IRVINE, CA – Anthem Rugby Carolina opened the 2026 Major League Rugby season with the most important result in franchise history, defeating the California Legion in Irvine and snapping a 32-match winless streak in emphatic fashion.
From kickoff at Great Park, Anthem’s intent was obvious. Captain Johan Momsen led the defensive tone early, repeatedly shutting down Legion carries around the ruck while flankers Moni Tonga’uiha and Makeen Alikhan piled up tackles in the opening exchanges to keep the hosts from establishing rhythm. That defensive platform proved decisive.
Anthem struck first through their forward pack pressure, with lock James Scott crashing over after sustained phase play inside the Legion 22. The visitors followed that momentum with sharp backline execution, as center Erich Storti sliced through midfield traffic for Anthem’s second try—reward for a confident attacking shape that looked far more composed than in previous seasons.
Fly-half Luke Carty controlled territory throughout the match, adding key points from the tee and repeatedly pinning California deep with smart tactical kicking. His game management allowed Anthem to stay in front even when the Legion mounted second-half pressure.
California answered through their own forward strength, with hooker Joe Taufete’e powering across from close range and No. 8 Ben Houston finishing a sustained attacking sequence that briefly threatened to swing momentum back toward the hosts. Captain Jason Damm and flanker Christian Poidevin were especially active defensively for the Legion, both logging heavy tackle involvement as they tried to slow Anthem’s growing confidence.
But the difference on the night came in defensive cohesion. Anthem’s engine room—Momsen, Scott, Tonga’uiha, and Alikhan—absorbed repeated Legion carries and repeatedly forced errors at key moments. Late in the match, with California pressing inside Anthem territory, a sequence of back-to-back defensive stands led by Will Sherman and Sam Golla helped seal the result.
Just as important as the scoreboard was the composure. Previous Anthem sides might have folded under that pressure. This one didn’t.
Instead, Anthem closed out the contest with maturity, structure, and belief—earning not just a win, but validation for a roster built around USA-eligible talent and long-term Eagles development ahead of the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
After two seasons of near misses and hard lessons, Anthem Rugby Carolina finally has its breakthrough moment—and it arrived against a California Legion side packed with experience and expectation.