2023 – RD 18: New England Free Jacks v Houston SaberCats

47 v 24

Report

The Houston SaberCats travel to Boston to face the New England Free Jacks in Quincy for a cross-conference clash that will end the 2023 regular saeson for both sides.

Both sides are already locked into their playoff spots, with the Free Jacks knowing they have a bye to the Conference Finals, and the SaberCats knowing they will face the Seawolves in Seattle next weekend.

A club record crowd of 4766 watched the home side run riot against a SaberCats side that was a hybrid of starters and (mostly) depth players. Le Roux Malan had scored twice before the first water break, and Paula Balekana scored another just before half time, his league-tying 14th try of the season! Shortly after half time, Malan struck again for his 3rd of the afternoon and the first hat trick of his MLR career! This was the 2nd hat trick in Free Jacks club history, and the 32nd in MLR history. In total, he gained 234m with ball in hand, setting a new MLR record for metres gained in a single game!

The SaberCats had scored in the first half through Danny Barrett, as well as a conversion and penalty from Kian Meadon. They had to wait until late in the game to get on the board again though. Canadian Kainoa Lloyd (a late season signing from Houston) scored in the 68th minute, quickly followed by Nick Boyer in the 74th, but by then it was all academic. The Free Jacks had romped to a 47-24 victory, securing their 10th win in a row in back-to-back seasons and finishing the 2023 regular season with a club record 14-2 record. The 10-6 SaberCats also set a club record, with their 53pt season bettering their 48pt season in 2022, and enter the playoffs for the 2nd year in a row.

Details

Date	Time	League	Season
June 18, 2023	1:30 pm	Major League Rugby	MLR 2023

Results

Team	Tries	Conversions	Penalty Kick	TB	LB	Points
Free Jacks	7	6	0	1	0	47
SaberCats	3	3	1	0	0	24

Free Jacks

#	Player	Position	T	C	MG	Tackles	KS/KA	Pts
1	Kyle Ciquera 17	Prop	0	0	0	11	0	0
2	Mills Sanerivi 16	Hooker	0	0	27	13	0	0
3	Cole Keith 18	Prop	0	0	1	10	0	0
4	Semisi Paea 19	Lock	0	0	5	11	0	0
5	Conor Keys	Lock	0	0	13	11	0	0
6	Mitch Jacobson	Flanker	0	0	29	15	0	0
7	Slade McDowall 23	Flanker	0	0	60	11	0	0
8	Wian Conradie	Number 8	2	0	87	14	0	10
9	John Poland 21	Scrum-half	1	0	55	4	0	5
10	Beaudein Waaka 22	Fly-half	0	0	0	0	0	0
11	Paula Balekana	Wing	1	0	67	7	0	5
12	Le Roux Malan	Center	3	0	234	10	0	15
13	Ben LeSage	Center	0	0	117	10	0	0
14	Mitch Wilson 20	Fullback	0	0	0	1	0	0
15	Reece MacDonald	Fly-half	0	6	46	7	6/7	12
16	Andrew Quattrin 2	Hooker	0	0	3	6	0	0
17	Foster DeWitt 1	Hooker	0	0	0	2	0	0
18	Joel Hintz 3	Prop	0	0	0	5	0	0
19	Sam Fischli 4	Flanker	0	0	8	5	0	0
20	Joe Johnston 14	Flanker	0	0	24	9	0	0
21	Holden Yungert 9	Scrum-half	0	0	9	3	0	0
22	Spencer Jones 10	Center	0	0	40	4	0	0
23	Cam Davidowicz 7	Flanker	0	0	0	0	0	0
	Total		7	6	825	169	6/7	47

SaberCats

#	Player	Position	T	C	P	MG	Tackles	KS/KA	Pts
1	Alec McDonnell 17	Prop	0	0	0	7	5	0	0
2	Dean Muir 16	Hooker	0	0	0	18	4	0	0
3	Valdemar Lee-Lo 18	Prop	0	0	0	14	7	0	0
4	Siaosi Mahoni 19	Lock	0	0	0	18	3	0	0
5	Emmanuel Albert	Flanker	0	0	0	22	12	0	0
6	Danny Barrett 20	Flanker	1	0	0	20	5	0	5
7	Keni Nasoqeqe	Flanker	0	0	0	37	7	0	0
8	Hanco Germishuys	Number 8	0	0	0	6	13	0	0
9	Carlo de Nysschen	Scrum-half	0	0	0	24	5	0	0
10	Kian Meadon	Fly-half	0	3	1	13	10	4/4	9
11	Zach Pangelinan 21	Wing	0	0	0	0	1	0	0
12	Robbie Povey 23	Center	0	0	0	6	4	0	0
13	Kainoa Lloyd	Center	1	0	0	44	8	0	5
14	Nick Boyer	Wing	1	0	0	69	6	0	5
15	Gerrie Labuschagne	Fullback	0	0	0	53	3	0	0
16	Axel Zapata 2	Hooker	0	0	0	6	8	0	0
17	Frikkie de Beer 1	Prop	0	0	0	3	4	0	0
18	Will Vakalahi 3	Prop	0	0	0	5	6	0	0
19	Wynand Grassmann 4	Lock	0	0	0	0	4	0	0
20	Asa Carter 6	Flanker	0	0	0	12	3	0	0
21	Gideon van Wyk 11	Flanker	0	0	0	8	0	0	0
22	Davy Coetzer	Fly-half	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
23	Jake Hidalgo 12	Wing	0	0	0	9	2	0	0
	Total		3	3	1	394	120	4/4	24