“You don’t have to outrun the bear, just outrun the slowest person.”
To stay in the Major League Rugby playoffs, all the Western Conference teams have to do is beat the No. 5 team in the five-team division. Right now, the Seawolves have done that — by one point in the standings. Despite the loss Saturday, Seattle has nine points in the standings compared to eight for Rugby Football Club Los Angeles.
Fall to No. 5 in the standings, and the grizzly bear is gobbling down your aspirations to go on to the MLR championship game.
Saturday, the Seawolves fell 35-29 to LA. But they scored four tries, worth one bonus point in the standings, and came within seven points of the winner, worth another bonus point. Add those two points to the seven points Seattle had coming in to the game and they stand at nine. LA had three points before the game and added four for the win and one for scoring four tries for a bear-eating eight points.
The Seawolves once again called on Malacchi Esdale, whose late try won the last game against New England, for a try at the 80-minute mark to come with in seven of LA and the fourth try. Add to that tries by Duncan Matthews, Riekert Hattingh and Divan Rossouw plus a penalty kick and two conversions by Eduard Fouche and one conversion kick by Rodney Iona for 29 points.
To stay out of the ursine depths of the Western Division, Seattle needs a win against Utah on Saturday, March 22, at 7 p.m. at Starfire Stadium. Utah is 3-1 with a 36-19 win Saturday against the Miami Sharks, who are 2-3.
Without wishing bad luck on another team, but a toothsome treat for the Seawolves could come if LA did not do so well against NOLA Gold on Saturday. NOLA lost, 35-31, against New England last Saturday and are in the mouth of the bear in the Eastern Conference with a 1-3 record.
This bears watching.