Old Glory DC entered this week eager to rebound after a hard-fought, narrow loss to the Eastern Conference-leading Chicago Hounds. Back at home, OGDC faced another crucial test against conference rivals, the New England Free Jacks. Both teams came into the matchup with identical 2-2 records, raising the question—who would keep pace with Chicago? Ultimately, it was New England that faltered on the road, as Old Glory secured a decisive win, 28-14, to move into second place in the East.
OGDC struck first after 12 minutes of sustained pressure. Damian Hoyland unlocked the Free Jacks’ defense with a beautifully lofted pass over the top to Perry Humphreys. The winger executed a textbook two-on-one, drawing in the New England defender before offloading to captain Steffan Hughes, who finished in the corner. Jason Robertson, sharp off the tee, slotted the conversion to give OGDC an early 7-0 lead.
The Free Jacks responded 10 minutes later following a period of sustained pressure deep inside OG territory. A series of repeated infringements allowed New England to capitalize on a well-executed tap-and-go, crashing over for a converted try to level the score. However, that would be the visitors’ final points of the half.
Robertson kept the scoreboard ticking with a penalty kick from directly in front of the posts. New England immediately faltered on the restart, sending the kickoff straight into touch. Old Glory’s dominant pack won a penalty at the ensuing scrum—one of many throughout the match—giving the hosts another attacking platform. They worked the ball across the field, setting up winger Axel Muller to dive into the corner for OGDC’s second try. Robertson converted from the touchline and added another penalty just before halftime, sending Old Glory into the break with a commanding 20-7 lead.
The second half started slowly, with both sides making errors in key areas. Robertson extended OGDC’s advantage in the 57th minute with an opportunistic drop goal. Over the next 10 minutes, Old Glory applied relentless pressure, working their way down to the try line. After multiple maul attempts, KoiKoi Nelligan powered over to add another try.
New England managed a converted try in the 71st minute, but it wasn’t enough. OGDC’s defense, solid throughout the match, stood firm in the closing stages to seal a comfortable victory.
Despite the win, Old Glory missed out on a crucial bonus point that could have further boosted their standing in the Eastern Conference. Next, they head west to face RFCLA (2-3), a team gaining momentum after back-to-back wins. That match is set for March 29 at 8 PM Eastern Time.
