Tag: Seattle Seawolves

Take the points. Go for the tie. Get the win later.

Seventy-five minutes into the Seattle game against the Houston Sabercats, the Seawolves are awarded a penalty just five meters outside the 22-meter line. The Seawolves are playing with only 14 players because of a red card against Pago Haini. With five minutes left in the game, the Seawolves kick to touch, hoping for a lineout-maul-try to win the game 26-24, or maybe even 28-24 as Eduard Fouche has already kicked three conversions.

The lineout was successful. The ball came out from the maul under control, but then a knockout torpedoed the winning try, and Houston goes on to win, 24-21.

If on that penalty, Fouche had kicked for three points and a tie, 21-21, could they have gone on for the win? They would have received the ball back on the next kickoff and at least had a winning chance. But we’ll never know since no one followed my advice to always take the points, especially when you are down a man. (Also noting here, that no one has ever asked for my advice.)

Red cards: Looking back on the red card to Haini, it appears that he stumbled into the Houston ball carrier. The refs ruled that Pago was targeting a knee, a high danger play. It was a no-wrap tackle, but it looked like he was trying to regain his feet when he collided with a Houston knee. Are intentions regarded? If so, maybe a yellow car instead, although the Seawolves would have played out the game one man down as a 10-minute sin bin would have gone past 80 minutes.

Or two men down as on the fatal knock-on play, Njabulo “Juice” Gumede received a red card. He came in from the side of a ruck and his elbow hit the head of a Houston player. Definitely a red card.

A hometown win at Starfire Stadium on Saturday, March 8, at 7 p.m. against the New England Free Jacks, the team that beat them last year in the Major League Rugby championship game, would go a long ways to getting this season back on track. The Free Jacks lost 36-7 against the Chicago Hounds on Sunday. What happened to them?

In bye week, Seawolves have much work to do

The Seattle Seawolves rugby team has no game next weekend, which means they will have plenty of time to work on things. There are plenty of things to work on.

When they departed San Diego Sunday afternoon, they left behind a 40-26 defeat administered handily by the Legion. It could have been worse. The Seawolves, down 28-0 at halftime, did not get on the scoreboard until 57 minutes into the match. That was helped along by San Diego serving two yellow cards at once, leaving only 13 Legion players on the field.

Seven minutes into the game, San Diego had two tries and two conversions. Another converted try at 13 minutes and once more at 27 minutes as the Seawolves could not figure out how to stop the overlaps the San Diego backs were putting together.

Once Cameron Orr opened the scoring for the Seawolves, they rolled on for 21 more points in the second half with tries by Eddie Fouché and two by Jesse Mackail. Fouché kicked two conversions, and Rodney Iona had one.

It could have been 28-21, within seven of the winner and a bonus point in the standings. But that would mean the Seawolves needed to stop San Diego from scoring. They did not, as the Legion added 12 points for the 40-26 final. The Seawolves come away with one bonus point for scoring four tries.

Next Seawolves game is in Houston against the Sabercats, who lost Saturday to the Chicago Hounds, 25-22.

Criticism, not praise, a way to improve your life

“The problem with most people is they would be rather ruined by praise than saved by criticism.”

This came from the Filson magazine in an article about Riekert Hattingh, captain of the Seattle Seawolves pro rugby team. The quote is a motto Riekert’s father, Drikus Hattingh, lived by.

I’d like to say that I’m not much for seeking out praise, but I have to admit that I do not handle criticism very well. In fact, I hate it. However, when looking back, I can see that I have done better, made some improvements, bettered my life, after considering criticism.

As Riekert says in the article, “To this day, he (his father) challenges me to improve myself continually in all aspects of life.“

Seawolves’ hopes brought down by penalties

Joe Taufete’e scores on a play from a lineout for the Seawolves. Photo by Punkus Arnett

So many non-releasing penalties. So many non-releasing penalties against the Seattle Seawolves that torpedoed valiant attempts to change the score from 20-11 in the last half hour of the Major League Rugby championship match Sunday in San Diego

But 20-11 in favor of the New England Free Jacks it remained until the game’s end. The Free Jacks repeat as the MLR champions, the first team to do so since the Seawolves did it in 2018 and 2019.

