Legion Roll Past Old Glory in Sacramento

Sunday Night Rugby arrived in Sacramento with playoff positioning on the line, and Legion responded with one of their sharpest performances of the season. California scored six tries from five different scorers while repeatedly turning away Old Glory pressure near the try line.

Fast Start, Full Control

Legion wasted no time taking control of the match. Corbin Smith crossed in just the fourth minute to spark the home side early, and California never let momentum fully slip away from there.

Smith later added another try in the 47th minute, securing the all-important attacking bonus point in one of the defining moments of the night.

Despite Old Glory controlling nearly 60 percent of possession, Legion remained clinical whenever opportunities appeared. California even scored twice in two minutes while temporarily reduced to 14 men during a stretch where both sides were down a player.

Defense Holds the Line

While the attack delivered six tries, the defensive effort proved equally important.

Time and again, Old Glory advanced deep into Legion territory only to be denied by goal-line tackles, forced turnovers, and organized defensive pressure.

At the set piece, California were flawless. Legion finished the night with a 100 percent scrum success rate, consistently creating stable attacking platforms while disrupting Old Glory’s rhythm.

Head Coach Steve Hoiles credited the forward pack for setting the tone early.

“I thought the place where it started was the scrum. A lot of the stuff we did early paid off later in the second half.”

Kicker Coby Miln was also perfect from the tee, converting all six tries. His toughest kick of the night bounced off the top of the uprights before dropping over from the far-right touchline.

A Big Step in the Playoff Race

The result marked Legion’s second win over Old Glory this season and pushed California back into second place after the Seattle Seawolves fell on the road to the league-leading Chicago Hounds.

“To me, this was a battle between teams fighting for second place,” Hoiles said. “It was probably our best moment so far.”

Legion captain Jason Damm, who earned the television broadcast’s Player of the Match honors, praised the group’s composure throughout the contest.

“We just kept coming and kept coming. We had heaps of pressure on us, but we didn’t let the moment or the pressure get to us.”

Veteran center Billy Meakes said the performance reflected the growth of the squad after recent lessons.

“It was nice to see a full 80 today. The most pleasing thing is I still think we’ve got room to improve.”

Road Finish Ahead

California Legion now head on the road for the final two matches of the regular season.

Next up is a trip to face Anthem Rugby Carolina on Sunday, May 31, before closing the regular season against the Seattle Seawolves on June 7 in Seattle.

Final Score

California Legion 42, Old Glory DC 10

Bonus point secured.