New Haven hosted the defending champion New York Knights and sent them packing after a 42-18 defeat.
The Warriors led all the way and had the champs on the ropes trailing 22-6 at halftime. New Haven extended the margin to 30-12 by the end of the third quarter and then finished off the titleholders with another couple of tries in the final stanza.
New Haven’s win was set up by a good completion rate, excellent support play and stingy defense.
“It’s a big rivalry between our two clubs, but the boys went into the game with a lot of confidence after beating them earlier in the season,” New Haven CEO Adam Hamon told ARN.
Scoring tries for the Warriors were Roy Leoni (2), Derek Roma (2), Noel Tupou, Siose Muliumu, Brian Schacht and Damien O’Malveney. Leoni also slotted five conversions.
First year player Wesley Haughton, a young American, had an excellent match, particularly on defense.
New York’s cause wasn’t helped when they lost their main playmaker Todd Fischer to injury early on. The Warriors took advantage of the reshuffled Knights lineup and were able to score several of their tries down the flanks.
“Defensively we weren’t too bad, but we spoiled our opportunities and rarely completed our sets,” said New York’s Chris Doyle.
Knights’ try-scorers included CJ Cortalano, Derek Lipscombe and Michael Cartwright.
In the other semi, the Jacksonville Axemen swept aside a lethargic Aston Bulls 46-4.
On a very hot and humid day in north Florida, the game opened physically though a little sluggish at times as both teams felt each other out.
Jacksonville started the scoring in the 12th minute when fullback Kenny Britt went in for the first of his two tries.
Axemen five-eighth Brent Shorten, who had a big day with the boot, was next to score and the home team took a 10-0 lead into the second quarter.
Aston was given virtually no room to work in all day and the only time they looked like scoring in the first half was when Daniel Wagon managed to get across the line but was held up.
More tries by Dylan Beaver, Jonathan DeFau and Britt saw Jacksonville go to the main break leading 24-0.
As the match went into the third quarter, the Bulls started to feel the heat and consequently began falling off tackles and rarely completed their sets of six. Tries by Matt Schell and Adrian Grayson stretched the Axemen led to 36-0 with one quarter to go.
The final 20 minutes was pretty much all the home team, which put in two more tries, both by Grayson. Shorten rounded out the scoring with five conversions. Aston got a late consolation try, but in the end it meant little.
And so this year’s AMNRL Grand Final will feature two teams that have been there before in their short histories.
New Haven won it all for the first time in 2008, while Jacksonville will be making its second straight appearance in the championship decider.
The match will be played next Saturday, August 28 at AA Garthwaite Stadium in Conshohocken, just outside of Philadelphia.
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