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Seattle enjoyed a field day on Sunday, putting Utah to the sword by a final score of 68-29 at Starfire Stadium. The Seawolves scored 10 tries in all – four going to winger Jade Stighling – against a Warriors backline ravaged by injuries and set a new mark for most points conceded by the beleaguered outfit who have dropped now five matches in a row.
It didn’t take long for the Seawolves to find their rhythm. Devin Short was over the line but held up in the opening exchanges. An attacking lineout followed and Joe Taufete’e went over at the back of the maul. Three minutes later a loose kick ended up in Toni Pulu’s hands and after making good ground down the left side, the ball was flung wide right for Stighling to finish in the corner. Mack Mason added both conversions to make it 14-nil.
As Mason was lining up the second Utah captain Joel Hodgson was dispatched to the bin for a high shot behind the play. The Warriors would gain possession on halfway and Robbie Povey opted to have a crack at the posts, the flyhalf showing his prowess by slotting the three-pointer. It was erased with interest almost immediately when straight hands put Stighling in for a double with Short delivering the final pass.
Pulu got into the scoring next, with again simple hands proving enough to create an overlap. Divan Rossouw was next to score, ghosting through a gap and swerving through a bewildered cover defense. With the score now reading 35-3 to favor of the visitor, the home side finally crossed for a try when Fatongia Paea smashed over beside the post after Lopeti Aisea had made good ground up the middle.
The Warriors were on the front foot when a turnover in Seawolves territory proved costly. Tavite Lopeti broke from his own end and connected with Rossouw, who in turn sent Lauina Futi – now on for Pulu – on a 50-meter sprint for another try. Stighling got his hat-trick on the end of a telegraph from Hodgson who was caught trying to run out of his own end, leaving it 49-10 at the intermission.
Taufete’e grabbed a double on the end of a driving maul early in the second half to push Seattle past the half-century. A bit of individual brilliance conjured a reply for the Warriors, with Michael Manson turning on the jets to scorch home from halfway when it looked like nothing was on.
Jesse Hamilton made it three tries for the visitors on the end of an attacking that saw Hodgson looping around to create the overlap. The Seawolves were still intent on scoring, however, and Futi put Andrew Durutalo away for what looked a good try only for the TMO to wipe it off the board for a foot in touch after the conversion had already been taken. Seattle shrugged and went straight back to business and instead it would be Futi stepping his way through for his brace.
Jean Droste left the pitch with a head knock and moments later Kellen Gordon saw yellow for collapsing a Warriors maul, with a penalty try awarded to at least give Utah one bonus point. The final say would appropriately go to Stighling, who got his fourth in a carbon-copy of his third as Hodgson lobbed another hopeful pass that landed in the wrong hands.
It’s a heavyweight clash for the Seawolves next week as they take on the league-leading SaberCats in Houston on Saturday. The Warriors have an extra day to prepare for their road game against the New England Free Jacks.
| SCORING |
SEATTLE 68
Tries (10) – J. Taufete’e 2 (4′, 46′), J. Stighling 4 (7′, 13′, 40′, 78′), T. Pulu (17′), D. Rossouw (26′), L. Futi 2 (36′, 69′)
Cons (9) – M. Mason 7/8 (5′, 8′, 14′, 18′, 37′, 40’+1′, 47′), No kick 2 (26′, 78′)
YC (1) – K. Gordon (77′)
UTAH 29
Tries (4) – F. Paea (31′), M. Manson (48′), J. Hamilton (54′), Penalty try (77′)
Cons (3) – J. Hodgson 1/1 (32′), R. Povey 1/2 (55′), No kick (77′)
Pens (1) – R. Povey 1/1 (11′)
YC (1) – J. Hodgson (8′)
| LINEUPS |
SEATTLE SEAWOLVES
1 Cameron Orr (17 Kellen Gordon 67′), 2 Joe Taufete’e (16 DaQuan Perry 49′), 3 Sam Matenga (18 Chance Wenglewski 52′), 4 Rhyno Herbst (19 Taylor Krumrei 67′), 5 Jean Droste (7 Monate Akuei 76′), 6 Devin Short (22 Andrew Durutalo 58′), 7 Monate Akuei (20 Pago Haini 67′), 8 Huw Taylor, 9 JP Smith (capt.), 10 Mack Mason, 11 Toni Pulu (23 Lauina Futi 29′), 12 Dan Kriel, 13 Tavite Lopeti, 14 Jade Stighling, 15 Divan Rossouw (21 Ryan Rees 65′)
UTAH WARRIORS
1 Fatongia Paea (17 Emerson Prior 33′), 2 Tuvere Vugakoto (16 Nic Souchon 51′), 3 Paul Mullen (18 Angus MacLellan 51′), 4 Frank Lochore, 5 Louis Conradie (19 Jonah Dietenberger 61′), 6 Bailey Wilson, 7 John DuPree (20 Kalisi Moli 51′), 8 Thomas Tu’avao (22 Tyler Wong 67′), 9 Zion Going, 10 Robbie Povey (23 Sam Reimer 69′), 11 Jesse Hamilton, 12 Joel Hodgson (capt) (21 Kieran McClea 18′-21′), 13 Lopeti Aisea, 14 Noah Bain (21 Kieran McClea 51′), 15 Michael Manson
| MATCH INFO |
Date: Sunday, June 9
Venue: Starfire Stadium, Tukwila
Kickoff: 19:00 local
Weather: sunny, 72°F (22°C), wind SW 12-19mph (19-30km/h)
| OFFICIALS |
Referee: Saba Abulashvili (Georgia)
Assistants: Kat Roche (USA) & Will Nelson (USA)
TMO: Austin Reed (USA)
