Utah Warriors beat San Diego Legion to pile pressure on MLR league leaders

The San Diego Legion lost a fourth consecutive game for the first time in their history as the Utah Warriors won 31-18 to move within two points of table toppers, the Houston SaberCats.

In an intense opening to a thrilling game, first blood went to Utah as Warriors’ D’Angelo Leuila slotted through to Joey Mano who bowled shirts out of his way to score the night’s first try. Leuila duly converted as the Western side led 0-7.

Moments later, the Legion poleaxed the Warriors defense and earned a penalty in the 11th minute. Legion’s fly-half Lincoln McClutchie stepped up to the plate and scored San Diego’s first points of the evening.

Just two minutes later, however, the Warriors extended their lead as Jordan Trainor latched onto a dummy pass, slipped past Legion’s Tomas Aoake and made it 12-3. Leuila scored the conversation and made it 14-3 as Legion lock Jed Holloway punched the ground in frustration.

The storm kept coming from the visitors and Kalisi Moli ran like he was angry at the ground as he scored his first try of the evening. TMO took a good look, but the on-field decision stood before Leuila stepped up and missed the conversion.

In a thrilling beginning to this game at 19-3, Jimmy Hokafunu was the man tasked with lifting San Diego spirits and latched onto a pass to bundle the ball over the tryline in the 23rd minute. A McClutchie conversion then launched the Legion back into the match at 19-10.

In the ascendancy heading into the break, McClutchie once again showed his brilliance as he pirouetted past a Warriors’ wall, sent his counterpart the wrong way and gracefully scored five points. The Kiwi, however, was unable to convert as he fired wide of the right post.

At 15-19 with the Warriors ahead at the interval, the Legion fans got their money’s worth on a warm Saturday evening in Southern California.

A slower beginning to the second half ensued, before the Warriors’ Liam Coltman scored his first try in the 50th minute following a scrappy battle from the maul. Leuila subsequently missed the conversion.

A determined Warriors renaissance saw the Legion pull the score back to 24-18 as they continued to swim in deep water and win a penalty that McClutchie converted in the 58th minute.

The hour mark, though, saw Zion Going power his way through the Legion defense. The Warriors scrum half was ruled onside following a TMO review and made it 29-18 as he hammered hard into the guts of the Legion. Leuila regained composure after a couple of missed conversions and struck with confidence to hand his side a 13 point victory.