Starting with New England fly half Jayson Potroz’ penalty kick at eight minutes into the game, the Seawolves were behind throughout. Six minutes later, Le Roux Malan scored an acrobatic try in the corner to put New England ahead 8-0.

Mack Mason kicked a penalty kick to get the Seawolves on the scoreboard, 8-3, with 25 minutes gone in the game. The Seawolves only try in the game came off a lineout five yards out from the New England try line. Great time for a maul to push in for a try, right? But that is not what happened. The Seawolves took the jump, passed the ball down to Rhyno Herbst on the inside, who fed the ball to Joe Taufete’e, who touched down in the corner.

Potroz added another penalty right before the half, and the Seawolves were within a converted try at the half, 14-8. However, some things would have to change in the second half for the Seawolves to get in the lead. The Free Jacks controlled the territory (64 percent) and the possession (58 percent) in the first half.

Potroz kicked two more penalties in the second half, scoring 15 of New England’s 20 points. The Seawolves kept the Free Jacks from scoring tries in the second half, even while playing with 14 men after Tavite Lopeti was given a yellow card for a high tackle. But, unfortunately for them, they could not score tries either. Mostly because of not-releasing penalties that stopped penetration into New England’s territory – deep inside New England territory, like within five yards of the try line several times.

Why so many “turnover penalties”? Was the ref too quick to blow the whistle on a ball being released by a tackled Seawolf? Were the tackled runners too far in front of their support? Was the support too slow to get to the tackled player? Maybe all of the above with a few ill-fated knock-ons thrown in as well.

Mason scored his second penalty kick at 47 minutes into the second half, getting Seattle to 11 points. But the last 28 minutes of the game were filled with dashed hopes for the Seawolves and New England hanging on to become the 2024 MLR champions.

High praise for Seawolves coach Allen Clarke, who guided the team to the finals through many injuries, finding the right players to fill in, coaching them to the Seawolves’ game and standards and finding plays that would score, such as the inside pass off a lineout that scored Taufete’e in the championship.

Fewer penalties, more tries for 2025. See you then.

Halftime fun in San Diego

Fans had to wait to celebrate Seattle Seawolves

       The Seawolves fans had to hold off their celebration until 10 minutes into the second half when Seattle took the lead for the first time, 21-20, in the Western Conference finals against Dallas. It was a short celebration as the Jackals regained the lead 20 minutes later, 25-21.

       It wasn’t until the 79th minute – the last in an 80-minute match – that the real celebration began. That’s when Seawolves fullback Divan Rossouw broke through the Dallas backline, raced toward the try line, only one tackler ahead of him when his long, accurately thrown pass connected with scrum half Ryan Rees, running in support, who touched down for the try. Conversion by Sam Windsor got Seattle back in the lead for good, 28-25.

Seawolves players and fans celebrate after winning Western Conference title. Video by Kathleen Saul

       The Seawolves, the winner of the Western Conference, will play the Eastern Conference winner, the New England Free Jacks, in San Diego’s Snapdragon Stadium on Sunday, August 4, at 1 p.m. PDT to determine Major League Rugby’s 2024 champions.

       The Free Jacks, the MLR champs in 2023, beat Old Glory DC, 33-29, and the Chicago Hounds, 23-17, in their playoff matches.

       The Dallas Jackals, 6-10 in the regular season, seemed like they might continue their “coming together at just the right time” roll through the playoffs. They beat the best in the league, Houston at 14-2, last week and stacked up a 20-14 halftime lead in Sunday’s game against Seattle. That despite being down to 13 men on the field after a double yellow card. Wing Nick Benn scored two tries, a one-handed cartwheel try in the eleventh minute and a race to finish off an overload over Seattle at 31 minutes. Both were scored in the corner, but Juan-Dee Oliver converted both and added two penalty kicks for 20 Dallas points.

       Seattle’s first score came as a penalty try after Dallas collapsed a scrum chugging toward the try line. Score: 7-10. Then a Dallas penalty kick and Benn’s second try, and the Seawolves were back down 7-20. Joe Taufete’e restored some hope for Seattle fans when he dived off a ruck to score a try under the posts. Halftime score: 14-20.

       Did the second half seem like Dallas had the ball 90 percent of the 40 minutes? And when Seattle had the ball, there were some dropped passes or ones that went behind the intended receiver or some that dribbled back to be picked up in a scramble? Seattle had two tries called back. One in the first half for a forward pass and another in the second half for a knock-on in the end zone (also known as a ball dropped when trying to touch the ball to the ground, which scores a try).

