Carl Meyer scored 17 points as New Orleans beat the Colorado Raptors in the third round of Major League Rugby on Saturday.
– Fullback Meyer scored a brace of tries to help NOLA Gold claim a 27-20 away win against the Raptors. Meyer dotted down twice in the second half and kicked two conversions and a penalty, as New Orleans held on for their second win of the season. Centre Robbie Petzer started for the Eagles, who brought scrumhalf Carlo de Nysschen on in the second half.
– Old Glory DC won their second successive match by beating the Houston SaberCats 22-13. Tendai Mtawarira started for DC and played the first half before being replaced after the break. Lock Dylan Pieterse also started for DC. The SaberCats were again captained by De Wet Roos and had lock Kyle Breytenbach and centre Tiaan Loots in their starting lineup. Loots dotted down in the 11th minute for Houston’s only try of the match. Loose-forward Adriaan Booysen was a second-half substitute for the SaberCats.
– The Utah Warriors scored a last-gasp try to hold the Austin Gilgronis to a 20-20 draw. Hooker Tiaan Erasmus and former All Blacks wing Frank Halai – on debut – scored a try each in the second half as Austin looked set to grab their first win since June 2018. Former All Blacks and Highlanders prop Jamie Mackintosh also made his first appearance for Austin, but was yellow-carded in the first 15 minutes. Loosehead prop Franco van den Berg, No 8 Jurie van Vuuren and centre Tyler Fisher all played for Utah.
– The Toronto Arrows continued their unbeaten start to the season as they handed the Seattle Seawolves a third successive defeat with a 39-17 victory on Saturday evening. Six converted penalties took the Arrows into a 19-point lead before No 8 and Seawolves captain Riekert Hattingh forced his way over from the back of a scrum for a consolation try. Former Cheetahs scrumhalf JP Smith and hooker Stephan Coetzee started for the Seawolves, who have endured their worst start to a Major League season.
– Rugby United New York grabbed their second win of the season after holding on to claim a 22-19 win over Atlanta on Sunday afternoon. New York scored three first-half tries to go 19-7 up at the break, with South African-born wing Zander van Schalkwyk scoring Atlanta’s only try of the half. However, Atlanta produced a late show in the second half, as lock Johan Momsen scored, with flyhalf Kurt Coleman converting, before Van Schalkwyk completed his brace after the full-time hooter to snatch a losing bonus point. Also in action for Atlanta was lock Stefan Willemse and scrumhalf Duncan van Schalkwyk. Former France centre Mathieu Bastareaud started at No 8 for New York.
– The San Diego Legion made it three wins from three with a 30-21 victory over the New England Free Jacks. The game was not as comfortable as the scoreline suggests, as San Diego nearly let a 15-point lead slip. JP du Plessis formed an effective midfield with former All Black Ma’a Nonu, while former Western Province hooker Dean Muir also started for the home side.
Photo: Craig Boudreaux / NOLA Gold Rugby
