By Auzzy Byrdsell, The Boston Globe
After a 21-20 win over the Chicago Hounds in the semifinals of Major League Rugby playoffs, the New England Free Jacks are on the verge of winning their third consecutive national championship.
The possibility of a third title, which would be a first in MLR, has been the leading theme for the Free Jacks all season.
“We’ve kind of embraced it rather than running and acting like it doesn’t exist,” said coach Ryan Martin. “From day one to know all of our language, visual stuff and physical, has all been about the ‘rule of three’ and we’re subconsciously addressing the opportunity for a three-peat.”
The Free Jacks are 13-5 and the team believes experience will be their best teacher to capture the next MLR shield. New England defeated Seattle in the 2024 final and San Diego in the 2023 title game.
In one of the Free Jacks’ last practices of the season, the main focus was the weight of the moment sitting on the verge of history.
“We’ve been together for six months now, so a lot of what you can do in terms of rugby is done and dusted, its just the emotion and feeling of being fresh in it,” he said.
The Free Jacks will face the Houston SaberCats in the MLR final on Saturday at 2 p.m. at Centreville Bank Stadium in Pawtucket, R.I. The game will be televised on ESPN2 and ESPN+.
For general manager Tom Kindley, having the team play all of its playoff games in Quincy and the title game in Pawtucket gives the team the best chance to connect with the community that motivates it.
“There’s so much more access,” he said. “We’ve got a few New England-based players, and they’ve got hundreds of people coming to the game, so that’s massive for us.”
One of those players is 2022’s Most Improved Player Kyle Ciquera, who is from Putnam, Conn.. His try against the Chicago Hounds set up New England’s win in the semifinals.
He said it’s a childhood dream to have the franchise sit with the likes of the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox as a Boston sports champion.
“Growing up in the area, it feels amazing and kind of be in those same conversations, ” he said.
Kindley said the team deserves the same visibility Boston’s most popular teams enjoy for the work it has done in the region.
“I think building that [fame] and continuing to grow our reach and the amount of people who have heard of the Free Jacks now is becoming more and more common,” he said. “We just need to keep going in our linear fashion.”
The Free Jacks’ last encounter with the SaberCats was in May, when New England defeated Houston, 36-17.
Martin said the key to coming out on top is out-strategizing the SaberCats. He said they are stronger than the Free Jacks, which will cause issues if the defense allows Houston to catch momentum.
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