Here’s my match report for the Old Glory DC home opener.

On a beautiful day for rugby Old Glory DC (OGDC) hosted the Chicago Hounds in the home opener at the Maryland Soccerplex. It was sunny, 62 degrees, and with a little bit of wind. It was a back and forth, hard-fought, match that resulted in a frustrating draw for both sides at 22-22. OGDC are also left wondering if further punishment is coming for captain Jamason Fa’anana-Schultz after he was sent off for an unfortunate aerial collision with Chicago’s captain Billy Meakes.
OGDC got their attack going early in front of the home crowd. A penalty was called against Chicago in the 3’ and though the range was long Jason Robertson still favored himself to score the penalty kick goal attempt. Through the first 2 games of the season Robertson hadn’t missed was only one of 2 players for that to be true. Unfortunately, the announcers on the broadcast mentioned that and jinxed it. Robertson’s kick had accuracy but not the range and passed under the crossbar between the uprights. 
The following few minutes were filled with handling errors by both teams. In the 9’ Tommaso Boni had to be subbed off by OGDC for a head injury assessment, but thankfully he would later return in the 21’. While Boni was being tended to on the sidelines William Talataina would come in as an injury replacement. Just a minute later, Chicago would have to sub off Luke White for a nasty gash on his hand to be tended to and he would also return to play in the 21’. Tinashe Muchena would come on as an injury replacement while White was also tended to on the sidelines by medical staff.
Chicago would continue to push their attack from an attacking platform created by an OGDC penalty that Chicago put the free kick into touch for a line out. They would continue to build the pressure and advance against OGDC’s defense. Then a penalty was called against OGDC and Chicago elected to go for a penalty kick goal. It was basically point-blank range and Adriaan Carelse would convert putting Chicago up 3-0 in the 13’. 
Old Glory would be quick to respond with their attack that was helped along by a pair of Chicago penalties. Initially Chicago was called for a penalty for coming into the ruck from the side and not through the gate. OGDC would put that free kick into touch for a lineout deep in Chicago’s half. Chicago would stop the OGDC maul, so OGDC pulled it and in the ensuing phases of play Chicago was called for offsides. The ref played advantage for a long time, but OGDC could not make it count. The ball was brought back by the ref to the spot of the penalty, and DC elected for a set piece play. Some movements prior to the quick tap led to Chicago’s defense being unsettled. Martín Vaca continued his scoring form and punched the try in. Jason Robertson converted the try and after 18 minutes of play OGDC led 7-3.
This was followed by a series of penalties by Chicago. First a forward pass stopped Chicago’s attack and resulted in a scrum controlled by Old Glory. Chicago was called for a scrum penalty and OGDC elected to scrum again.  Then another scrum penalty was called on the Hounds. OGDC elected to free kick to touch resulting in a lineout inside the 22m line. The maul was again stopped, but OGDC continued to work it through the phases. They eventually worked it to the other side of the field and appeared to be in for a try, but Fa’anana-Schultz was tackled as he was going to dot it down, he lost control and knocked the ball on. That resulted in no try being called. And the first half hydration break was called in the 22’.
Out of the hydration break and as a result of the knock-on into the tryzone by OGDC Chicago controlled a scrum on their own 5-meter line. A few minutes later in an unfortunate turn of play Chicago would be clean through and score a try between the posts for an automatic conversion and the lead at 10-7 in the 24’. An Old Glory player pressured a box kick reception and batted the ball backwards. However, the batted ball ended up in the hands of the Hound’s Maclean Jones. Jones only needed to fix the Old Glory defender in front of him before offloading to Conall Boomer who was off to the races and dotted down between the posts for the automatic conversion. 
Again, Old Glory DC quickly responded. Fa’anana-Schultz put Damien Hoyland into space on the wing. The Hounds tackled Hoyland, but Axel Müller, on his debut, perfectly timed his run to take a short pass off the ruck and burst through a gap in Chicago’s defensive line and was into the tryzone. He dotted down between the posts for an automatic conversion giving DC the lead again at 14-10 in the 26’.