       But when things went right for Seattle, it was highlight films: JP Smith’s show and go off a ruck at the Dallas try line to plunge over for a try (now forgiving that earlier dropped ball in the try zone) and then Mack Mason’s conversion giving Seattle their first lead, 21-20, at the 50th minute.

       Dallas missed a penalty kick at the 67th minute but scored a try on a maul off their lineout. The conversion kick bounced off the upright, but Dallas had a four-point lead, 25-21, with eight minutes left in the match.

       Another upset by Dallas? Not according to Rossouw and Rees.

No penalty tries against Dallas, please

Never a question that the Seawolves would beat San Diego Legion in the first round of Major League Rugby’s Western Conference playoffs.

Seattle scored four tries (one of them a penalty try), Mack Mason connected on two penalty kicks and a conversion for 30 total team points. San Diego led early with penalty kicks by Matt Giteau, first 3-0 and then 6-3, but another PK was all the Legion could score in the first half. They never led again after that 6-3 score at 11 minutes.

Loved Seattle’s kicks ahead through the San Diego back line. First by Divan Rossouw that resulted in Duncan Matthews touching down at 13 minutes (leaving San Diego behind forever), and then another by Mason that ended in the penalty try.

Rhyno Herbst dives over for a try. Punkus Arnett photo

Smart plays by Rhyno Herbst as he dived over (some would say “like a back”) for a try at 28 minutes and the pickup by Pago Haini at the back of a ruck at 74 minutes to land a try, bringing Seattle to 30 points.

Pago Haini makes it 30. Punkus Arnett photo

Allow one question, please: What was going on at the 80th minute? A yellow card against Seattle (Seawolves had two, the Legion one) and a penalty try for San Diego, leaving them two points shy of a victory. Giteau missed a penalty kick and a conversion. Add in those lost points, and the Legion wins 33-30.

That’s the kind of gift Seattle can’t afford against Dallas, the next playoff foe (Sunday, July 28 at 1 p.m. at Starfire Stadium). The surprise of the past weekend starred the Dallas Jackals, 6-10 in the regular season, traveling to the home grounds of Houston Sabercats, with the best record in the league at 14-2, and coming away with a 34-22 win. The Texas teams played a scrappy game won by the one that could scrape together something that led to a try. Dallas did that more than Houston.

On Sunday, the Seawolves should expect a strong Dallas defense, one that mostly smothered Houston’s back line. The Dallas forwards found their way to Houston’s try zone with persistence rucking deep in Sabercats’ territory. Three of the Jackals’ five tries came off rucks within 10 yards of the goal line.

Strong forward play, Seawall defense at its best, varied back line play, no yellow cards and NO penalty tries. A Seawolves’ win against Dallas sends Seattle on to the MLR championship on Aug. 4 in San Diego.

Without a question.

A Seawolves’ loss that begs a question

Win or lose, the Seawolves game Saturday against San Diego changed nothing. Seattle is still in the playoffs, and they play San Diego on Sunday, July 21, at 5:30 p.m. at home.

But the 45-33 loss to the Legion Saturday raises this question to another level: Can the Seawolves beat San Diego on July 21 to advance to the second round of the playoffs?

San Diego’s four-try win (they had six) and the five points in the standings were not enough to overtake Seattle, who finished second behind Houston in the Western Conference. For Seattle, you could call it a “meaningless” game. A game to rest players who needed it. A game to hold out some players with injuries. Not a game to display new tactics before the playoffs.

But the way the game played out brought that nagging question from above to center stage for Seawolves supporters.

Seattle dominated the first half hour of the game with tries from Divan Rossouw, Ina Futi and Mahonri Ngakuru, putting the Seawolves ahead 21-3. But before halftime arrived, the Legion had scored two tries off mauls to bring the score to 21-17 “before the teams went into the shed” (love that bit of rugby language).

