Old Glory Just Short in Frustrating Match Against NOLA - Recap

By Alistair Kirsch-Poole
Mar 26, 2023 - 5:45pm

After controlling the first half and leading for most of the match, Old Glory fell to a late surge by the NOLA Gold. A defensive slog of a match, in part due to the wet conditions, neither team was able to really open up. With the difference in the score never greater then a single try, the result was in the balance right up to the final moments.

First half

The match opened well for Old Glory, with Diaz Bonilla slotting a penalty early, and then a second just six minutes later. NOLA struggled to maintain any possession, leaving OGDC firmly in control.

Eventually, however, NOLA's fullback was able to dodge out of a tackle, then slice through the OGDC line. A scrappy offload put his teammate in for the first try of the match. With the conversion good, the Gold took a brief lead. A penalty shortly after the restart gave Diaz Bonilla the opportunity to put Old Glory back on top.

Old Glory nearly had a try of their own, with Dabulas going over the line in the corner, but it was ruled held up. Diaz Bonilla kicked the penalty instead, extending the lead. A NOLA penalty just before the half made that ground back up, though, leaving it a two point match at the half.

Second half

The second half opened with a true defensive slog. Almost all of the play came between the 22s, with neither team able to make progress. After ten minutes, though, Tusitala came up with a clutch 50-22 to give DC great attacking position. After being repulsed multiple times, Bavaro got the team to the goal line and Talataina was able to smartly dot the ball in for a try. The conversion went wide, leaving it a single score game.

Unfortunately, NOLA responded shortly afterwards, with a cross-kick to the corner and a lucky offload putting them through. The successful conversion tied up the match at seventeen apiece.

With the match in the balance, play got more frantic with kicks, breaks, and steals. NOLA found an extra gear, aided by the referee's sudden and inexplicable unwillingness to call penalties against the Gold at the breakdown. A penalty in Old Glory's half gave the Gold their second lead of the match with less than ten minutes to go.

Old Glory responded with a spark of their own, finding the energy to drive up the pitch and park themselves on the goal line. With time expiring, it looked like OGDC might just snatch a well-deserved win, but a sloppy pass and a knock on ended the match.