Tag: The Rugby Network

Another rule World Rugby should review

What is a poor rugger to do if an opponent throws a pass that lands in our player’s outstretched hands? Try to intercept the pass and run down the field for a try, one of the most exciting events in rugby? Or, pull his arms into the alligator position and watch your opponents’ outside backs ramble in for a try?

If our back, like J.P. Smith in last week’s 32-31 loss to New Orleans, tries to intercept, but the ball is just too far out there to make a clean catch and fumbles away in front of Smith, what does he get for trying? A yellow card. Not understanding that.

When Smith’s knock on happened, the announcers on The Rugby Network sang out, “That’s intentional!” What was intentional? Smith intended to intercept the pass? Or did he intend to stop NOLA’s forward progress in a premeditated murder of the game ball? Smith alone knows what his intentions were (and as he immediately started walking to the sideline before the ref had pulled the card from his socks, Smith seemed to know that under today’s laws, a yellow card would be coming).

Smith goes off the field. Seattle is playing with 14, and NOLA collects a penalty kick, a try and a conversion, enough to eke out a 32-31 win over Seattle.

If Smith had spiked the ball, batted it to the sideline or prevented a try (not so, as there were other defenders outside of him), then that is worthy of a penalty and a yellow card for unprofessional play. That kind of play is not adding to the excitement or entertainment value of the game, which is what World Rugby in rule changes coming July 1 says it is trying to do.

But for a failed attempt at an intercepted pass? That’s a knock on. Scrum, and play on.

Eric Fleming, in a FB post to madcapschemes.com, explained it well:

“As a center ref I was always told we cannot officiate intention just the outcome. I think this is the only law that has the word intention in it. How can a ref determine intention? Is it worthy of a penalty, for sure, a yellow card, I’m not so sure it does in every instance. It’s listed in the laws as unfair play, not dangerous play but two of these in a match could have your watching the match from the sideline. Yellow should be reserved for a knock on that prevents a clear try. Yellow for a fumbled interception attempt causing a team to be at 14 players could result in a 14 point punishment. In 7s I believe it would occur more often and certainly lose your team the match. I don’t see in the laws where it necessitates a YC so maybe the game management guidelines on this need a review.”

We’re all with Eric on a review of this law.

Going forward: Seawolves at Dallas on Sunday at 4 p.m. PDT. On TV at ROOT Sports and The Rugby Network.

Watch party at Trenchers Kitchen and Tap, 822 N. 10th Place, Renton.

Anyone know of a watch party in the North End? Kangaroo and Kiwi?

Saturday: A day to root for San Diego

A four-try Houston win over San Diego this coming weekend would put the Sabercats back on top of the Western Conference, giving them 34 points over the 33 for Seattle, who has a bye this week.

Houston had a decisive 38-17 win last week over Old Glory DC, a team that beat Eastern Conference leader New England Free Jacks early in the season and hasn’t done much since.

Can San Diego defeat Houston on Saturday – or keep them from scoring four tries and the accompanying bonus point? Not based on last week’s surprising performance when they fell to Utah, 33-32. When it was about time to leave Utah out of the playoff picture, they hung on and relied on a 78th minute penalty kick for the one-point win. This sounds more like the Utah of old. They play DC this coming weekend, and a win there could get them to fourth place in Western Conference over Dallas, if the Jackals lose to Miami.

However, another surprise from last weekend was Miami’s 42-27 victory over New Orleans. The Sharks (2-5) are fifth in the Eastern Conference, four points behind NOLA’s 16 points in the standings. New Orleans (3-4) should have an easy game against Anthem this week, but even a four-try win won’t advance them in the standings as they are seven points behind Chicago, who is off this week.

Despite their loss to the Seawolves last week, New England remains on top of the Eastern Conference, one point ahead of Chicago, who trounced LA last week, 54-31.

Seattle’s 29-21 win over New England was rewarded by four Seawolves named to the week’s Top 15, all forwards (what about Mack Mason, Dan Kriel and Divan Rossouw?). Here’s what the Major League Rugby said about the Seawolves on the Top 15:

Hooker, Joe Taufete’e – Seattle Seawolves 

38 Meters Gained

17 Tackles Made

15 Ruck Arrivals

Left Lock, Rhyno Herbst – Seattle Seawolves

    12 Tackles Made

    25 Ruck Arrivals

    Five Lineout Takes

Openside Flanker,  Charles Elton – Seattle Seawolves

    77 Meters Gained

    20 Ruck Arrivals

    18 Tackles Made

No 8, Riekert Hattingh – Seattle Seawolves

    One Try Scored

    68 Meters Gained

    14 Tackles Made

Can Seawolves’ fans root for San Diego? Maybe at 5 p.m. this Saturday. Looks like The Rugby Network may be the only choice for seeing the Houston-San Diego game. Go Legion!