Still, some halftime chatter would bring the boys back in fine form with nothing to worry about. That happened for a brief shining moment, with the Seawolves edging up to San Diego’s goal line before they lost possession, were called for a penalty and the Legion successfully juggled the ball among three or four players before one of them found themselves in Seattle’s end zone. At two minutes into the second half, the dominance had switched sides. From there, San Diego scored four tries, and  41-year-old Matthew Giteau kicked two penalties. Seattle answered with two tries, from Jeremiah Sio and an after-80-minute quick penalty try from Monate Akuei, who did not look too bad at the No. 8 spot. But the Seawolves could find no way to turn things around, to get the dominance back on their side.

San Diego ends their regular season with wins over the two teams ahead of them in the Western Conference, Houston and now Seattle. That’s gotta feel good.

Seattle ends with a 29-12 win over RFC Los Angeles and a loss to San Diego that raises questions.

Seattle 44, LA 12: A score that might have been

Mooneyham on an “almost” try. Photo by Punkus Arnett

These names would of, should of, could of been added to the list below: Ina Futi, Jackson Zabierek and Conner Mooneyham (twice over).

And the list below — Dan Kriel, Pago Haini and Cameron Orr – are the Seattle Seawolves who scored tries in the 29-12 victory over Los Angeles Sunday at Starfire Stadium.

The list above are the hard-luck Seawolves who crossed the LA goal line before something bad happened. Futi didn’t quite control the ball as he dived over and tried to touch down for the try. Zabeirek because his score became a penalty try when Reegan O’Gorman, who might have thought he held up Zabierek’s try, found out he had collapsed the maul and received a yellow card. In the last three minutes of the game, Mooneyham had two tries disallowed. He chased down his own kick ahead as it skittered to the back of the LA try zone. Did he touch it down before it got there? He thought so. The ref did not. A scrum to La, then a ruck and the LA’s passes had the ball wobbling over the LA back line until Mooneyham reached up for what looks like an interception. But the ball dribbled down his leg and maybe off his foot for a kick, which he fields and runs to score in the corner. The ref rules it a knock on. No try.

Futi’s almost try opened what looked like another 10-try victory similar to the one against Utah two weeks ago. Especially since Kriel scored his try 30 seconds later on LA’s goal line drop out after Futi’s near miss. Monate Akuei sprung Kriel with a great no-look, across-the-chest off load.

Then things slowed down. Half ended 10-5 with a Mack Mason penalty kick for the Seawolves and an unconverted try for LA off a maul

Seattle’s penalty try came at the 46th minute, and LA answered with a try twenty minutes later. It wasn’t until the last 10 minutes of the game that the Seawolves got serious about going after bonus points with a four-try win. Haini benefited with a try after a strong maul off a lineout (with the backs Kriel and Mooneyham joining in), and Orr did as well after a quick penalty at the 78th minute. Minute later, the game ended, 29-12 for Seattle.

This one by Cameron Orr counted. Photo by Punkus Arnett

You wonder what the score would have been without the TMO, the television monitor official. Would Futi and Mooneyham’s tries have counted? (Zabierek’s counted as a penalty try without Z getting credit for it.)

Overall, we’re in favor of the TMO reviews, but it has changed the game from when a single ref helped out by Just Anyone who volunteered to run touch controlled the game. What will happen when real live tracking is added to the game, where a microchip is attached to the rugby ball? Could the ball become the referee? With an added live streaming to announce the decision? “Mooneyham was outside the try zone. Sorry, no try.” Would William Webb Ellis recognize that game?

We may be ahead of ourselves here.

Looking for another rematch against Houston

The Seattle Seawolves will have another go at the Sabercats. The best way for that to happen is for Seattle to win three games: against Los Angeles on June 22, against San Diego on June 29 in San Diego, and then again against San Diego in the playoffs on Sunday, July 21. And then the Seawolves return to Houston for the Western Conference finals on Sunday, July 28.

The must-win game in that scenario is the playoff match on July 21. Lose that game and the season is over without the rematch against Houston, which beat Seattle Saturday, 28-25, at Sabercats Stadium.

Three of Houston’s tries started from mistakes the Seawolves made: an overthrown lineout toss, a rare knock-on by Divan Rossouw at fullback and a quick penalty that caught the Seawall defense still in neutral. Houston’s fourth and “you can’t blame me” try came with wing forward Keni Nasoqeqe busting through Seattle’s back line.