Then calamity struck two minutes later on a high ball. Old Glory Captain Jamason Fa’anana-Schultz was shown a red card for a dangerous tackle. Fa’anana-Schultz elected not to leap for the ball in the air. Chicago’s Billy Meakes leapt up and forwards for the ball. He toppled over Fa’anana-Schultz’s shoulder and landed head-first. TMO review showed that on the replay it looked like Fa’anana-Schultz tried to break Meakes’ fall by grabbing his legs and trying to hold him up. The Ref after consulting with the TMO deemed it a red card offense. This meant that OGDC would be without their captain for the rest of the match and would be down a man for the next 20 minutes.
Sensing blood in the water and up a man the Hounds’ attack was ferocious. Old Glory’s defense stood tall weathering wave after wave of attack. It appeared in the 36’ that the Hounds had finally broken through for a try and then converted it. It appeared that Chicago was up 17-14, but TMO intervened. On review, it was quite clear that Chicago’s apparent try scorer moved not one extra time but two extra times to get the ball dotted down in the try zone. TMO review overturned the try and conversion for extra movement. That returned the score to 14-10 in favor of OGDC.
Old Glory despite being down a man would use a couple of Chicago penalties to get into an attacking position. As time was expiring for the first half, Jason Robertson attempted a drop goal, but missed wide. The first half ended with Old Glory up 14-10 on Chicago.
Out of the half, Chicago still had a man advantage on the red card for another 8 minutes. They would make that man advantage count. Old Glory was called for a penalty, and Chicago put the free kick into touch for a lineout. OGDC illegally collapsed the maul, but the ref played advantage. In the ensuing phases of play, Old Glory would be called for another penalty and the ref again called advantage. The pressure continued to build until Chicago broke through the short-handed defense for a try dotted down for a brace by Conall Boomer. Adriaan Carelse converted the try putting Chicago up 17-14 in the 45’.
Following the conversion Old Glory went on the attack. First a maul off the a lineout was illegally forced into touch resulting in another lineout for Old Glory. The ensuring maul was stopped, and OGDC pulled it then proceeded through multiple phases of play advancing the ball. A penalty was called against Chicago for not rolling away at the ruck and DC elected to go for points. Jason Robertson didn’t miss the this time and put the ball through the uprights over the crossbar. That tied the game at 17 all in the 48’. Following the PK goal, Chicago’s man advantage came to an end and Collin Grosse replaced Captain Jamason Fa’anana-Schultz on the field bringing DC back to full strength.
Off the kickoff, Old Glory formed a maul. The maul pushed forward, before eventually being stopped. The ball was pulled and Old Glory broke through on the flank. A grubber kick was attempted and it ended up in the try zone. It looked like OGDC may have gotten to the ball to dot it down for a try before Chicago grounded it. TMO reviewed the play and on replay it was clear that a Chicago player slid, grounded the ball and then slid off of it before the apparent try scored by Old Glory dotting the ball down in the try zone. That was also the call on the field and the TMO review confirmed it. A scrum at the 5m line was awarded to Old Glory DC, because a Hounds player batted the ball into the tryzone before it was grounded. Old Glory blew Chicago backwards on the scrum. In the ensuring breakdown, Chicago was called for an offside and the ref played advantage. The Hounds defense stood tall on the tryline and stopped multiple pick and go attempts. Then Jason Robertson switched the field with a cross field kick that was caught by Axel Müller who dotted it down in the try zone. Unfortunately, Jason Robertson missed the conversion. If Müller had dotted the ball down a few more yards/meters infield then Robertson’s kick would have been through the uprights. As it was after the missed conversion in the 52’ OGDC had the lead 22-17.
Chicago would respond quickly building on an offsides penalty on Old Glory. The Hounds kicked to touch for a lineout around the 22m line. They did not maul and worked through several phases of play before another penalty was called on Old Glory. Chicago kicked that free kick to touch for a lineout about 6m out. Old Glory stopped the maul, and Chicago worked it through several phases of play. DC were called for another penalty, but the ref called advantage and the Hounds worked through multiple phases. They eventually broke it wide and dotted the ball down for a try. That tied the score at 22-22. Carelse missed the conversion leaving the score tied at 22 all in the 57’.
