HERRIMAN The Cardiac Warriors lived up to their unofficial nickname in gut-punching fashion for Utah s professional rugby franchise.
Sama Malolo scored a try for the third straight week to give the Utah Warriors a late lead, but Ryan James scored two tries in the final 12 minutes to help the top-seeded Los Angeles Giltinis rally to the 17-13 victory Sunday at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
With the win, the Giltinis (13-4) advanced to face East champion Rugby ATL who beat Rugby United New York 10-9 Saturday Sunday, Aug. 1 in the Major League Rugby championship match in Los Angeles. The match will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network at 2 p.m. MT.
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W Nation Ep 27 | Playoff Preview
HERRIMAN Mikey Te o could ve given up the dream at that moment, and nobody would ve blamed him.
The year was 2018 and the 25-year-old fullback from Long Beach, California, was playing for San Diego Legion in the inaugural season of Major League Rugby. In the Legion s very first match, Te o collided with Austin fullback Sione Fangaiuiha as he went to kick a ball and heard the all-too-familiar for many athletes pop from his lower extremities.
The Legion went on to win the match, but tests later confirmed the worst for Te o: a torn anterior cruciate ligament, and 6-9 painful, grueling months of rehabilitation.