MLR Quarterfinals Recap: Dallas' Upset Throws Title Race Into Chaos

A top-seeded team is out, and the defending league champions still are in, as Major League Rugby cut its remaining teams from eight to four.

Jul 23, 2024 by Briar Napier

MLR Quarterfinals Recap: Dallas' Upset Throws Title Race Into Chaos

You just never know what exactly to expect during playoff rugby.

That rings especially true after the first round of the Major League Rugby playoffs, which occurred this past weekend.

Just four teams remain standing for the league’s semifinal round of the playoffs, to be held this weekend, and two teams still in it had to win their quarterfinal matches on the road as lower seeds.

It’s safe to say it was a wild weekend, as the arguable title favorite going into the playoffs is out, as is a potential contender out of the Eastern Conference. But the fearsome four that are left to contend for a spot in next month’s MLR Championship Final deserve to be here, and they’ll be eager to put their best efforts into getting there this weekend.

Here’s a look at all that went down in the MLR’s quarterfinal round, part of FloRugby’s ongoing coverage and analysis of Major League Rugby:

Jackals Slay The SaberCats

Knockout rugby can be the great equalizer, where what you thought you knew about teams based on their regular-season play gets flipped on its head once the threat of elimination hangs over the match.

And in no other fixture this past weekend did that ring more true than in the Dallas-Houston matchup, where the Jackals pulled off the stunner of the quarterfinals by going on the road to take down the SaberCats - the squad many had tipped to win the league - by a 34-22 margin.

We noted that the Jackals had the potential to play spoiler in our quarterfinal preview piece last week, based on their two close losses to Western Conference top-seeded Houston in the regular season and their high-powered attack that entered the playoffs with the most tries scored (71) of any team in the league.

Actually pulling off the shocker is another thing altogether, however, but No. 4-seeded Dallas did it. The Jackals now are one win away from the first MLR Championship Final appearance in club history.

The Jackals showed right away they weren’t going to be intimidated by the moment, leading 20-15 at halftime, as Ronan Foley, Connor Winchester and Tomas Cubilla were the try-scorers for the visitors in the opening 40 minutes.

Another try from Jason Tidwell less than 10 minutes into the second half gave the Jackals a 27-15 lead, putting the unusually-flat SaberCats on red alert.

Andre Warner responded with about 15 minutes left to help pull Houston within five points, but a Juan-Dee Oliver score a few minutes from time put the game on ice for Dallas, which has now thrown the West into disarray, thanks to their seismic result - exactly what it was hoping to do in the first place.

Jason Tidwell’s try laid the momentum for the biggest upset in MLR Playoffs presented by @sportsbreakscom history 👏@ollisalumeria | @DallasJackals | #MLR2024 pic.twitter.com/LokWDXVl0Z
— Major League Rugby (@usmlr) July 23, 2024

Hounds Make First Semifinal

This past weekend was new territory for both the NOLA Gold and the Chicago Hounds, the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds in the Eastern Conference, who both were making the first MLR playoff appearances in team history.

Chicago, on paper, entered the weekend as being at a bit of a disadvantage, as it had to go to the sweltering Bayou and try and defeat the Gold on their turf, but as the Hounds have seemed to do lately in the face of adversity, they went out and responded to the challenge with no excuses, just production.

The Hounds are off to the MLR’s playoff semifinal round for the first time in team history after running through NOLA in a 45-21 rout, outscoring the hosts 27-5 in the second half (in which they scored four tries in the final 40 minutes) to roll to a cozy quarterfinal victory.

It was a six-try haul for Chicago through six players, as they diversified their attack. That played a part in the Hounds scoring the game’s final 20 points and putting the game to bed before a strong NOLA back line had the opportunity to create some chaos.

Interim coach (and former England international) Rob Webber’s men are cooking, going on a four-match winning streak dating back to the regular season, despite the fact the squad went through a change in head coaches in the middle of the season, after Sam Harris left the club by mutual consent last month.

The Hounds will need to win in New England next week to reach the final, but with the way they’ve been playing over the past month and change, it’d be foolish to disregard their chances.

4️⃣ teams advance. Conference Finals otw! #MLRPlayoffs presented by @sportsbreakscom

🎟️: https://t.co/o3SThhhA2e pic.twitter.com/GfcA8WRFmh
— Major League Rugby (@usmlr) July 22, 2024

Seawolves Win Rivalry Classic

This past weekend’s clash between the San Diego Legion and Seattle Seawolves was the fifth (yes, fifth) playoff match ever between the two MLR originals, and there once again was some late drama with big stakes.

But unlike the regular season’s final week, when the Legion toppled the Seawolves in a quarterfinal preview, it was Seattle that won the match in which the season would be done for the loser.

An on-point Seawolves squad looked to be at some of its strongest form seen yet this season in a 30-28 victory to get them to the semifinals, with Duncan Matthews, Rhyno Herbst and Pago Haini scoring tries. Their efforts helped Seattle to its third consecutive Western Conference final and one step closer to what would be a record-extending third MLR title.

Seattle often looked a step faster against an older San Diego setup, with Haini’s try in the 74th minute proving especially important when San Diego had a last-gasp scoring spree in the final minutes through Tomas Aoake and a penalty tries to cut the lead down to two points before time ran out.

In addition, Dallas’ victory over Houston means the Seawolves will host the Western Conference final against the Jackals, giving Seattle a bit of an unexpected (yet crucial) advantage with a spot in the final up for grabs.

Meanwhile, the match could be the final one in the decorated careers of Australia legend Matt Giteau and New Zealand stalwart Ma’a Nonu, both of whom were on the losing side in San Diego and still are getting after it in their early 40s.

But Father Time catches up to us all, and instead of a potential last hurrah for the Legion’s biggest names, it’s Seattle off to the semifinals, where it will be the new favorite to be the conference’s representative at the final — in San Diego, no less — next month.

Free Jacks’ Repeat Dreams Stay Alive

It is becoming increasingly clear that you can try and slow them down, but you can’t outright stop the New England Free Jacks from getting what they want.

That could be a dangerous attribute for the defending MLR champions, who are looking to be the first team to win consecutive league titles since Seattle in the MLR’s first two seasons of play in 2018 and 2019.

The Eastern Conference No. 1-seeded Free Jacks let loose with attacking fireworks in the first half, then ground it out defensively in the second half to outlast Old Glory DC 33-29.

Earlier in the season, No. 4-seeded Old Glory DC defeated the Free Jacks to end what was a 14-match winning streak dating back to the end of the 2023 campaign.

Former MLR Player of the Year and New England fly-half Jayson Potroz was effective with his boot, slotting through all three conversions and 4 of 6 penalty kicks to help put the Free Jacks over the line.

He stayed busy in a 30-point first half from the hosts in which fullback Reece MacDonald opened the scoring within five minutes of kickoff.

Midseason signing Jed Melvin and Oscar Lennon scored in the final five minutes of the opening 40 to put New England ahead after the Flags took the lead following a first-half brace from Connor Buckley and another score from Australia-born USA Eagle Jamason Fa’anana-Schultz.

Buckley completed his hat-trick in the 55th minute to make it 30-26 New England with under 30 minutes still to go, but a critical penalty from Potroz a few minutes later extended the Free Jacks’ lead to seven points.

DC only was able to muster a penalty from Jason Robertson the rest of the way, with New England able to ride out the clock to reach its third consecutive conference final.