After some back and forth play the ref called for the second half hydration break. Out of the hydration break OGDC controlled the scrum due to a knock-on by Chicago. Chicago would win the scrum this time forcing OGDC into a scrum penalty turning the ball over. The Hounds elected to take a free kick, which they kicked into touch. That resulted in a lineout about 22m out. Chicago didn’t maul and instead went through multiple phases of play. The Chicago attack was stopped by a forward pass penalty. Old Glory DC controlled the ensuring scrum and got the ball out and box kicked it, but Robertson didn’t get the distance he was hoping for resulting in a lineout inside DC’s half for Chicago. 
Off the lineout, Chicago again did not scrum and Old Glory’s defense forced them backwards.  After multiple phases, Chicago created a maul, but OGDC stopped it and were awarded a scrum. DC played through several phases of play off the scrum before a bad pass put the ball on the ground. Chicago kicked it ahead and looked to be through, but a try saving tackle by an Old Glory player and in the ensuing breakdown the Hounds knocked it on. That resulted in a scrum controlled by DC about 8m out from their tryline. 
Off the scrum, DC box kicked the ball clear of their defensive zone and put the ball into touch. That resulted in a lineout to Chicago. Chicago overthrew the lineout and Old Glory kicked the ball ahead and chased it. Again the Hounds got to the ball in the tryzone first and grounded it. That resulted in a scrum, that Chicago box kicked to clear their defensive zone. In the ensuing phases of play Old Glory was penalized for knocking it on and turned the ball over.
That resulted in a scrum to Chicago just outside their defensive zone. What followed was a box kick exchange that Old Glory won when the Hounds put the ball into touch. On the lineout, Old Glory did not maul and went through multiple phases of play. Eventually Chicago intercepted a pass. On the ensuring ruck, Old Glory with a great counter ruck came through the gates and stole the ball. A couple of passes later and Jason Robertson attempted another drop goal. This time the attempt was deflected by a charging Chicago player. That put the ball into touch and resulted in an Old Glory lineout. 
On that lineout, OGDC went for the maul, but Chicago stopped it again. DC worked through multiple phases of play, before Chicago was penalized for not rolling away after tackling. Old Glory elected to go for a penalty kick goal as they were well within Jason Robertson’s range, but Robertson missed again. That left the score tied at 22-22 in 73’.
Play continued as the game went back and forth. In the 74’ Chicago’s Paddy Ryan, who had subbed on for Ignacio Péculo in the 65’, was shown a yellow card for a reckless high tackle. Ryan went to the sin bin for the rest of the game putting Old Glory up a man. Despite going on the attack and attempting to make the man advantage count Old Glory would be stymied by Chicago’s defense. The game would end tied 22-22.
With the draw, both teams were awarded 2 points in the standings. After the first 3 weeks of the Major League Rugby season the Eastern Conference stands thus. The New England Free Jacks leapt into the 1st place after defeating previous 1st place team NOLA Gold and they sit on 11 points at 2W-1L-0D. NOLA suffered their first defeat of the season in that loss to New England and sit on 10 points at 2W-1L-0D. Old Glory DC with the draw remains in 3rd place with 7 points and a record of 1W-1L-1D. Chicago remains in 4th place with the draw on 6 points with a 1W-1L-1D record. The Miami Sharks, one of 3 expansion teams, sit in 5th place after losing to the now 3W-0L-0D Houston SaberCats with 1 standings point and the Sharks are now 0W-3L-0D. Charlotte, NC based expansion team Anthem RC sit in last place on 1 standings point after a shootout 68-28 loss to the Dallas Jackals and are 0W-3L-0D. Both the Sharks and Anthem RC have 1 standings point because in at least one of their games they scored at least 4 tries.
Old Glory DC returns to action again on Saturday at 4 PM as they host the San Diego Legion at the Maryland Soccerplex. The Legion won the Western Conference Final last season, but then lost to the New England Free Jacks in a hard-fought championship match. San Diego comes into the match with 2W-1L-0D on the back of a tight 19-18 victory over expansion side RFC Los Angles in the Cali Cup.