By Aaron Wilson
It was the most successful season in the history of the Houston SaberCats rugby club.
It was a hard-fought, valiant effort that ultimately came up short in the championship match against the New England Free Jacks as they earned an unprecedented three-peat victory to earn the Shield of Major League Rugby on Saturday afternoon.
In a 28-22 loss at Centreville Bank Stadium in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, the SaberCats pushed the Free Jacks to the limit.
The SaberCats rallied back several times to keep the final outcome close throughout the match.
Max Schumacher scored a late try in the 78th minute followed by a missed conversion from AJ Alatimu. However, it was not enough to finish a comeback attempt as the Free Jacks held on to earn the win.
This was the first time in SaberCats franchise history they have reached the championship match. They won their first two playoff matches in franchise history to make it to the finals. Then, they traveled thousands of miles to compete with an ultra-successful Free Jacks side.
The SaberCats delivered a game effort, but absorbed a frustrating defeat.
“I’m very disappointed,” veteran SaberCats coach Pote Human said after the match. “I really thought we did well to come here. We had a great season up to today. We had too many mistakes. They were better on the day.”
A try from Paula Balekana, one of the top players in the league, secured the advantage for the Free Jacks in the second half in a key score.
Although the SaberCats built a time of possession advantage of 51:98 to 48:02 and an edge in territory percentage of 53.64 to 46.36, pivotal moments and calls went against them.
The Free Jacks, who train 37 miles in nearby Quincy, Massachusetts and had a strong home-field advantage in the MLR final, benefited from some calls that went their way. The two-time defending champs won their third title in a row as they scored three penalty goals, two more than the SaberCats.
“We fought back,” Human said. “The guys fought all the way. We had a few calls go against us, but that’s rugby.”
Schumacher led the SaberCats with 10 points, including an early try to get the SaberCats going. He scored on a pair of tries, one more than former college football player Drake Davis. Schumacher, a former second overall pick from Cal-Berkeley, also led the SaberCats with 14 carries, two more than Marno Redelinghuys. Schumacher had a team-best 91 meters made, two more than Redelinghuys.
Andre Warner contributed a team-high 39 passes.
Pono Davis led the SaberCats with 14 tackles.
The Free Jacks took control behind a consistent scoring punch from Balekana (10 points) and Dan Hollinshead (13 points).
The difference was in the kicking game.
Hollinshead opened the game’s scoring with a penalty goal, which was matched three minutes later by Alatimu. A try from Balekana off a slick open-field pass gave the Free Jacks a lead boosted by a Hollinshead conversion and another penalty goal.
Schumacher answered with a try followed by an Alatimu conversion. Alatimu missed a penalty kick before halftime and the SaberCats trailed 13-10 midway through the match.
The SaberCats have a bright future. They will return the majority of the roster, in all likelihood. Human is a strong leader and there is stability in the front office and ownership.
The SaberCats made strides off the field, too, boosting their overall fan support with higher attendance and apparel sales along with new corporate partnerships.
The outlook is a positive one, as much as losing this match hurts.
“I pray most of the guys will be back next year and we’ll try again,” Human said. “I really enjoy working with the guys and the coaching staff. I’m just proud of everybody.”
