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Brace of Ma'a Nonu tries keeps San Diego Legion's unbeaten start to MLR alive
The impact of former All Blacks star Ma’a Nonu is becoming more and more clear with each passing week in Major League Rugby as the 37-year-old steered the San Diego Legion to their fourth successive win in as many matches on Saturday (local time).
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The 103-test veteran was in fine form at Shrine on Airline in New Orleans, scoring two of the Legion’s three tries to put a plucky NOLA Gold outfit to bed 25-21.
It wasn’t all smooth sailing for San Diego, though, as the second of Nonu’s tries came as part of a second half comeback where the Legion scored 13 unanswered points to overturn a 21-12 half-time deficit.
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Nonu’s exploits in Louisiana were a continuation of the first three weeks of the competition, where his immense experience and vast array of skills have played a key role in San Diego’s undefeated ascent to the summit of the Western Conference standings.
Another win for the undefeated San Diego Legion! Final score: 25-21 ? #NOLAvSD pic.twitter.com/8iXzoHKwRg
— San Diego Legion (@SDLegion) February 29, 2020
With 12 points between them and the second-placed Utah Warriors, it appears that Nonu and the Legion have firmly established themselves as early title contenders, although the Toronto Arrows might have something to say about that.
The Canadian-based club are the only other side in the competition yet to taste defeat after they dispatched Rugby ATL 28-18 at Life University in Atlanta on Sunday.
Both sides swapped the lead and kept intact with one another throughout the eagerly-fought contest as Toronto’s win was only really solidified in the last play of the match when experienced Uruguayan wing Gaston Mieres crashed over from close range.
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Took a big bonus-point bite out of the Peach State.
That's four on the bounce for the boys as we remain atop the East. ????#ArrowsUp pic.twitter.com/pvbjL04Ydh
— Toronto Arrows RFC (@TorontoArrows) March 1, 2020
The victory leaves the Arrows atop the Eastern Conference standings with 18 points to their name, but things are much tighter in that half of the country compared to the west.
Mathieu Bastareaud’s Rugby United New York are breathing down Toronto’s neck as they trail by just four points following their 31-23 win over the Houston SaberCats at Aveva Stadium.
The veteran French midfielder packed down at No. 8 for the third week running in Texas, making way for this week’s midfield pairing of USA Eagles second-five Chris Mattina and Irish centre Will Leonard.
Mattina bagged one of New York’s four tries in the outing, and joined Bastareaud and ex-England fullback Ben Foden in withstanding a late surge from Houston which saw them come back from a 21-3 half-time scoreline to make it a one-point game with less than 10 minutes remaining.
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Legendary stuff from @mikey_bistro and @marcus_walsh9 here ???
That’s a 5 pointer ????#WeekFour #MLR2020 pic.twitter.com/R6oVUSu2nc
— Rugby United New York (@rugbyunitedny) March 2, 2020
Below New York in third place is Old Glory DC, who were without World Cup-winning Springboks prop Tendai Mtawarira in their 29-19 win over Austin Gilgronis at Toyota Field.
Instead, the Washington DC-based side had to rely on tries to Samoan sevens star and Auckland halfback Danny Tusitala, Canadian international Doug Fraser and Northland speedster Renata Roberts-Tenana to get them over the line in San Antonio.
Ex-All Blacks wing Frank Halai backed up his try on debut last week with another five-pointer to keep Austin in the match with just six minutes to play, but it proved to be too little too late as Old Glory DC now trail New York by a point on the standings.
Elsewhere, a double to former All Blacks utility back Rene Ranger lifted Colorado to their first win of the campaign against Utah, with the Raptors coming away with a 22-14 victory at Infinity Park in Denver.
Back-to-back reigning champions Seattle also got their first win of the year in front of their home crowd as the Seawolves pulled off a 44-29 win over the New England Free Jacks at Starfire Stadium.
