“You don’t have to outrun the bear, just outrun the slowest person.”
One half was not enough to stay out of the bear’s mouth. The Seattle Seawolves are the slowest runners trying to escape the grizzly bear that eats away the playoff hopes for the fifth-place holder in the Western Conference of Major League Rugby. The 30-27 loss to Utah Saturday night at Starfire Stadium dropped the Seawolves into the cellar below the former basement dweller RFCLA, who had a four-try win over NOLA Gold on Saturday, earning them five points in the standings. That brought LA to 13 points. Seattle would need a four-try win against Utah to stay one point ahead of LA (previous 9 + 5 = 14) and still be in the running to represent the conference in the MLR championship. That did not happen for the now 1-4 Seawolves, who earned one bonus point for being within seven of the winner. They are at 10 points in the standings, three behind LA.
Even though there are games and time ahead before the playoffs start, it’s never too soon to start the climb out of this black-gummed cavity. Like maybe this coming Saturday at 6 p.m. against the 0-5 Anthem Rugby Club at Starfire Stadium in Tukwila. LA, now 2-3, will be up against 3-2 Old Glory in Los Angeles.
But it will take more than one half. Let’s skip over the first half against Utah where the Seawolves scoring has reduced to two penalty kicks by Eduard Fouche while Joel Hodgson ran in two tries for Utah. D’Angelo Leuila connected on both conversions, giving the Warriors a 14-6 halftime lead.
It got worse.
With 54 minutes gone in the game, Seattle was down 27-6. Liam Coltman scored a try for Utah. Leuila added two penalty kicks and a conversion.
A half not good enough? How about a quarter, from the last hydration break to the end of the game? Or how about four minutes?
Between the 59th minute of the game and the 63rd, Seattle scored two tries, by Captain Riekert Hattingh and the game’s-not-over-until Malacchii Esdale scores. Fouche added two conversions. Now 27-20, Seattle could tie with a converted try. Could until Hodgson showed that he can kick as well as run and dodge, hitting a penalty kick with eight minutes left in the game and Seattle down, 30-20.
Two minutes later, the Seawolves were awarded a penalty try after an intentional knock-on by Spencer Jones prevented a Seattle overload from scoring.
Six minutes left in the game, Utah down to 14 men because of the Jones’ yellow card, could the Seawolves score? No. Mishandling the ball prevented that. Sort of a return to that unfortunate first half, one the Seawolves don’t want to see again if they are to crawl out of this bear’s mouth.
Bring back those four minutes in the second half times 20 for a full 80 minutes of “we’re headed to the playoffs” rugby.