Saturday night in New Orleans showed exactly how brutal this league can be when the margins slip away. We fought from the opening whistle to the final horn, crossing for six tries and refusing to back down for eighty minutes. But missed conversions, costly penalties, and lapses at key moments opened the door for NOLA Gold to take the win, 44-36.
We got off the mark early, with Jade Stighling finishing off a clean move through the backs and Rodney Iona adding the extras. When JP Smith powered over later in the half, the momentum felt like it could swing fully in our direction. But NOLA were ruthless in punishing mistakes. Turnovers at the breakdown and three penalty goals conceded in the first half alone kept them ticking over without having to do much in open play. We gave away field position, and NOLA didn’t miss their chances.
By halftime, despite outscoring them in tries, we found ourselves behind. It was a pattern that would continue the rest of the night. Every time we built pressure, every time we looked ready to turn the match, small errors broke the momentum. Missed conversions, we only made two out of six, cost us crucial points. Three yellow cards forced us to play key stretches shorthanded, draining energy and slowing down our attack. NOLA, on the other hand, made their kicks, stayed patient, and closed out territory when they needed it.
The numbers don’t lie. Six tries to five shows what we’re capable of with ball in hand. But the penalty count, the card count, and the kicking percentages told the real story. They highlight exactly where the game was won and lost. You can't leave fourteen points unclaimed through missed conversions and expect to survive a high-scoring shootout on the road.
Credit to the fight the boys showed. No one folded. We kept playing our game, kept asking questions, and stayed in it right to the end. It speaks to the heart of this squad, the belief, the work rate, the refusal to quit. But we expect more than heart. We expect execution.
This isn’t the kind of loss we bury and move on from without looking closely. It’s the kind you study. It’s the kind that sharpens a group for the battles ahead. We know what’s required. Cleaner breakdowns. Smarter territory management. Ruthless accuracy off the tee. Playing at full strength, not spending minutes chasing while shorthanded.
We head back to Starfire next week knowing exactly where the standard slipped, and exactly how to fix it. Our goals are still right there in front of us. And this group will respond the only way we know how: by doing the work, hitting harder, playing smarter, and protecting our hunt.
We’re not where we want to be yet. But we will be.
This Friday, May 2, we’re back on home turf under the lights at Starfire Stadium, taking on RFC Los Angeles at 7:30 PM for College Night. It’s a full night of rugby, starting at 4:30 PM with a curtain-raiser between the University of Washington and Oregon State University. The Ballard High School Marching Band will be setting the tone, and the fan zone will be packed with C Davis BBQ, Dick’s, La Argentina, and more.
Haven’t locked in your seat yet? There’s still time. College pride, Seawolves rugby, and the next step in our hunt, you don’t want to miss it.