Seattle’s offense relied heavily on Mack Mason’s foot. Not just for the conversion and two penalty kicks he made, but for his kicks ahead that resulted in tries for Toni Pulu (who outran the Houston winger to touch down in the corner) and Jade Stighling, who gathered in Mason’s kick right at the try line. Even with the Seawolves at 14 men after a high tackle yellow card on Rhyno Herbst, the Seawolves found a way to keep scoring.

The other Seattle try came from a heads-up play by Sam Matenga, who regained his feet at a goal line ruck, saw the ball in front of him, picked it up and dived over for the score.

That totals 25 points. Houston had 28, winning by a penalty kick that can be blamed on A.J. Alatimu, a former Seawolves, who had two of them in the game.

The surest way to a rematch with Houston is for the Seawolves to win, win, win. That will give the Seawolves the hometown advantage in the first playoff game before heading to Houston for the conference final. Assumption here is that Seattle will play San Diego in the playoffs, which is how the standings now line up. But that could change in the last two weeks of the regular season. Looking ahead:

San Diego plays Chicago Hounds on Monday night, June 17, then Houston on June 23 and Seattle (in San Diego) on June 29.

Besides the Legion on June 29, Seattle plays Los Angeles on June 22 in Seattle.

Besides the San Diego game, Houston plays Dallas, now in the fourth spot in the standings, on June 29.

Besides the Houston match, Dallas plays Utah on June 22.

Utah has to win today against New England and then finish their season at home with wins against Dallas and LA. That would give Utah 12 points in the standings (with no bonus points). If Dallas loses against Houston and Utah and picks up no bonus points, the Warriors would be in the playoffs, outranking Dallas in the standings, 40 points to Dallas’ 39.

Rather be Seattle.

What, me worry after 10-try win . . . not so fast

Jade Stighling going in for one of his four tries against Utah. Photo by Punkus Arnett

Punkus Arnett, probably noticing that madcapschemes.com needed desperate help in the photography department, volunteered to let us use his photos. This is a big improvement to this blog. Thank you, Punkus.

What was the worry two weeks ago about the Seattle Seawolves being deprived of six players out for the season because of injuries? That the Seawolves might not be able to beat Utah, might not win any more regular season games and miss the playoffs?

Given the 68-29 win over Utah on Sunday night, it seems that Seattle coach Allen Clarke has met those worries and made them go away – at least for now.

It helped that Joe Taufete’e and Sam Matenga came back from injuries. But it was a smart move to start Huw Taylor at No. 8. And mixing in Devin Short, Tavite Lopeti and Andrew Durutalo bolstered the lineup. And this “new” team played remarkably well.

No stopping Andrew Durutalo when he is headed for the tryline. Photo by Punkus Arnett

Let’s start with Jade Stighling, who should get his own bonus point for scoring four tries, two of them by intercepting Utah passes. Taufete’e scored two tries off the PKTTLMGT treatment (penalty, kick to touch, lineout, maul, guaranteed try), a tactic never to be criticized in these quarters again. Lauina Futi, another two-fer, was set up by Lopeti after some razzle-dazzle passing for one try, but Futi stole the show for his next one: two fakes, a wiggle and then touching down at the feet of four would-be Utah tacklers.

Futi dives in for the try. Photo by Punkus Arnett

The Seawolves scored 10 tries (is that a record?) for 50 points, two were under the posts for four more points and Mack Mason converted seven of them for 14 points.

The Seawolves, with three regular season games left to play, have earned a playoff spot.

If there was any disappointment in Sunday’s game it would be those 29 points Utah scored, including a penalty try after Seattle collapsed a maul. That resulted in the second yellow card of the game. Utah received one in the first half for what the TV announcers called a “head-butt tackle,” one more name for a dangerous tackle, a shoulder tackle, a no-arms tackle, a high tackle, etc. In reality, it was no tackle as the Utah player was flattened and the Seawolves’ player continued on, moving the ball to spring Stighling for his first ry.

Including the penalty try, Utah had four tries, enough for a bonus point. The Warriors scored off the side of a ruck in the first half, and midway through the second half, their backs made good use of what looked like broken plays until they weren’t.

When your team is ahead by 40 points, allowing the opponents to score 29 is no big deal. But with the Seawolves playing Western Conference leading Houston at Sabercats Stadium at 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 15, maybe this is something Allen Clarke should worry about.

Four Seawolves converge to bring down a Utah player. More defense should be on order for this coming Saturday against Houston. Photo by Punkus Arnett