By SDCN Staff
San Diego, CA–The San Diego Legion continued their flawless run in the 2025 Major League Rugby (MLR) season with a hard-fought 36-28 victory over RFC Los Angeles at Torero Stadium.
With this win, the Legion remains the league’s only undefeated team, boasting a perfect 4-0 record while claiming an essential derby win in the first leg of the Cali Cup.
Despite RFC Los Angeles entering the match winless, their talent-packed roster, including internationals Christian Leali’ifano, Gonzalo Bertranou, and Billy Meakes, made the encounter a fiercely contested battle. The Legion’s superior fitness, tactical precision, and set-piece strength ultimately made the difference in a gripping match that remained undecided until the final minutes.
The game began with San Diego gaining an early advantage through a Lincoln McClutchie penalty goal just four minutes in, establishing a 3-0 lead. However, RFC Los Angeles quickly countered by dominating possession and forcing the Legion to defend tirelessly. Their persistence paid off in the 14th minute when Mike Sosene-Feagai finished off a rolling maul to score, giving LA a 7-3 lead after a successful conversion.
The Legion’s strategy remained focused on asserting dominance up front, and RFC Los Angeles’s discipline soon faltered. In the 23rd minute, Tim Anstee was shown a yellow card for repeated breakdown infringements. Wasting no time, the Legion capitalized on the man advantage as Hugh Roach powered over the line following a well-executed lineout drive. Ethan Grayson’s conversion put San Diego back in front, 10-7.
Despite being down a man, RFC Los Angeles fought back courageously. Edward Timpson bulldozed his way over the try line in the 28th minute after a series of relentless carries inside the Legion’s 22. Leali’ifano’s precise kicking extended the LA lead to 14-10, a score that held until halftime.
The contrasting squad management between the two teams was evident, with San Diego yet to make a substitution while RFC Los Angeles had already rotated multiple players.
San Diego stormed out of the gates in the second half, scoring just two minutes after the restart. Brad Wilkin crashed over from a well-orchestrated scrum play, and Grayson’s conversion restored the Legion’s lead to 17-14.
RFC Los Angeles continued to pressure the Legion, with Bertranou exploiting a defensive gap to score in the 48th minute, swinging the score back in LA’s favor at 21-17.
The turning point came in the 56th minute when Tim Anstee received a second yellow card, resulting in a red card and leaving LA to play down a man for 20 minutes, though they were allowed a replacement afterward. The infraction also awarded a penalty try to San Diego, shifting the score to 24-21.
With momentum firmly on their side, the Legion extended their lead when Shilo Klein barreled over from another rolling maul in the 66th minute, making it 31-21. RFC Los Angeles’s woes continued as Semi Kunatani was shown a yellow card, reducing them to 13 men for the next 10 minutes.
Despite their disadvantage, RFC Los Angeles showed grit. Timpson scored his second try of the match in the 71st minute, narrowing the deficit to 31-28.
San Diego, however, sealed the victory with four minutes remaining when Ryan James finished off a stunning offload from Jed Holloway, scoring in the corner. The try marked James’s fourth of the season and dashed any hope of a late LA comeback.
The Legion’s perfect start to the season continues, while RFC Los Angeles remains desperate to find their first win despite flashes of brilliance throughout the match.