MLR Western Conference
1 – San Diego Legion (4-0) – 19pts
2 – Utah Warriors (1-1-2) – 7pts
3 – Seattle Seawolves (1-3) – 6pts
4 – Houston SaberCats (1-3) – 5pts
5 – Colorado Raptors (1-3) – 5pts
6 – Austin Gilgronis (0-1-3) – 3pts
MLR Eastern Conference
1 – Toronto Arrows (4-0) – 18pts
2 – Rugby United New York (3-1) – 14pts
3 – Old Glory DC (3-1) – 13pts
4 – NOLA Gold (2-2) – 11pts
5 – Rugby ATL (2-2) – 10pts
6 – New England Free Jacks (1-3) – 8pts
Round Five Fixtures
Colorado Raptors vs Toronto Arrows at Infinity Park, Denver. KO: 8pm Friday
NOLA Gold vs New England Free Jacks at Shrine on Airline, New Orleans. KO: 4pm Saturday
Houston SaberCats vs Austin Gilgronis at Aveva Stadium, Houston. KO: 8pm Saturday
Seattle Seawolves vs Utah Warriors at Starfire Stadium, Seattle. KO: 9pm Saturday
Old Glory DC vs Rugby ATL at Cardinal Stadium, Washington DC. KO: 6pm Sunday
San Diego Legion vs Rugby United New York at Torero Stadium, San Diego. KO: 7pm Sunday
All kick-off times scheduled for ET
In other news:
Comments on RugbyPass
Make what step up? Manie has a World Cup winner’s medal around his neck and changed the way the Springboks can play. He doesn’t have anything to prove to anyone. The win record of the Boks with him in the team is tremendous. Sacha can be wonderful and I hope he has a very succesful Bok career, but comparing him to Manie in terms of the next Bok flyhalf is very strange. Manie is the incumbent (not the next) and doing pretty incredibly.
1 Go to comments00 😍 U
1 Go to commentsSabbaticals have helped keep NZ’s very best talent in the country on long term deals - this fact has been left out of this article. Much like the articles calling to allow overseas players to be selected, yet can only name one player currently not signed to NZR who would be selected for the ABs. And in the entire history of NZ players leaving to play overseas, literally only 4 or 5 have left in their prime as current ABs. (Piatau, Evans, Hayman, Mo’unga,?) Yes Carter got an injury while playing in France 16 years ago, but he also got a tournament ending injury at the 2011 World Cup while taking mid-week practice kicks at goal. Maybe Jordie gets a season-ending injury while playing in Ireland, maybe he gets one next week against the Brumbies. NZR have many shortcomings, but keeping the very best players in the country and/or available for ABs selection is not one of them. Likewise for workload management - players missing 2 games out of 14 is hardly a big deal in the grand scheme of things. Again let’s use some facts - did it stop the Crusaders winning SR so many times consecutively when during any given week they would be missing 2 of their best players? The whole idea of the sabbatical is to reward your best players who are willing to sign very long term deals with some time to do whatever they want. They are not handed out willy-nilly, and at nowhere near the levels that would somehow devalue Super Rugby. In this particular example JB is locked in with NZR for what will probably (hopefully) be the best years of his career, hard to imagine him not sticking around for a couple more after for a Lions tour and one more world cup. He has the potential to become the most capped AB of all time. A much better outcome than him leaving NZ for a minimum of 3 years at the age of 27, unlikely to ever play for the ABs again, which would be the likely alternative.
1 Go to commentsJake White talks more sense than anything I've read in the last 5 years. Hope someone's listening.
9 Go to commentsThe Springboks tried going down the road of only picking home-based players and it was an unmitigated disaster in 2016 and 2017. Picking overseas-based players has been one of the main reason the Boks have done so well since 2018, not only because of the quality Rassie could call on, but because of the knowledge and experience those players brought into camp from England, France and Japan. With some of the big names playing abroad it also gave younger players in SA the chance to break through at franchise level. Would we have seen the emergence of a Ruan Nortje if RG and Lood were still at the Bulls? Not so sure. I understand why Jake would want to block players leaving since his job depends on good results but it’s an approach that would take Bok rugby back to the bad old days and no South African wants to see that.
9 Go to commentsExeter were thumped by 38 points. And they only had to hop on a train.
38 Go to commentsI am De Groot.
1 Go to commentsHad hoped you might write an article on this game, Nick. It’s a good one. Things have not gone as smoothly for ROG since beating Leinster last year at the Aviva in the CC final. LAR had the Top 14 Final won till Raymond Rhule missed a simple tackle on the excellent Ntamack, and Toulouse reaped the rewards of just staying in the fight till the death. Then the disruption of the RWC this season. LAR have not handled that well, but they were not alone, and we saw Pau heading the Top 14 table at one stage early season. I would think one of the reasons for the poor showing would have to be that the younger players coming through, and the more mature amongst the group outside the top 25/30, are not as strong as would be hoped for. I note that Romain Sazy retired at the end of last season. He had been with LAR since 2010, and was thus one of their foundation players when they were promoted to Top 14. Records show he ended up with 336 games played with LAR. That is some experience, some rock in the team. He has been replaced for the most part by Ultan Dillane. At 30, Dillane is not young, but given the chances, he may be a fair enough replacement for Sazy. But that won’be for more than a few years. I honestly know little of the pathways into the LAR setup from within France. I did read somewhere a couple of years ago that on the way up to Top 14, the club very successfully picked up players from the academies of other French teams who were not offered places by those teams. These guys were often great signings…can’t find the article right now, so can’t name any….but the Tadgh Beirne type players. So all in all, it will be interesting to see where the replacements for all the older players come from. Only Lleyd’s and Rhule from SA currently, both backs. So maybe a few SA forwards ?? By contrast, Leinster have a pretty clear line of good players coming through in the majority of positions. Props maybe a weak spot ? And they are very fleet footed and shrewd in appointing very good coaches. Or maybe it is also true that very good coaches do very well in the Leinster setup. So, Nick, I would fully concurr that “On the evidence of Saturday’s semi-final between the two clubs, the rebuild in the Bay of Biscay is going to take longer than it is on the east coast of Ireland”
11 Go to commentsWhat was the excuse for the other knockout blowouts then? Does the result not prove the Saints were just so much better? Wise call to put your eggs in one basket when you’ve got 2 comps simultaneously finishing.