Seawolves dance next at Chicago, Dallas, LA

Could be a new version of the “tush push.” Loved this halftime entertainment.
A Seattle welcome to returning AJ.

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.

Two Seawolves make Week 3’s Top 15

Up front and on the wing, the Seawolves made the top 15 for Week 3 with Joe Taufete’e named as hooker and Jade Stighling as a wing. Here’s what Major League Rugby said about the Seattle players:
Hooker, Joe Taufete’e – Seattle Seawolves  
  • One Try Scored
  • 59 Meters Gained
  • SixTackles Made
Left Wing,  Jade Stighling – Seattle Seawolves
  • One Try Scored
  • 134 Meters Gained
  • Five Tackles Made

Also listed are some of the players who kept MLR teams in last week’s games. Axel Muller scored two of Old Glory DC’s three tries in the tie with Chicago Hounds.

And Lincoln McClutchie  kicked four penalty goals and a conversion to help in San Diego’s one point win over LA, 19-18. (Previous post said McClutchie kicked three PKs. He accounted for 14 of San Diego’s 19 points.)

It’s worth going back and watching the replay of the New England and New Orleans game to see the magnificent try by Reece McDonald for the Free Jacks. It’s at 1:04 in The Rugby Network’s Every Try Week 3.

Right Wing, AXEL Muller – Old GLory DC
  • 12 Points Scored
  • 103 Meters Gained
  • Nine Tackles Made
Fly-half,  Lincoln MCcLutchie – San Diego Legion
  • 14 Points Scored
  • 58 Meters Gained
  • Six Tackles Made
Fullback, Reece MacDonald – New England Free Jacks
  • One Try Scored
  • 153 Meters Gained
  • Six Tackles Made

2 Seawolves’ forwards on Week 2 Top 15

Looks like the forwards cornered all the Seawolves’ Top 15 for the second week in Major League Rugby. Here’s what they said about Sam Matenga and Jean Droste:

Tighthead Prop, Sam Matenga – Seattle Seawolves

  • 21 Meters Gained
  • 15 Ruck Arrivals
  • Four Tackles Made
Right Lock, Jean Droste – Seattle Seawolves
  • 30 Meters Run
  • 19 Ruck Arrivals
  • Five Lineout Takes

I was happy to see that Martin Vaca made the list. How could he not? He was a huge factor in Old Glory DC overcoming the New England Free Jacks, a team I predicted would not be beat by anyone in the Eastern Conference, except for maybe the New Orleans Gold. And that match is on at 11 a.m. PDT on The Rugby Network. New Orleans will be without Olajuwon Noa, who received a red card and is suspended for four weeks. He won’t be back until April 20 against the Miami Sharks.

I’m not even going to make a prediction.

Hooker, Martin Vaca – Old Glory DC  
  • Three Tries Scored
  • 45 Meters Gained
  • 11 Tackles Made

NE Free Jacks: I was wrong, wrong, wrong

I was wrong, wrong, wrong on the New England Free Jacks. No one in the Eastern Conference of the Major League Rugby could beat them, I predicted. They would surely be in the July championships against the Seattle Seawolves. And if beaten in regular season play it would come from Western Conference teams, and maybe, just maybe, from the New Orleans Gold in the East.

Then on Saturday, the Old Glory from Washington, D.C., beat them, 35 to 34.

The first half hour went as I expected: Free Jacks dominant and ahead 17-0 with a try from Fijian winger Paula Balekana, a penalty kick from New Zealander Jayson Potroz and then a heads-up retrieval by another New Zealander, fullback Reece MacDonald, off a high kick from Potroz.

After that, it became obvious that the Free Jacks did not know how to stop a maul, or how to stop Martin Vaca, a 22-year-old Argentine hooker, who scored three tries in various fashions: filling a spot in the back line, from a maul and then off a ruck at goal line.

Four minutes into the second half, New England had regained a 10-point lead (watch the highlights of the game on The Rugby Network at that point to see some excellent back plan and amazing offloads).

Jason Robertson, another New Zealander playing scrum half for Old Glory, reaches backhanded into the try zone to bring the score to 29-21.

More great back play at 53 minutes brings the Free Jacks to a 15-point lead.

But at 61 minutes, Vaca gets his try off the back of the rugby right next to the post. The conversion is good, and Old Glory is within a converted try to win the game, 34-28.

That try doesn’t come until 83:13 on the clock, another pushover maul (this time with Vaca out of the game – he could have had four tries!). At 84:222 on the clock, Robertson kicks the conversion, and Old Glory wins, 35-34, and my previous predictions look like yesterday’s whine.