New England will face San Diego, which earned a championship berth with a 32-10 win over Seattle within the Western Convention remaining on Sunday.
By Emma Healy, The Boston Globe
The sting of being oh-so-close to a championship nonetheless lingers for New England sports activities followers. The wound of the Bruins’ first-round collapse remains to be contemporary, and Celtics followers are nonetheless piecing collectively what went improper within the Jap Convention remaining.
However the New England Free Jacks supply a treatment: a visit to Main League Rugby’s championship sport, their first in franchise historical past.
The Free Jacks (15-2) will journey to Chicago to face the San Diego Legion (16-1) on Saturday after the groups gained their respective conferences. San Diego enters the match on a 14-game win streak, whereas New England is coming off of 11 straight wins, together with a 25-7 romp of Outdated Glory DC within the Jap Convention remaining.
“We’re wanting ahead to touchdown in Chicago,” Free Jacks coach Scott Mathie stated after final week’s win.
San Diego earned a championship berth with a 32-10 win over Seattle within the Western Convention remaining on Sunday, finishing an undefeated run at house.
The Free Jacks confronted San Diego simply as soon as this season, shedding 29-12 within the second week at Snapdragon Stadium.
The Legion’s success is little shock on condition that San Diego boasts probably the most wins in a season (16) the longest win streak (14), probably the most standing factors (74), probably the most MLR ‘First XV’ choices (42), and probably the most completely different strive scorers (29) in MLR historical past. Offensive manufacturing is unfold out throughout San Diego’s again line and ahead pack, making the Legion troublesome to cease and giving it the best scoring whole (554) and largest level differential (269) in MLR.
San Diego must take care of New England’s staunch protection, which has allowed the fewest tries (36) in MLR this season. The Free Jacks have allowed two or fewer tries in eight of their contests this season.
New England wing Paula Balekana is a potent possibility on the surface and is second within the league in tries scored (13). Middle Le Roux Malan has been on a tear of late, scoring a minimum of as soon as in every of the Free Jacks’ final two video games.
Scrum half John Poland is one other participant to look out for, as he’s a key decision-maker within the high-scoring offense and was the catalyst in New England’s game-sealing strive towards Outdated Glory.
“He’s type of the person who guides every part, connects the dots between the backs and the forwards,” stated Free Jacks co-founder and CEO Alex Magleby.
New England’s lineup stays largely unchanged from the Free Jacks’ dominant efficiency towards Outdated Glory. Mathie will make simply two adjustments to the beginning lineup, as Semisi Paea will take the place of Reegan O’Gorman at lock, and Mitch Wilson will return to the wing after recovering from damage.
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