The Seawolves will be shakin’ their booties against Chicago (there), Dallas (here) and LA (there) before they meet the New England Free Jacks, perhaps a precursor to the championship match, now set for August, not July as previously posted earlier here.
So how did those teams do this past weekend:
Chicago took on New England, the reigning Major League Rugby champions, and got within five points of a win with a last minute try. But New England, behind two tries and a penalty kick from fly half Jayson Potroz, ended with a 22-17 win. Seven of Chicago’s 17 points came from a penalty try after New England’s fullback Reece MacDonald knocked on a Chicago pass at goal line. That resulted in a yellow card on MacDonald. IMHO, a yellow card is too heavy a penalty for an “intentional knockoff.” A penalty at best. A scrum even better. In this case, the penalty try was justified as Chicago would have scored except for MacDonald’s knocking down the pass. Despite the boost from the penalty try, the Hounds are not to be overlooked by the Seawolves.
Dallas also needed a penalty try to come “anywhere” close to New Orleans Gold, 35-22. The Gold scored early after receiving a red card and kept scoring to 27-3 before a legit try by Dallas and the penalty try right before half. Score at the break, 32-15. Dallas added a converted try and in the 79th minute, NOLA kicked a penalty. A red card and a yellow card against New Orleans, and a yellow card against Dallas. The Jackals are 2-2 on the season, which gets them to fourth place in the Western Conference.
What happened to Utah? The Warriors are tied at the bottom of the Western Conference with LA at eight points. And LA beat them this weekend, 36-32. Without the two bonus points for four tries scored and coming within seven pints of the winner, Utah would be at the bottom of the conference alone. LA scored five tries, converted four of them and added a penalty kick. Dan Hollinshead, LA’s kicker, is a danger. (He plays ahead of Jordan Chait, a former Seawolves.) Seattle will need to reduce their penalty count before facing Hollinshead. And the demise of Utah comes from the loss of Olive Kilifi, back in the arms of the Seawolves.
Elsewhere:
Miami 50, Anthem 21: Stakes for this game was a first Major League Rugby win for either team. A chance maybe for an Anthem victory, but it did not happen. Miami scored three tries in the first 13 minutes of the game, and three more in the first 17 minutes of the second half. Miami gets their first Major League Rugby win in a game that got plenty sloppy in the second half.
San Diego 27, Old Glory DC 11: San Diego’s win included five tries, allowing them to pick up four bonus points for the win and one for four tries scored, putting them in second place in the Western Conference, one point ahead of the Seawolves. Old Glory did not look like the team that beat New England Free Jacks by one point earlier in the season. They went scoreless in the second half.
Seawolves are in Chicago on Saturday, March 30 at 3 p.m. PDT. Shown on Marquee Plus (home of the Chicago Cubs), Root Sports and The Rugby Network.