Major League Rugby: Five things we learnt with the final locked in and the race for the MVP
Split with Seattle Seawolves and New England Free Jacks (Credits_ Seattle Seawolves, Brendan Buckley)
This Sunday it will be the New England Free Jacks and Seattle Seawolves battling it out for Major League Rugby glory.
The two clubs booked their place in this week’s Championship Final in the Conference Finals, where each team were asked questions on their way to Snapdragon Stadium.
Here are five things we learnt…
Champions do what champions do
It was not a weekend for runaway winners.
On Saturday afternoon the New England Free Jacks needed a late Andrew Quattrin try to help them back to the Championship Final thanks to their 23-17 win.
The Chicago Hounds made life difficult for the reigning champions in their own backyard.
A quick-fire double for Free Jacks full-back Reece Macdonald fired the side in front at Veteran’s Memorial Stadium, but tries for Nate Augspurger, Dylan Fawsitt and the kicking of Luke Carty piled on the pressure.
Finding a way to win is the true sign of champions.
It was a sign on display when Scott Mathie’s side locked up their spot in San Diego next weekend and will serve them well in California.
Seawolves battle to fourth Championship final
In the Western Conference Final it took a 79th minute Ryan Rees try to lock up the Seattle Seawolves’ place in the Championship Final.
The replacement scrum-half’s score helped lock up a 28-25 win and send the team to a fourth showpiece finale.
Like a week prior against the Houston SaberCats, Dallas started brightly and asked serious questions of their hosts.
Nic Benn scored a brace of tries for the Jackals, but Allen Clarke’s Seattle were crowned winners thanks to the individual brilliance of Divan Rossouw.
Trailing late on to a Tomas Bekerman score in the final 10 minutes, Rossouw received the ball in his own half and punched a hole in the Jackals defence and found Rees with an outrageous offload to score the winner.
It continued the club’s post-season dominance that stretches all the way back to the league’s inaugural season in 2018 and gives the club another shot at adding a third star on their jersey.
Dallas can only make strides in 2025
While the Conference Final is as far as the Dallas Jackals will go in 2024, this season can only offer them confidence moving into 2025.
Making their post-season debut in this past fortnight, the Texas club were resplendent in the play-offs and stunned the league with their semi-final victory over league pacesetters the Houston SaberCats.
That combined with a close loss to the Seattle Seawolves in the Western Conference Final only offers optimism about next year.
Retaining key players will be key to this.
All season the likes of Juan Dee Oliver, Juan Pablo Zeiss, Sam Golla, Nic Benn, Tomas Cubilla and Jeronimo Gomez Vara have all been key figures.
Keeping those six players will ensure that the team could build on their 6-10 record and return to the post-season again next year.
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Head coach for Hounds next on to-do list
At times this year the Chicago Hounds’ appearance in the play-offs seemed unlikely. All season the team were toeing the line of brilliant.
It took until Week 10 for a statement win to come against the New England Free Jacks, while close losses to the likes of the Houston SaberCats, Old Glory DC and Dallas Jackals had the team on the periphery of greatness.
Instead their inconsistencies led to the mid-season departure of Sam Harris, which will have in some ways unsettled the team.
Rob Webber’s work to right the ship cannot be underappreciated and helped the team to the Eastern Conference Final.
With Webber now on his way back to England to take up a role with Saracens, the club must fill the position as soon as possible and get plans in place for next season.
MVP race down to three
As the season draws to a close, end-of-season awards hone into view.
After the Conference Finals, three players have truly stepped into the breach as Most Valuable Player candidates.
Of course there are a host of players whose efforts are worthy, but there are a special few who are a nose ahead in the race.
In New England, Wayne van der Bank has been in the form of his life as his team returned to the last leg.
Playing in 16 matches, the 27-year-old has scored 10 tries and has excelled in every facet of the game.
Then from Dallas scrum-half Juan Dee Oliver has been a game changer.
A goal-kicking, game-managing half-back, the South African has got his first dose of regular rugby in Texas and has reaped the rewards of those regular minutes.
Finally, versatile back Divan Rossouw has thrived in his first season with the Seattle Seawolves.
Starting 16 MLR games, the 28-year-old has become a useful tool for Allen Clarke’s team. A dynamic runner with the ball and good kicker, without the Namibian the Seawolves would not be in the Championship Final next weekend.