NOLA Gold's win over Seattle secures 3rd place in the Major League Rugby Eastern Conference standings
Tina Howell • April 28, 2025
After a weather-delayed kickoff, loyal NOLA Gold fans were treated to a rollercoaster of a match that ended with a well-earned 44-36 victory over the Seattle Seawolves at the Shrine. This win moved NOLA Gold into 3rd place in the Major League Rugby Eastern Conference standings.
Coach Danny Lee said of the team's response to the delay, “We just had to control the controllables. Once we told the boys the definitive time for kickoff, we had a plan ready to go. In terms of game plan, we had to be a little bit more direct, and we had to kick and adapt quickly.”
NOLA Gold set the tone early, taking an initial 3-0 lead thanks to a steady penalty kick from Dorian Jones. Though Seattle answered quickly with a try to make it 7-3, the Gold launched into a dominant scoring stretch. Isaac Te Tamaki powered across the try line to ignite the offense, followed by back-to-back tries from the relentless Jonah Mau’u. Jones continued to add points from the tee, stretching the Gold’s lead to 27-7.
Just before halftime, the Seawolves found a breakthrough and scored at the buzzer, narrowing the margin to 27-14. However, NOLA emerged from the locker room with purpose. Xavier Mignot wasted no time reestablishing momentum with a try that pushed the lead to 34-14.
Seattle fought back with intensity, capitalizing on back-to-back tries to bring the score to 34-24. But NOLA responded with composure, as Jones added another penalty to keep the visitors at bay, 37-24.
The closing stages of the match saw both teams exchanging blows. Seattle’s try was met by a decisive moment from Joe Taufete’e, who muscled through defenders for a critical score. Luke Campbell’s conversion extended the lead to 44-29. Though Seattle scored one final try at the buzzer, it wasn’t enough.
With a final score of 44-36, NOLA Gold walked away with a crucial five-point win in front of a roaring home crowd and strengthens their postseason hopes with a firm grip on 3rd place in the East.
Their next match will be on the road against the San Diego Legion on May 4th at 4:00 PM CT. For tickets and more details, please visit
www.nolagoldrugby.com
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Team Stats (Trail Blazers at Pelicans) Final Score: 120-143 Rebounds: 419-57 Assists: 27-36 Blocks: 7-8 Steals: 5-10 Turnovers: 15-8 Stat Leaders Scoring Leaders: Shaedon Sharpe, 21; Trey Murphy III, 24 Rebound Leaders: Kris Murray, 9; Yves Missi, Saddiq Bey, 8 Assist Leaders: Deni Avdija, 6; Derik Queen, 7 My Player of the Game: Derik Queen Chrissy's Key Takeaways * The Pelicans have won their fourth game of the season. Yay ! * Jordan Poole was back tonight and he made a world of difference. His three-point shooting, confidence, and leadership were a ton of help. * Derik Queen is a problem for all other 29 teams in this league. This kid has a vision that hasn't been seen in any recent rookies, especially for a center. * Bryce McGowens was the second-leading scorer in this game with 23 points. He's stepped up in a big way. * In surprising news, Zion Williamson is questionable for Sunday's game at the Chicago Bulls. This is the first time in what seems like years that Zion's health is actually improving much sooner than projected. Whether this is a sign of Zion pushing himself or James Borrego pushing him, it's nice to see. Follow @TheKneaux on X, and follow me there too, @SportsChrissy.
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