San Diego’s Tira Patterson powers past a New England player to score a first-half try. Photo by Chris Stone
San Diego’s Major League Rugby club defeated the New England Free Jacks 30-21 Sunday at Torero Stadium to cement their place atop the Western Conference standings.
Now 3-0, the Legion also has the most total points scored (112) in the 12-team league and the most points in the standings (15) after coming back from a 21-20 deficit late in the second half.
“We got three bonus points for scoring four tries each game, so it’s the perfect start, really,” said San Diego head coach Rob Hoadley.
Save Totovosau scored a try in the 9th minute, Tira Patterson in the 17th and Dylan Audsley in the 35th of the first half for San Diego.
Story continues below
Players pause to pray after the match in which they won their third consecutive game. Photo by Chris Stone
Ma’a Nonu kicks the ball toward the Legion’s goal in the second half of the match. Photo by Chris Stone
Tira Patterson sprints toward the goal line in the second half of the match. Photo by Chris Stone
San Diego Legion players pursue a New England player. Photo by Chris Stone
Players discuss strategy during a water break in the second half. Photo by Chris Stone
Players collide as they vie for the ball. Photo by Chris Stone
Psalm Wooching attempts to free himself from an opponent with a hold on him. Photo by Chris Stone
Poasa Waqanibau of the New England Free Jacks scores the first try for his team. Photo by Chris Stone
Tevita Tameilau advances the ball in the first half of the game. Photo by Chris Stone
Dylan Audsley scrambles across the line to make a try late in the first half. Photo by Chris Stone
Psalm Wooching, the Player of the Match, advances the ball during the second half. Photo by Chris Stone
A fan catches a ball kicked into the stands and momentarily holds it. Photo by Chris Stone
Psalm Wooching, the Player of the Match, advances toward the goal line. Photo by Chris Stone
San Diego Legion players are congratulated by members of the Cohort after the match. Photo by Chris Stone
San Diego Head Coach Rob Hoadley is interviewed after the match. Photo by Chris Stone
San Diego Legion players advance toward a kicked ball. Photo by Chris Stone
A San Diego Legion player is stopped in his tracks as he advances toward the goal. Photo by Chris Stone
Faka’osi Pifeleti advances the ball before being pulled down by by his leg. Photo by Chris Stone
Tira Patterson powers past a New England player to score a try. Photo by Chris Stone
Tira Patterson powers past a New England player to score a try. Photo by Chris Stone
Ma’a Nonu catches the ball on the tips of his fingers in the first half of a 2020 match. (File photo by Chris Stone/Times of San Diego)
Psalm Wooching, Player of the Match, is interviewed after the game. Photo by Chris Stone
Fans cheer as the San Diego Legion scores a try. Photo by Chris Stone
Ben Mitchell (right) sprints down the pitch. Photo by Chris Stone
A player for the New England Free Jacks prepares to set the ball in the scrum. Photo by Chris Stone
The San Diego Legion wins its third consecutive match. Photo by Chris Stone
Legion Wing Tira Patterson runs in a try in the first half of the match against the New England Free Jacks. Photo by Chris Stone
The scoreboard announced a win for the San Diego Legion in 2020. (Photo by Chris Stone/Times of San Diego)
Fans cheer San Diego Legion players after the match. Photo by Chris Stone
Luke Burton (right) and Devereaux Ferris, who scored a try, exchange congratulations after the match. Photo by Chris Stone
After two tries by the Weymouth, Massachusetts-based Free Jacks (1-2) in the second half, Devereaux Ferris scored the fourth San Diego try in the 67th minute, with Luke Burton scoring the conversion goal and later a penalty goal in the 75th minute.
“I think it was a tough game out there,” said Legion rookie Ma’a Nonu, the New Zealand legend. “Sometimes we can fall asleep in the second half. Give credit to … New England because it’s a new side.”
San Diego’s Psalm Wooching, named the Player of the Match, said: “Hats off to the opposing team,” which he called super strong and super physical. “They didn’t take a step back when we went up on the board.”
The difference, said the Hawiian-born player said, was “our boys just kind of buckled together. … The penalties went our way, and we were close enough to win the game.”
Coach Hoadley noted the Legion lost the first games of the first two seasons.
“So now we’re three wins in a row,” he said. “Maximum points, top of the league. So it’s a great start.”
The difference this year?
A longer preseason, he said, and working “pretty hard in the offseason on our conditioning and setting new standards.”
(Wooching concurred: “Coming into the season, we’re fitter the first few games than we were the last few games last year at the end. That’s a huge thing. We had a full preseason this year with the boys. Yeah, we really hit that hard.”)
Thousands of rugby fans at Torero Stadium watch the San Diego Legion win their third game in a row. Photo by Chris Stone
Also, said Hoadley: “Nonu has been fantastic. But there’s a whole raft of players that come in.”
Hoadley said Nonu’s contribution off the field has been key as well — lending his experience to the younger guys, he said, and “in terms of the team unity. In terms of his cool head. Such a calm and humble character. I can’t state enough the impact that he’s had.”
Said Nonu: “I’m just thankful that the fans come out, you know. Put on a show for our home side.”
Next up: San Diego hosts the 2-1 NOLA Gold in a 1 p.m. game Saturday at Torero Stadium. New Orleans is tied for second in the Eastern Conference after beating the Colorado Raptors Saturday.