38 Go to commentsReally hope Kuruvoli and his partner rock the Canes.
1 Go to commentsI wonder what impact Samson has had on their attack, as the team seems less prone to trundle it up the middle, take the tackle and then trundle it up again. I lost faith in the coach last year as the Rebelss looked like a 2nd/3rd rate South African team. I also disliked Gordon standing back, often ignored as the forward battle went on and on. Maybe its our Aussie way of not getting off our A***’s until the enemy is at the gate.
86 Go to commentsThanks for the write up. Great to see the Rebs winning, I am a little interested in how they will go against the remaining kiwi teams, I think they’ve only played Hurricanes and Highlanders but how great to see these players performing!! I also see Parling has a job beyond June 30! A good move by RA? Also how do you fix the Rebels previously scratchy defence?
86 Go to commentsbe smart - go black
13 Go to commentsNext week the Crusaders hopefully have Scott Barrett back. Will be great to have the captain back. Hopefully he will be the All Black captain as well.
12 Go to commentsExciting place to be for the young fella. I expected he was French Polynesian when I saw him included in the France 6N squad (after seeing him in NZs), and therefor be strong grounds we might loose him to rugby down here. Good, in that he is good enough to warrant such a profile, and from a journalism’s fan interaction aspect, to finally get a back ground story on the fella. Hope he has settled into NZ OK and that at least one rugby country will fit with him to help his development, which, if so, he should surely continue for a few years, and then that he can experience France to it’s fullest with a bit more maturity and less reliance on family than you would have at his current age. A good 3 or 4 years before he would be ready for International duty if he wanted to wait. Of course he already sounds good enough to accept a call up, and to cap himself, in the more immediate future (he’d have to be very very good in the case of the ABs), and he’ll get a great taste of that being with the Canes who have a bunch who are just a few years further into their career and looking likely Internationals themselves.
13 Go to commentsI remember towards the end of the original broadcasting deal for Super rugby with Newscorp that there was talk about the competition expanding to improve negotiations for more money - more content, more cash. Professional rugby was still in its infancy then and I held an opposing view that if Super rugby was a truly valuable competition then it should attract more broadcasters to bid for the rights, thereby increasing the value without needing to add more teams and games. Unfortunately since the game turned professional, the tension between club, talent and country has only grown further. I would argue we’re already at a point in time where the present is the future. The only international competitions that matter are 6N, RC and RWC. The inter-hemisphere tours are only developmental for those competitions. The games that increasingly matter more to fans, sponsors and broadcasters are between the clubs. Particularly for European fans, there are multiple competitions to follow your teams fortunes every week. SA is not Europe but competes in a single continental competition, so the travel component will always be an impediment. It was worse in the bloated days of Super rugby when teams traversed between four continents - Africa, America, Asia and Australia. The percentage of players who represent their country is less than 5% of the professional player base, so the sense of sacrifice isn’t as strong a motivation for the rest who are more focused on playing professional rugby and earning as much from their body as they can. Rugby like cricket created the conundrum it’s constantly fighting a losing battle with.
9 Go to commentsOh wow… “But as La Rochelle proved in winning in Cape Town this season, a cross-continental away assignment need not spell the end of days.” La Rochelle actually proved quite the opposite. After traveling to Cape town and back they (back-to-back and current champs) got mercilessly thumped the next week. If travel is not the reason, why else would a full-strength powerhouse like La Rochelle get dumped on their @r$e$ one week later?
38 Go to commentsYou know he can land a winning conversion after the full time siren is up. (Even if it takes two attempts.)
5 Go to commentsA very insightful article from Jake. I would love to know how South African’s feel about their move to Europe. Do you prefer playing in Europe or want to go back to Super Rugby?
9 Go to commentspure fire
1 Go to comments