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On a wet night in Tukwila the Seattle Seawolves and Glendale Raptors went toe-to-toe for 80 minutes in a fierce battle between the top two sides on the Major League Rugby table. There were plenty of penalties and errors with the ball resembling a bar of soap at times but the tension remained throughout with the Raptors just doing enough to take a 19-15 win over their early-season rivals.
An early yellow card to Maximo de Achaval for a clumsy aerial challenge that sent Phil Mack crashing to the earth threatened to put Glendale immediately under pressure. It wouldn’t come, however, with the Raptors instead showing their experience and expertly controlling possession. Seattle’s own discipline failed and Will Magie sent over the first points of the match.
Magie added a second penalty and after repeated assaults on a resilient Seawolves line it was a bit of magic from an unlikely source that finally yielded a try. Zach Fenoglio – the hooker playing much of the match out of position at flanker – found himself in the outside channels as he does and put in a deft grubber behind the Seattle defense. Mat Turner slid onto the ball but couldn’t reel it in and Fenoglio was there just in time to pounce for a remarkable try.
With possession and territory overwhelmingly in favor of Glendale during the first half it looked as though Seattle’s defense might finally break but in their scrum they maintained one area of clear dominance. The penalties won allowed them into position for Brock Staller to fire over three points just before the half and with it a glimmer of hope appeared for the home side.
Glendale are a truly professional outfit, however, and they stuck to the game plan like glue. Drizzle turned to downpour in the second half and Seattle were goaded into a kicking game they could not win. The Raptors adjusted at the scrum and went for a quick strike, with Sam Figg peeling off the back and over the gain line. An initial attack was foiled by a Vili Toluta’u turnover but Glendale was unrelenting and eventually an overlap was there for Harley Davidson to dive into the corner.
It was Toluta’u who inspired a comeback when it seemed the lights were dimming. The burly flanker tore through from the shadows of his own posts to bring the ball back into Raptors territory. One dominant scrum led to another and from a penalty Phil Mack went quick. He was halted just short of the line but Toluta’u was there to collect and reach over the line for a try that brought roaring approval from the sold-out crowd of more than 3,000.
At the restart a mistake from Shalom Suniula nearly cost three points but Magie’s kick sailed wide of the posts. He would find his range after a frantic 10-minute period of back-and-forth that saw both teams flail at each other with reckless abandon.
As the lock ticked away thoughts of victory went with it but Seattle were still in for a bonus point. Two penalties were won in kickable range but the angle was bad for Staller and instead they opted first for the corner, and then a 5 meter scrum. The decision paid off as replacement George Barton barreled onto a short ball from Mack and crashed over the line on the stroke of full-time.
Neither side would be entirely content with their performance yet both would be pleased with their effort in tricky conditions. The two sides will meet again in June at Infinity Park though their lineups will look decidedly different with international call-ups for the test window certain to steal key players from each.
In the meantime Glendale will prepare for their match against the Utah Warriors in Salt Lake next weekend. Seattle enjoy a week off before their first road game of the season in New Orleans on May 12.
SCORING
SEATTLE 15
Tries – V. Toluta’u (57’), G. Barton (80’)
Cons – B. Staller 1/2 (58’)
Pens – B. Staller 1/1 (39’)
GLENDALE 19
Tries – Z. Fenoglio (36’), H. Davidson (47’)
Cons – W. Magie 0/2
Pens – W. Magie 3/4 (9’, 24’, 71’)
Yellow cards – M. de Achaval (4’)
TEAMS
SEATTLE SEAWOLVES
1 Olive Kilifi, 2 Ray Barkwill (16 Mike Shepherd 74’), 3 Tim Metcher (17 John Hayden 65’), 4 Jérémy Lenaerts, 5 Taylor Krumrei, 6 Cam Polson, 7 Vili Toluta’u, 8 Aladdin Schirmer, 9 Phil Mack, 10 Will Holder, 11 Dion Crowder (21 Peter Tiberio 54’), 12 Shalom Suniula (capt.), 13 William Rasileka (23 George Barton 68’), 14 Brock Staller, 15 Mat Turner
Not used: 18 LaRome White, 19 Eric Duechle, 20 Andre Coquillard, 22 Mike Garrity
GLENDALE RAPTORS
1 Blake Rogers, 2 Dylan Fawsitt (20 Brian Wanless 61’), 3 Kelepi Fifita, 4 Casey Rock, 5 Luke White (19 Kody O’Neil 72’), 6 Zach Fenoglio, 7 Peter Dahl, 8 Sam Figg, 9 Shaun Davies (capt.), 10 Will Magie, 11 Seth Halliman, 12 Bryce Campbell, 13 Chad London (22 Mika Kruse 66’), 14 Harley Davidson, 15 Maximo de Achaval
Not used: 16 James Del Bozque, 17 Nick Kwasniewski, 18 Devin Vaughter, 21 Jake Christmann, 23 Ata Malifa
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Scott Green (USAR)
Assistants: Josh Houston (USAR) & Lee Bryant (USAR)
