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News Mar-26-2025

Major League Rugby Week 6 Recap

Written By Joe Harvey 

Week 6 of the 2025 Major League Rugby season had a little bit of everything.

From last-gasp victories to impressive individual and team performances, there was something for everyone to enjoy.

Officially, a third of the way through the regular season, things are beginning to take shape in the Eastern and Western Conferences.

OLD GLORY DC 28-14 NEW ENGLAND FREE JACKS

Old Glory DC have put four points between themselves and the New England Free Jacks with a bonus point win over the two-time champions.

It took just 11 minutes for Simon Cross’ team to open the scoring at Maryland Soccerplex when Steph Hughes was the beneficiary of a fluid attacking move started by Damian Hoyland’s electric break in midfield.

Andrew Quattrin did wipe out the Welshman’s score as consistent New England pressure eventually allowed the hooker to dart over.

Ahead of half-time, Jason Robertson scored two conversions for Old Glory and converted Axel Muller’s try in the corner, which the New Zealander was instrumental in with a fired pass out wide.

When the second half resumed, DC continued to look comfortable. A Robertson drop goal in the 56th minute kept the hosts on top, and KoiKoi Nelligan’s score, which was less than 10 minutes later, added a final flourish to the home team’s tally.

There was a twist in the tale in the final minutes of the clash when Faletol Peni scored and converted his own try for New England, but Ryan Martin’s team could not muster anything more in the DMV.

ANTHEM RC 45-46 HOUSTON SABERCATS

 

Davy Coetzer’s last-gasp penalty secured the Houston SaberCats a hard-fought 46-45 win against Anthem RC in North Carolina.

It was a frantic fixture from start to finish, with Ronan Murphy scoring the game’s first try for the visitors in the third minute before Makeen Alikhan’s converted effort wiped out the back-row’s effort.

When Anthem’s Joe Apikotoa went to the sin bin for a yellow card, Houston registered tries through Jeremy Misailegalu and Seimou Smith to take full advantage.

After Apikotoa’s return, both teams were again reduced to one player when Junior Gafa was sent to the sideline for Anthem, and Justin Basson was shown yellow cards.

By the half-time whistle, each team had crossed the whitewash again. 

First, it was Sam Golla for Anthem with a low drive from a meter out, while SaberCats hooker Seth Smith bundled over at the back of a maul.

Anthem really started to feel themselves at the start of the second half. Apikotoa, Jason Tidwell, and Gafa all scored tries before the 50-minute mark to heap pressure on a SaberCats team that was 3-1 heading into Week 6.

In response, Coetzer and Johan Momson got their names on the scoresheet following their introduction to Pote Human’s replacements. 

Mateo Gadsen helped the hosts take the lead again briefly, only for Juan-Dee Oliver and Coetzer’s conversion to peg Anthem back yet again.

In the 76th minute, Jake Turnbull seemed to have handed Anthem that long-sought-after victory when he was driven over the whitewash, and Mitch Wilson calmly added the conversion.

However, instead of victory, it was heartbreaking for those clad in blue when the home team was pinged for blocking.

To wipe out Anthem’s two-point lead and send Houston home happiest, Coetzer put the kick through the uprights to end the match.

NOLA GOLD 24-31 RFC LOS ANGELES

Rugby Football Club Los Angeles left Louisiana with five points at the end of an entertaining encounter with the NOLA Gold.

It took just four minutes for the visitors to open the scoring through Jack Shaw, although the wing’s effort was quickly wiped out with NOLA tries from Xavier Mignot and Ale Lopeti.

To hand LA control of the contest, Argentina scrum-half Gonzalo Bertranou scored a quickfire brace ahead of half-time, with Ben Houston bagging the bonus point score with seconds left of the first period.

Lopeti added his second of the afternoon from the maul almost immediately after Mikey Sosene-Feagai’s yellow card in the 45th minute.

Restored to a full complement, LA scythed through the Gold again through Andrew Coe, essentially putting themselves out of reach.

In the final throes of the contest Declan Leaney was shown a yellow card that allowed the Gold just enough space to get their own try scoring and losing bonus points thanks to JP du Plessis and the kicking of Luke Carty.

SEATTLE SEAWOLVES 27-30 UTAH WARRIORS

Greg Cooper’s Utah Warriors have maintained their positive start to 2025 with a 30-27 win over Western Conference rivals, the Seattle Seawolves.

Joel Hodgson scored just three minutes in for the traveling side. The fly-half sprinted through the gap between Juan Pablo Zeiss and Devin Short and evaded another Seattle defender to get the Warriors off to the best possible start.

To respond, Seattle slotted back-to-back Eddie Fouche penalties before Hodgson found himself adding another five points to his tally after he intercepted Divan Rossouw’s errant offload to Rodney Iona in his own half.

D’Angelo Leuila kept Utah ahead with two second-half penalties and also converted Liam Coltman’s try. 

In the final quarter of the clash, Seattle crossed the whitewash three times. First through Riekert Hattingh, then Malacchi Esdale and a penalty try, registered shortly after Hodgson had added a penalty for the Warriors.

SAN DIEGO LEGION 31-12 MIAMI SHARKS

 

San Diego Legion maintained their perfect start in 2025 with this win over the Miami Sharks.

Well-rested after their bye week, John Manenti’s team ripped into their visitors with a first-half onslaught that saw Christian Poidevin, Rhian Stowers, and Tomas Aoake all cross the try line, with Lincoln McClutchie converting all three efforts.

On the stroke of half-time, Tomas Cubelli dotted down for Miami, and Shane O’Leary missed the conversion.

Aoake and Tavite Lopeti were shown quickfire yellow cards just after the 50-minute mark, with O’Leary making the most of that two-player advantage to evade the Legion defense and dot down.

Even two players down San Diego found a way to cross the whitewash for their bonus point score when Jed Holloway drove across from close range.

To maintain top spot in the Western Conference, Shilo Klein benefitted from a strong lineout maul when the Sharks had Damian Morley in the sin bin.

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