By: Ellie Wileman
game and defensive pressure to gain an advantage against CA Legion. While Old Glory showed strong defensive moments throughout the match, turnovers and missed opportunities proved costly in a 42-10 road loss.
California struck first early in the opening half, capitalizing on a penalty advantage to break through the Old Glory defensive line for a converted try and a 7-0 lead.
Old Glory answered with a strong attacking sequence near the try line. After earning a scrum deep in California territory, Jason Robertson delivered a long pass to John Rizzo, who crossed for Old Glory’s first try of the evening. The conversion attempt narrowly missed, cutting the deficit to 7 -5.
The remainder of the opening half featured a physical battle between the two sides, with both teams exchanging possession and field position throughout long defensive stretches. Old Glory created several dangerous opportunities near the try line, including a held-up ball over the line and multiple plays deep into California’s defensive side. However, handling mistakes prevented Old Glory from turning those opportunities into points.
Old Glory continued to battle defensively throughout the first half, forcing California into difficult phases and limiting several attacking opportunities in open play. Old Glory’s kicking game also helped flip field position at key moments, but repeated turnovers and missed chances inside the attacking zones prevented the visitors from building momentum before halftime. California added two more converted tries to take a 21-15 lead into the break.
Old Glory looked to increase the pace early in the second half and successfully used a coach’s challenge in the 43rd minute that resulted in a penalty for a high tackle. However, California continued to take advantage of turnovers and open space, scoring a bonus point try in the 48th minute to extend the lead to 28-5.
Old Glory answered midway through the half with another determined attacking sequence near the try line. After multiple moments of pressure inside the five-meter area, Old Glory powered over for its second try of the match to make it 28-10 following the missed conversion.
Despite continued defensive effort and pressure late in the match, California added two more converted tries to secure the 42-10 final result.
Old Glory will look to bounce back next weekend when the team returns home to face the Chicago Hounds on May 30.