San Diego Legion clinched a thrilling win over the New England Free Jacks on Sunday, February 23, 2020. Embarking on its inaugural Major League Rugby season, the Free Jacks had their work cutout for them as they traveled to America’s Finest City for the first time this year.
Legion demonstrated dominance during the match’s first half. The first points on the board came from Luke Burton, who opted to kick for points after a third Free Jacks penalty in under three minutes. The first try of the game came soon after with a chip kick from Burton to Save Totovosau, who successfully fought his way over the try line. Both teams continued to score, with Legion taking a 20-7 lead over the Free Jacks as the game entered halftime.
In the second half, New England Free Jacks came out on the pitch with guns blazing. The Legion were scoreless during the majority of the second half, until the 68-minute mark when a try from Dev Ferris gave Legion the lead. Another penalty kick from Luke Burton was a cherry on top of the bonus point win, making the Legion undefeated going into week 4.
At the end of the match, Psalm Wooching was named Man of the Match by FS2 commentators. Prior to this, Nate Augspurger led the charge having won ‘Man of the Match’ during both previous games.
"It was great to see the team's resilience as we recovered from losing the lead. Plus, 'Man of the Match' Psalm Wooching came up with a big linebreak that allowed Dev Ferris to seal the win with our third try-scoring bonus point of the season. Our next match should be exciting, as we hit the road to challenge NOLA Gold, who has scored the second most tries in MLR. We are looking for a big performance before heading back to Torero Stadium to host Rugby United NY on our home pitch."
-Legion Head Coach Rob Hoadley
FINAL SCORE: 30-21 SD
For the next match, Legion hits the road to play against NOLA Gold on their home pitch. Tune-in from San Diego and join Legion staff, players and fans at California Native for an ‘Official Watch Party.’ More information at sdlegion.com/watch.
