Jack Foster
Old Glory DC kicks off 2024 playoff run against the New England Free Jacks
Old rivals will collide on Saturday when Old Glory DC travels to Quincy, Massachusetts to face the New England Free Jacks in the first round of the 2024 MLR playoffs. Having split the two regular season meetings, both teams will look to gain supremacy and springboard a potential championship run.
Old Glory
The Flags enter the 2024 playoffs having achieved a .500 season for the first time in franchise history. In Old Glory’s first season playing under head coach Simon Cross, DC maintained its place in a turbulent playoff race ultimately decided by results on the final day of the regular season. Captain and flanker Jamason Fa’anana-Schultz leads a squad which spent the season developing an identity. Forwards such as Scotsmen Rob Harley and Steven Longwell have helped DC put together a scrum that can stand up to any in the league. Meanwhile, the addition of scrumhalves Ethan McVeigh and Connor Buckley and the return of fan-favorite Jason Robertson have added a dynamic kicking element to the DC attack. Old Glory also boasts one of the hardest-working defenses in MLR. Flanker Cory Daniel leads all MLR tacklers with 254 on the season, while Harley and flanker Lautaro Bavaro are tied for fourth with 172. Both sides of the ball will need to be firing on all cylinders for the Flags to get the win and continue their playoff dreams.
Free Jacks
The defending MLR champions are right back in their element, having placed first in the Eastern Conference in each of the past three seasons. New England boasts the highest scoring offense with 463 total points and fewest points allowed with 344. Reigning MLR Player of the Year Jayson Potroz has maintained his roaring form, scoring the second-most points in MLR this season with 140. Reece McDonald, who has filled in at both fullback and flyhalf for the Jacks this season, ranks fourth in MLR with 1518 meters carried. This firepower has allowed New England to score at least 30 points in four of their last five matches. That offensive prowess going against the hard-nosed tackling of DC should make for a thoroughly entertaining game.
Season Matchups
Old Glory and the Free Jacks split the season series, with each road team winning via a late comeback. DC took a 35-34 victory in round 2 in Quincy, with center William Talataina scoring a try and Robertson hitting the conversion in the final moments. Old Glory hosted the Free Jacks in round 15, and despite holding a 13-point lead with 20 minutes remaining, DC could not stop Potroz from slipping through the defensive line in the 69th minute to give the Free Jacks the winning score. Ball handling played a key role, with the winning side committing fewer handling errors and forcing at least 4 turnovers in both games. Given the close games the teams have already this season, taking care of the ball will be vital to keeping championship homes alive.
Old Glory DC and the Free Jacks will kick off at 5 p.m. EDT on Saturday on FS2. The winner will advance to the semifinal to face either the Chicago Hounds or NOLA Gold, who kick off at 6:30 EDT on Sunday
