1
Ma'a Nonu's San Diego Legion downed by Free Jacks in MLR final
By Ian Cameron
The New England Free Jacks secured their first MLR Championship title by defeating Ma'a Nonu's San Diego Legion in a thrilling match in front of more than 10,000 fans in the SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois.
New England overcame a halftime deficit of 13-17 and took a one-point lead with just two minutes remaining thanks to Le Roux Malan's second try of the game. The Free Jacks, who entered the match on an 11-game winning streak as the top seeds in their conference, faced a San Diego team that had won a league-record 14 consecutive matches.
Both teams scored three tries each in the final, but it was Jayson Potroz's accurate kicking that proved decisive for the Free Jacks. The New Zealand fly-half showcased his skills alongside other international players, including the legendary Nonu, who made a costly mistake when he fumbled a pass leading to the Free Jacks' first try via an opportune intercept.
The Legion responded with a try from Christian Poidevin after a clever lineout move and a snipe from Richard Judd. The momentum swung back and forth, with New England taking the lead in the second half through a spectacular try from Fijian wing Paula Balekana. However, Nate Augspurger's second try gave San Diego a 24-20 advantage.
In a dramatic finish, Le Roux Malan broke free from 41-year-old Nonu's grasp and scored the winning try for the Free Jacks just minutes before the final whistle. With an announced attendance of 10,153, the highest for an MLR championship game, the league certainly showcased its growing popularity and potential.
Fans were treated to performances by DJ Diesel - legendary basketball star Shaquille O’Neal - and 'I'm Shipping Up to Boston' band Dropkick Murphys.
You can watch the match highlights and full match replay on The Rugby Network HERE.
Trending on RugbyPass
2
'Bulls***': Ex-England international calls out Eben Etzebeth
3
'Damaging' Jordie Barrett move only helps All Blacks- ex-Ireland wing
4
Pieter-Steph du Toit on the now infamous RWC semi-final halftime spray
5
Latest Comments
My favourite line/exchanges from Chasing the Sun 2. News headline: “SA. The last hurdle in ABs World Cup glory”. Something like that. “You’re all just a hurdle. A hop, skip and a jump”. Coming from Rassie and Jacque. Basically - nobody thinks you’re going to win. You’re just a pushover team. They don’t respect you. When the camera shows the players faces, you can see the effect. You can see the rev meters (die moer metertjies) firing up. Mitchell said he felt it prior to the 19 final. He said to Eddie watching the teams warming up that it was going to be a tough day at the office. Wave a red flag in front of South African, and you can expect a reaction. This is not unique - many teams rev themselves. And Bok teams in particular. With horrific consequences (discipline, poor thinking under pressure) because that’s the drawback to using emotion right? But what this Bok team does better than many since 2007 is channel the emotion and stay on task. Despite the emotion. Why, because while Rassie might play mind games - he talks about creating a safe environment. Listen to his recent acceptance speech. While he used psychology he creates psychological safety. He’s a damn fine coach. Can’t wait for Pretoria. It’s going to be a hummer.
Go to commentsTerrible conditions for young players to express themselves just enjoy it guys. As a saffa great to see Ausie youth looking good. Wow SA have some great talent also.
Go to comments