News 22 Jul-2024

Major League Rugby Semi-Finals Sunday Match Review

Written by Joe Harvey

With the two remaining Major League Rugby Conference Semifinals, the schedule for next week’s Eastern and Western Conference Finals has been announced.

On Sunday, the Chicago Hounds traveled to NOLA Gold to pull off an impressive win in their first game of the Playoffs, while the Seattle Seawolves once again disappointed the San Diego Legion in elimination rugby.
Here are the results of both fixtures…

NOLA GOLD 21–45 CHICAGO HUNTING DOGS

The Chicago Hounds advanced to the next round of the Playoffs with a dominant 45-21 win over the NOLA Gold.

Rob Webber’s Greyhounds, who scored six tries at the Gold Mine at Airline where both teams played their first post-season match, will move to the East

The Conference Finals will begin one week later against the New England Free Jacks.
Despite the score in the final minutes of the game, NOLA took the early lead.

After Nicolas Revol-Pitt cut in from the ruck, Rodney Iona struck to score in the 7th minute of the match.
The first try of the match was scored as soon as the fans returned to their seats.

Midfielder Jordan Jackson Hope picked up the ball at the base of the ruck and scored from the left corner, surprising all Hounds players.

Chicago and Luke Carty score as they recover from a slow start
from the tee after a high tackle.

Seven minutes later, Chicago took the lead.

A flicked kick into the corner and a flicked shot off the line saw hooker Dylan Fawsitt head over the whitewash and Carty converted from the right sideline to give the Hounds a two-point lead going into the water break.

Carty kicked another penalty for the Hounds, but the five-point lead Iona had built up at the restart was erased.

James Scott failed to retrieve the ball in the air and it fell to the onrushing Julian Roberts.

The lead changed twice as the first half ended.

NOLA regained the lead on Iona’s penalty, but Jackson-Hope was shown a yellow card for a tackle, which worked to Chicago’s advantage.
The Hounds were able to create width from behind the line with the extra man.

After Billy Meakes and Adriaan Carlese combined, Julian Dominguez was sent into the corner, where the winger passed through Taniela Filimone’s tackle to give his team an 18-16 halftime lead.

With winger Nate Augspurger keeping Chicago on the lead for his seventh try of the season, Carty unleashed a spinning kick high into the air that landed at the USA forward’s feet.

Even with their full squad back on the field, NOLA was stuck inside their own 22-yard box and, after giving away one too many penalties, was penalized with another Carty goal kick.

The game remained lively in Louisiana with two great scores.

First the Gold produced a magnificent line move by Jonah Mau’u that took out the Hounds, then Carlese was again the Hounds’ saviour, bringing on club captain Billy Meakes to score Chicago’s fourth try of the match.

Another yellow card cost Altin more and ended the match.
Alex Lopeti was sent to the penalty area for an off-ball tackle and scored for Chicago’s Scott, while Jason Higgins sealed a nice win for the Midwesterners.

Photo courtesy of Chicago Hounds

SEATTLE SEA WOLVES 30–28 SAN DIEGO LEGION

The Seattle Seawolves advanced to the Western Conference Finals with a 30-28 win over the San Diego Legion.
The Seawolves knocked San Diego out of the playoffs for the fourth time, behind points from Duncan Matthews, Rhyno Herbst and Pago Haini.

From the start of the match, San Diego got off to a positive start, making Seattle’s time on the ball as disruptive as possible.

That quickly paid off as the Seawolves stayed on the field, allowing Matt Giteau to score the game’s first points off the inning.

The competitive start continued with a penalty goal by Seattle’s Mack Mason, followed immediately by Giteau’s second goal.
Seattle was under pressure from the first whistle but quickly took their chances.

Photo courtesy of Seattle Seawolves

Divan Rossouw, who lost the ball in the Legion half, crossed for Duncan Matthews in the corner.

As the first half progressed, the home team’s enthusiastic fans began to chant louder.
Mason added another penalty to keep the two-time champions on top after San Diego’s Marcel Brache was shown a yellow card for a dangerous challenge on Rossouw.

A minute after the lead ended, Seattle scored its second goal of the game.

Toni Pulu’s carry brought the home side within 15 metres of the whitewashed area and the heavily bandaged Rhyno Herbst slotted home from close range after receiving a precise pass from JP Smith.

San Diego’s confidence was shaken once again when they were reduced to 15 men.
Giteau scored three more points before halftime as Seattle rallied and entered the locker room trailing the home team by nine points.

When the match resumed, a tight game continued with neither side able to score a goal.

Mason’s penalty kick missed and both teams’ attacks failed due to individual errors or penalty shoot-outs.

After the water break in the second half, the Legion had the player advantage.

Substitute Tavite Lopeti was sent to the sidelines for deliberately dropping the ball, and San Diego took full advantage of a lineout hit by Cyrille Cama’s hard cross.

Seattle, in turn, used dynamic defenders to move them forward on the field.

As Pulu chased down a grubber shot from Mason, Tomas Aoake was adjudged to have pulled the ball forward. A penalty try was awarded and the winger was shown a yellow card.

When the match started, both teams were looking for a score that would end the match or ensure a comeback.

This goal came in the 74th minute, with substitute right-back Pago Haini entering the game.
Smith released Pulu, who had started behind the scrum, on the wing and dropped back five metres; Haini took the ball and lunged towards the corner to put the result beyond doubt.

Aoake’s goal from the right corner set up a wild finish for the Legion, and a goal from Seattle’s Chance Wenglewski helped the away team push the home team into the maul and earn a penalty kick to end the match.