Utah Warriors' win streak snapped by DC in 3rd match in 8 days

HERRIMAN — Utah's pro rugby squad capped its brutal "storm week" of three matches in eight days Sunday, but not without some collateral damage.

Perry Humphreys scored one of four tries for Old Glory DC, which snapped a three-match losing skid with a 28-12 win over the Utah Warriors at Maryland SoccerPlex in Boyds, Maryland.

Miah Noaese and Fred Apulu each scored for the Warriors (8-3), who wrapped up the week with their first loss in four matches that included a push to the top Major League Rugby's western conference with 41 points.

The brutal run — one that comes in the midst of an eight-game, 35-day stretch — saw Utah rotate heavily for the final match of the current stretch. Starter D'Angelo Leuila was not in the selection, among others, and manager Greg Cooper opted for two rookies and three Warriors pathway players to start, as well.

Tielu Sagala made his MLR debut, and Ronnie McElligott earned his first cap with the Warriors while Noese and Nolan Tuamoheloa each made their season debuts on a squad that featured four Warriors originals and seven Utah-based players full-time including Saia Uhila, Matt Jensen, Lance Williams and Angus MacLellan.

Despite the loss, the Warriors stayed atop the 13-team league's western conference due to New England's 36-17 win over Houston — a win that cemented the defending champion Free Jacks atop the east and kept the Sabercats 4 points behind the Warriors in the west.

Even their opponents know the rigor of the last few weeks, which also included flying to the nation's capitol since Wednesday night's 38-31 win over San Diego.

"We've got that to come," Humpherys told ESPN+. "It's about us freshening up now and getting ready for our next game on Tuesday."

DC (5-6, 29 points) took advantage of the heavy squad rotation early, as Humphreys and Tex Naqali each scored a try in the opening 20 minutes.

John Rizzo dotted down in the final minutes of the half to lift Old Glory to a 20-0 halftime lead. The hosts dominated the first-half possession with 72%, out-gaining Utah 347 meters to just 37.

Noaese broke the shutout in the 60th minute, with the hard-hitting Canadian flanker driving low at the try line to pull Utah within 25-7 on Joel Hodgson's conversion kick.

Apulu broke free in the 66th minute, taking a pass from Logan Crowley before the 6-foot-4 Samoan prop picked up the ball and cut the deficit to 25-12 with a hefty sprint.

But Jason Emery put the game away for good with a 69th-minute penalty goal.

"It's a bit of a relief, really," Humphreys said after the win. "We weren't very happy with three losses on the bounce, and the boys needed a reaction on the day. That's what we did. We put in a performance that is what we needed."

Utah will have a few more days to recover before it hosts the Seattle Seawolves on Monday, May 12 at Zions Bank Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. MDT on KJZZ and ESPN+.

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