MLR Conference Finals Recap: Familiar Faces New England, Seattle in Final

Two former league champions are due to square off in this weekend's championship match in San Diego — the New England Free Jacks and the Seattle Seawolves.

Jul 30, 2024 by Briar Napier

MLR Conference Finals Recap: Familiar Faces New England, Seattle in Final

And now, we are down to two.

Though all 12 teams participating in this year’s Major League Rugby season definitely wanted to have a chance to play in Sunday’s MLR championship final at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, only two — the New England Free Jacks and Seattle Seawolves — will get the chance to play in it, after each team won their conference finals this past weekend.

It’s well-earned for two of the league’s most successful clubs ever, and in what should be a classic in Southern California this weekend, we’ll finally know who is the last club left standing in the MLR for 2024.

The close of arguably the most competitive season of play in the MLR’s short history is upon us, but we can enjoy the ride while we still have it, too.

Here’s a look at all that went down during conference's final weekend in the MLR:

Free Jacks Step Closer To Repeat

Only Seattle has ever won back-to-back MLR championships, pulling off the feat in the league’s inaugural two seasons in 2018 and 2019.

The New England Free Jacks now are one win away — needing to grab the victory against the only team that has done it, no less — from joining that exclusive club.

The Free Jacks will get a chance to defend their title in San Diego this weekend after bettering the Chicago Hounds by a 23-17 score, scoring a go-ahead try in the 72nd minute through Andrew Quattrin, to get back to the final after a tumultuous season to date full of injuries, adversity and some strong rivals in the Eastern Conference.

Chicago — which itself has had plenty of shifting in its ranks this season — provided a formidable challenge to New England’s throne in the East, giving those in home support that attended the match at Veterans Memorial Stadium on Saturday a roller-coaster experience throughout the day.

New England looked early on to go on the attack and ruin the Hounds’ chances at a first appearance in the final before they ever really got off of the ground, with Free Jack fullback Reece MacDonald scoring the first two tries of the match within four minutes of each other (19th and 23rd minutes).

The surge gave the hosts an early 10-0 lead.

MacDonald’s second try, in particular, was spectacular, with him running three quarters of the pitch and past multiple Chicago defenders for a thrilling score.

But ex-MLR Back of the Year Nate Augspurger showed why he is one of the league’s most respected attacking threats right before halftime, too, as he followed teammate Adriaan Carelse going on a brilliant breakaway run and gathered his offload to touch down in the 40th minute and put the Hounds down just 10-7.

Jayson Potroz and Luke Carty traded kicks at No. 10 for New England and Chicago, respectively, with Potroz’s second penalty of the second half in the 59th minute giving the Free Jacks a 16-10 lead.

Hounds hooker Dylan Fawsitt, the MLR’s all-time leading try scorer, had something to say about that, though, as he was the man to touch down following a maul to help give Chicago its first lead at 17-16 in the 65th minute following Carty’s ensuing kick.

Quattrin powering over the line several minutes later closed Chicago’s window for an upset, however, as New England got back in front and held on to advance to the final once again.

The Hounds’ season ended impressively after some midseason internal turmoil, when coach Sam Harris left by mutual consent last month and former England international Rob Webber was put in his place, but Webber (who now is leaving for a spot on the coaching staff at Saracens) steered the Hounds to four wins in a row — including a postseason victory — after taking over.

He won’t be coaching in a final, however; New England, as the MLR’s reigning and defending kings, get the chance to do that.

Seawolves Surge on Toward Final

The Seattle Seawolves, the most successful club in MLR history, seemingly always finds its way to championship contention, even when it’s not the top team in its own conference in the regular season.

It’s a simple formula, really — the Seawolves almost always seem to find another gear to their game whenever knockout-round rugby is on the docket.

Seattle is back in the MLR Championship Final for the fourth time in club history, now making it just one win away from a record-extending third MLR title, after it took down the playoffs’ “Cinderella” squad in the Dallas Jackals by a 28-25 margin in the Western Conference final by scoring a last-gasp try to get it over the line.

Scrum-half Ryan Rees was the hero, finishing off a Seawolves breakaway to touch down for a go-ahead try in the 79th minute, before picking up a game-sealing steal in an ensuing ruck, and Seattle managed to survive against an upset-minded Dallas team.

The No. 4-seeded Jackals, who already sent the top-seeded Houston SaberCats packing in the quarterfinal round, wanted to do the same against the Seawolves.

The result certainly looked like it was going Dallas’ way just over a half-hour in, however.

The Jackals led by as much as 20-7 in the first half, with that score reached after Nic Benn completed a first-half brace in the 32nd minute, and Dallas looked great, even while being down two men for almost 10 minutes following yellow cards for both Juan Pablo Zeiss and Makeen Alikhan.

Former World Rugby Player of the Year nominee Joe Taufete’e did manage to cut into the gap for Seattle just before half, however, as his 36th-minute try made it a manageable 20-14 deficit for the Seawolves at the intermission.

JP Smith kept Seattle’s positive momentum going with a try 11 minutes into the second half, with the Seawolves overtaking the lead for the first time in the game following Mack Mason’s conversion right after. From there, a series of near-chances for each side ensued; Smith was denied a brace a few minutes later after TWO ruled that he had committed a knock-on while downing the ball for the try, while Juan Dee Oliver missed a penalty that would’ve given Dallas back the lead in the 68th minute.

The Jackals did eventually find their way back to the lead, however, as a successful rolling maul led Tomas Bekerman to the try line and Dallas in front with a 25-21 cushion after the conversion was missed.

Rees’ clutch performances in the waning moments put Seattle back in the driver’s seat, with his defining plays ending a promising Jackals season with their first-ever playoff run — all while continuing the Seawolves’ run in the process.