Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
- Utah Warriors defeated RFC Los Angeles 45-28, improving to 4-0 away.
- D'Angelo Leuila scored 13 points, Joe Mano added two tries in victory.
- Warriors now 5-2, just two points behind Major League Rugby's western leaders.
LOS ANGELES — For the fourth time in their first seven matches, the Utah Warriors had to figure things out on the road.
That's becoming a habit for the road Warriors.
D'Angelo Leuila scored 13 points off the tee, and Joe Mano scored a pair of tries as the Warriors overpowered RFC Los Angeles 45-28 late Saturday night at Annenberg Stadium in southern California.
The win snaps LA's four-match win streak with the Warriors' fifth win of the season — all but one away from Zions Bank Stadium to propel Utah (5-2, 26 points) within two points of the top of Major League Rugby's western conference.
With the start of a brutal seven-match-in-35-days stretch that includes 'storm week' with four away from home, Utah will need to find a bit of kindness on the road.
They certainly did Saturday night.
"I think for us, it's just making sure that we connect as a team and that we have one goal: that's to win," said Leuila after another road win. "Our second job is to go out there and perform well.
Mano scored a pair of tries in the first 15 minutes, and Utah looked to coast after going up 21-0 just 20 minutes into the match.
But Los Angeles capped a 21-0 spurt with Reece MacDonald's sprint to the post in the 38th minute to tie the match at halftime.
After a lengthy halftime delay caused by the match's assigned ambulance being off-site to take an injured player to the hospital, Utah came out with more fire to open the second half.
54'
— Utah Warriors Rugby (@utwarriorsrugby) April 13, 2025
What a maul! Dylan Nel gets the try on a huge push after the lineout. Conversion is good.
UT 38 - 21 LA#ForTheNation | #LAvUTAH | #MLR2025pic.twitter.com/3Qnu9dOO4a
Leuila converted between the sticks, and Liam Coltman and Dylan Nel both scored tries off the maul to lift the Warriors to a 38-21 lead before the hour mark.
After LA pulled one back in the 62nd minute, Utah went right back to work and scored through Phil Bradford behind another overpowering maul to push the lead back to double digits, 45-28, and set up a popular post-match "team song" for a group of players that nearly remade the roster in the offseason.
"The boys love to connect and have a beer with each other, and once everyone is ready, we do our song," Leuila said.
"It's been a good night, but it's good to get the win," he added.
The Warriors are back on the road next week to face the San Diego Legion (5-3, 26 points). Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. MDT on ESPN+ and KJZZ locally.
