New England Free Jacks rebound in a big way
After losing at home last week, the New England Free Jacks rebounded in a big way, in outlasting RFC Los Angeles, 34-12, on Sunday at Dignity Health Field in Carson, California.
“We had a real good week of preparation. We weren't pretty today, but we'll take five points, get out of here, and look forward to Chicago next week,” said Jayson Potroz after the match.
The Free Jacks jumped out in front at the 13-minute mark when Andrew Quattrin demonstrated his toughness by driving for a try directly under the goalposts. The automatic seven points gave the Free Jacks an early lead they never surrendered.
While battling spirited attempts by LA, the Free Jacks continued to fight themselves with several turnovers and failed set pieces. Twenty minutes into the first half, a successful Free Jacks lineout and maul resulted in Seta Baker’s first-ever try and 12-0 lead.
As halftime approached, LA’s Semi Kunatani was sent off with a yellow card for a dangerous tackle. The Free Jacks took advantage as a Reece MacDonald to Mitch Wilson to Baker exchange led to a final off-load to Aucklander Danyon Morgan-Puterangi who sprinted in for a Free Jacks try and a 17-0 lead.
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The home team responded by passing through the LA backhands to winger Jack Shaw, who scored a try and conversion making the score 17-7 at the end of the first half.
Coming out of halftime, the Free Jacks upped their defensive intensity and made notable plays, proving that nothing would disrupt the Free Jacks' rhythm. In the highlight of the match, MacDonald chased down his own 50-meter kick and scored a try after a dead run across the field. Jayson Potroz added the conversion, extending the lead 24-7 and guaranteeing the Free Jacks a bonus point for scoring four tries.
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As the match reached the 50-minute mark, Kunatani demonstrated his resilience by powering in for a try, leaving LA trailing 24-12.
The 72-minute mark was pivotal for the Free Jacks, who earned a penalty, setting up Potroz for a successful kick, extending the lead 27-12. Soon after, Potroz gained possession off a scrum and kicked to Morgan-Puterangi, who scored his second try of the day. Potroz kicked the conversion to close the scoring at 34-12.
The Free Jacks remain in first place in the Eastern Conference with a 6-2 record and 29 points. They play Sunday at Veterans Memorial Field in Quincy for a rematch with the Chicago Hounds at 12 p.m. Before the match on Sunday, former New England Patriots and US Olympic Rugby player Nate Ebner will host a tackling clinic for youth and high school football players. For more details visit https://freejacks.com.
This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: New England Free Jacks defeat RFC Los Angeles