Home win v. Seattle clinches 3rd in the East for NOLA Gold

Home win v. Seattle clinches 3rd in the East for NOLA Gold

  After a weather-delayed kickoff, loyal NOLA Gold fans were treated to a rollercoaster of a match that ended with a well-earned 44-36 victory over the Seattle Seawolves at the Shrine on Airline. The win cements NOLA’s place in the Major League Rugby Eastern Conference standings, as the squad now sits securely in 3rd place.

  “We just had to control the controllables. Once we told the boys the definitive time for kickoff, we had a plan ready to go. In terms of game plan, we had to be a little bit more direct, and we had to kick and adapt quickly,” said coach Danny Lee.

  NOLA Gold set the tone early, taking an initial 3-0 lead thanks to a steady penalty kick from Dorian Jones. Though Seattle answered quickly with a try to make it 7-3, the Gold launched into a dominant scoring stretch. Isaac Te Tamaki powered across the try line to ignite the offense, followed by back-to-back tries from the relentless Jonah Mau’u. Jones continued to add points from the tee, stretching the Gold’s lead to 27-7.

  Just before halftime, the Seawolves found a breakthrough and scored at the buzzer, narrowing the margin to 27-14. However, NOLA emerged from the locker room with purpose. Xavier Mignot wasted no time reestablishing momentum with a try that pushed the lead to 34-14.

  Seattle fought back with intensity, capitalizing on back-to-back tries to bring the score to 34-24. But NOLA responded with composure, as Jones added another penalty to keep the visitors at bay, 37-24.

  The closing stages of the match saw both teams exchanging blows. Seattle’s try was met by a decisive moment from Joe Taufete’e, who muscled through defenders for a critical score. Luke Campbell’s conversion extended the lead to 44-29. Though Seattle scored one final try at the buzzer, it wasn’t enough.

  With a final score of 44-36, NOLA Gold walks away with a crucial five-point win in front of a roaring home crowd and strengthens its postseason hopes with a firm grip on 3rd place in the East.

  The Gold plays the San Diego Legion on May 4 away. Visit nolagoldrugby.com for more Gold info.