Seattle completes remarkable comeback win over Chicago

Seattle completed a sensational comeback win over Chicago on Saturday, overturning a 26-point deficit to leave SeatGeek Stadium with a 34-26 result. The Hounds came out flying with four tries inside the first half-hour but then watched as the Seawolves dominated the rest of the game.

Chicago started sharply, going through several phases with the forwards. Adriaan Carelse connected with Billy Meakes, who in turn fired a wide pass for Noah Brown to score in the corner. Carelse couldn’t land the extras but the Hounds were out of the gates.

A scrum penalty gave Carelse a shot at three points but his aim was off-target. Seattle couldn’t clear, however, and after a lineout Nick McCarthy hit Meakes on the short side. This time the captain found the left winger Julián Domínguez who scythed through for the try. Carelse curled over the conversion as the Seawolves were forced to replace an injured Duncan Matthews with Toni Pulu.

Things got worse for Seattle before they got better. Brown intercepted a Mack Mason pass on halfway for a clear run-in. Domínguez then stepped through on a first phase attack from an attacking throw-in. With the defense still on the retreat, Mason Flesch crashed through two tacklers for the bonus-point try.

The Seawolves finally got some possession near the half-hour mark when Meakes was caught offside and binned for breaking up a scoring situation. On a training ground move Mason found Divan Rossouw looping behind the first wave. The Namibian tied in the last two defenders and made the simple pass for Jade Stighling to run free into the left corner.

Zura Zhvania then picked off a stray pass and bolted ahead. The Georgian prop was hauled down and Rossouw was stuck in the same situation as Meakes, with the referee brandishing a yellow card. Meanwhile Zhvania was helped off with a lower leg injury, replaced by Fred Apulu.

The Hounds botched the ensuing throw-in, however, and allowed the Seawolves to clear their lines. When Seattle regained possession, a penalty gave JP Smith a chance to go quick and sneak in behind the line. Mason curled around a ruck and spotted a gap, taking a flat pass from Smith in for a try. He converted his own to leave the score 26-12 to the home side at halftime.

It wasn’t long before the visitors were in again. Luke Carty’s clearance kick went straight down the middle of the pitch to a waiting Sam Windsor, now lining up at fullback. He returned it with interest, landing a 50-22. After a couple phases from the forwards Smith sold a dummy and snuck in on off the edge of a ruck for the third Seawolves try.

A raking kick from Mason into the corner pinned Chicago deep in their own end, and then Joe Taufete’e won a turnover at the breakdown. Mason steered his backline to the right to create and overlap and it was an easy walk-in for Windsor. The conversion attempt from Mason hit the right post and the Hounds were now up by only two points with a half-hour to play.

Huw Taylor found himself in the sin bin for a dangerous clearout on Luke White. Seattle held on desperately until at last the Hounds built some momentum. Flesch again shook off a tackle but with the line at his mercy, the second row inexplicably passed to a supporting Cassh Maluia. Jean Droste came flying across to make a man-and-ball tackle and prevent what should have been a certain try.

Mason found the right post again with a penalty kick but this time the ball bounced over the crossbar to give Seattle their first lead with only five minutes to play. Just as the Hounds appeared to be making progress Meakes knocked-on to turn over possession. Rhyno Herbst carried over halfway, and when the ball was recycled Riekert Hattingh tore upfield, connecting to Lauina Futi. Pulu was on the inside to take the scoring pass with the kick from Mason denying Chicago a losing bonus point.

It’s a short turnaround for Seattle as they return home for a Friday night tilt against the Dallas Jackals. Chicago will do some soul-searching before their road match against the NOLA Gold on Saturday.

CHICAGO 26
Tries (4) – N. Brown 2 (4′, 19′), J. Domínguez (16′), M. Flesch (27′)
Cons (3) – A. Carelse 3/4 (17′, 20′, 28′)
Pens (0) – A. Carelse 0/1
YC (1) – B. Meakes (30′)

SEATTLE 34
Tries (5) – J. Stighling (33′), M. Mason (40′), J. Smith (43′), S. Windsor (48′), T. Pulu (79′)
Cons (3) – M. Mason 3/5 (40’+1′, 44′, 80′)
Pens (1) – M. Mason 1/1 (75′)
YC (2) – D. Rossouw (36′), H. Taylor (54′)

CHICAGO HOUNDS
1 Zura Zhvania (17 Fred Apulu 36′), 2 Guillermo Pujadas (16 Dylan Fawsitt HT), 3 Ignacio Péculo (18 Charlie Abel 59′), 4 Mason Flesch, 5 James Scott, 6 Conall Boomer (19 Ben Landry 54′), 7 Maclean Jones, 8 Luke White (21 Lucas Rumball 57′), 9 Nick McCarthy, 10 Adriaan Carelse, 11 Julián Domínguez (22 Michael Baska HT), 12 Billy Meakes (capt.), 13 Mark O’Keeffe (23 Cassh Maluia 70′), 14 Noah Brown, 15 Luke Carty

Not used: 20 Sam Peri

SEATTLE SEAWOLVES
1 Cameron Orr (17 Chance Wenglewski 70′), 2 Joe Taufete’e (16 DaQuan Perry 61′-70′), 3 Sam Matenga (18 Olive Kilifi 53′), 4 Rhyno Herbst, 5 Jean Droste (19 Taylor Krumrei 73′), 6 Huw Taylor (20 Pago Haini 73′), 7 Charles Elton, 8 Riekert Hattingh (capt.), 9 JP Smith, 10 Mack Mason, 11 Jade Stighling, 12 Sam Windsor, 13 Divan Rossouw, 14 Lauina Futi, 15 Duncan Matthews (22 Toni Pulu 17′)

Not used: 21 Ryan Rees, 23 Jeremiah Sio

Date: Saturday, March 30
Venue: SeatGeek Stadium, Bridgeview
Kickoff: 17:00 local
Weather: cloudy, 55°F (13°C), wind NW 11-16mph (18-26km/h)

Referee: Derek Summers (USA)
Assistants: Amelia Luciano (USA) & Shawn Bastic (USA)
TMO: Eanna O’Dowd (Ireland)