with Sam Windsor’s conversion bouncing off the posts, 7-12.

Following a New York penalty, William Talataina found a gap in defense to score at close range, with Saifoloi converting to reclaim the lead, 14-12.

New York answered with two tries, the first after a lineout with Kaleb Geiger scoring near the right corner from a maul with Sam Windsor slotting the kick, 14-19. The second came after Jason Emry kicked ahead with Ed Fidow chasing, gathering, and scoring and Windsor adding the extras, 14-26.

Old Glory would add a try before the break from William Talataina after a quick tap from a penalty with Saifoloi adding the extras, 21-26

Second Half

Rugby New York struck quickly to open the half with Fasi Fuatai chipping ahead with Sam Windsor offloading to Conor McManus, who raced in for a try with DC’s Danny Tuistala in close pursuit. Windsor then slotted the conversion, 21-33.

Rugby New York continues their potent attack with an offload by Windsor to Ed Fidow for his second try, with Windsor converting again, 21-40.

Antonio Kiri Kiri created a turnover and Conor McManus offloaded to Waisake Naholo, who finished with a 60-meter try and a conversion by Windsor, 21-47.

Old Glory appeared to answer back with an apparent try by Junio Sa’u in the left corner, however, an obstruction penalty voided the score.

Rugby New York quickly added another try following a Nehe Milner-Skudder grub kick which Ed Fidow finished with a hat-trick try and a Windsor conversion, 21-54.

Old Glory did not disappoint in the last 25 minutes as a grub kick in-goal was contested by both teams with Rohan Saifoloi awarded the try for grounding the ball ahead of a New York defender. Saifoloi then added the conversion, 28-54.

New York answered back with a Dylan Fawsitt offload to Connor Buckley, who broke ahead and near in-goal, offloaded to Andy Ellis for a try, with Ellis missing the extras, 28-59.

The final 20 minutes saw Old Glory staging a comeback after Chance Wenglewski was sent to the bin while DC was attacking from close range. Soon after, Josh Brown scored and Saifoloi converted, 35-59.

Then Junio Sa’u leg drive powered his way over in-goal in the left corner for a try, with Saifoloi converting, 42-59.

Following a penalty by New York in the 78th minute, Renata Roberts-TeNana added a last try to the left of the posts with Saifoloi perfect on the day, 49-59.

New York appeared to be on the verge of adding another try in the 81st minute as Andrew Coe crossed in-goal, but DC’s John Rizzo knocked the ball out of Coe’s hands before grounding.

Two MLR records were set on the day. The teams combined by scoring 108 points, as well as 16 tries (9 New York, 7 DC).

Rugby New York’s Ed Fidow scored three tries to take over as the MLR try-scoring leader with 12 tries and was this writer’s MAN of the Match.

Prior to the match with Rugby ATL’s win over the Toronto Arrows, Rugby New York already knew they were playoff bound. The team concludes their regular season on the road on June 3 against the Free Jacks, who also claimed home-field advantage throughout the playoffs with their bonus-point win over NOLA Gold. New York will need a bonus-point win with help from NOLA Gold in denying ATL a winning bonus point if New York is to host a playoff against ATL on June 12.

Old Glory DC concludes their regular season in Toronto against the Arrows on June 5.

Prior to the match, interviews were conducted with the Beast, Tendai Mtawarira, and one of the team’s owners, Paul Sheehy. There was also a post-match interview with Interim Head Coach Nate Osborne. Please excuse the lack of microphones for the latter interview. View the interviews below!