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The Seawolves are back at home on Friday night to host the Jackals in an all-Western Conference clash. Seattle enjoyed a remarkably come-from-behind road win over Chicago last week, while Dallas were only narrowly defeated by unbeaten Houston. It’s the fifth match between the two sides, with the Jackals losing all four previous meetings by significant margins.
| CURRENT STANDINGS |
4-1-0 (W1) West 2nd
2-3-0 (L2) West 4th
| LINEUP CHANGES |
1 Chance Wenglewski replaces Cameron Orr
3 Olive Kilifi rotates with 18 Sam Matenga
5 Mahonri Ngakuru replaces Jean Droste
6 Pago Haini replaces Huw Taylor
9 Ryan Rees rotates with 21 JP Smith
12 Tevira Kuridrani replaces Sam Windsor
13 Dan Kriel replaces Duncan Matthews (injury)
17 Dewald Donald replaces Chance Wenglewski
20 Reid Davis replaces Pago Haini
22 Sam Windsor replaces Toni Pulu
23 Conner Mooneyham replaces Jeremiah Sio
1 Joaquín Horcada rotates with 16 Liam Murray
5 Daemon Torres replaces Lucas Bur
10 Nazareno Valentini replaces Martín Elías
11 Tomás Malanos replaces Nic Benn
21 Joeli Tikoisuva replaces Brock Gallagher
22 Nic Benn replaces Daemon Torres
| CAPPED INTERNATIONALS |
(8) – Wenglewski, Taufete’e, Kilifi, Hattingh, Rees, Futi (USA), Kuridrani (Australia), Rossouw (Namibia)
(5) – Zeiss (Argentina), Golla (USA), Richardson, Murray, Steeves (Canada)
| CLUB DEBUTS |
(1) – Tevita Kuridrani*
(0) – n/a
* – MLR debut
| NOTABLE ABSENTEES |
– Cameron Orr (LH), Peter Malcolm (HO), Huw Taylor (LO/FL), Tavite Lopeti (CE), Toni Pulu (WI)
– Lucas Bur (LO), Ben Fry (FL), Jerónimo Gómez Vara (FL), Pedro Imhoff (SH), Martín Elías (FH), Tomás Cubilla (CE)
| NOTES |
- high profile signing Tevita Kuridrani makes his anticipated MLR debut for the Seawolves… he represented Australia at the 2015 and 2019 World Cups… like Mack Mason, Kuridrani returns from a one-year hiatus from the pro game, his most recent outing with Biarritz was in May of 2022
- Eagles prop duo Chance Wenglewski and Olive Kilifi make their first starts of the campaign for Seattle… it’s the first start in Seawolves colors for Kilifi since the 2019 season
- Mahonri Ngakuru returns to the Seattle lineup after four weeks out with an upper-body injury… Conner Mooneyham has been sidelined since June 2023 with a knee injury
- Seawolves flanker Huw Taylor will sit out the first of a three-game suspension for a dangerous clearout against Chicago’s Luke White last weekend… he was issued a yellow card during the game
- Nazareno Valentini wears No10 for the first time with Dallas… he has previously started at scrumhalf and fullback… Valentini is the backup scrumhalf with three wingers named on the bench… Connor Winchester and Vaughen Isaacs can slot in at flyhalf
- the Jackals are again tested at the lock position with only Sam Golla recognized as a genuine second row… Daemon Torres is typically a loose forward with bench backup Ronnie McElligott also primarily a flanker
- Tomás Malanos returns to the Dallas lineup for the first time since Week 1… last season he was the only player in MLR to appear in 100% of all possible minutes for his team
- Ronan Foley faces the team he played for last season… the former Ireland u20 cap and Toronto Arrows starter made 11 appearances including 8 starts for the Seawolves in 2023
| PREDICTION |
Dallas have proven they are not to be taken lightly but will be challenged by a significantly larger Seattle scrum. The Jackals are also absent several leading players, most notably Bur and Gómez Vara. There is some rotation for the Seawolves but they are still able to field a formidable lineup with the imposing duo of Kuridrani and Kriel in the midfield. Seattle are clear favorites at home.
| LINEUPS |
SEATTLE SEAWOLVES
1 Chance Wenglewski, 2 Joe Taufete’e, 3 Olive Kilifi, 4 Rhyno Herbst, 5 Mahonri Ngakuru, 6 Pago Haini, 7 Charles Elton, 8 Riekert Hattingh (capt.), 9 Ryan Rees, 10 Mack Mason, 11 Jade Stighling, 12 Tevita Kuridrani, 13 Dan Kriel, 14 Lauina Futi, 15 Divan Rossouw
Replacements: 16 DaQuan Perry, 17 Dewald Donald, 18 Sam Matenga, 19 Taylor Krumrei, 20 Reid Davis, 21 JP Smith, 22 Sam Windsor, 23 Conner Mooneyham
DALLAS JACKALS
1 Joaquín Horcada, 2 Dewald Kotze, 3 Juan Pablo Zeiss, 4 Sam Golla (capt.), 5 Daemon Torres, 6 Ronan Foley, 7 Makeen Alikhan, 8 Sam Tuifua, 9 Juan-Dee Oliver, 10 Nazareno Valentini, 11 Tomás Malanos, 12 Connor Winchester, 13 Mitch Richardson, 14 Marcell Muller, 15 Vaughen Isaacs
Replacements: 16 Liam Murray, 17 Tomás Bekerman, 18 Kyle Steeves, 19 Ronnie McElligott, 20 Marques Fuala’au, 21 Joeli Tikoisuva, 22 Nic Benn, 23 Jason Tidwell
| MATCH INFO |
Date: Friday, April 5
Venue: Starfire Stadium, Tukwila
Kickoff: 19:30 local (22:30 Eastern)
Weather Forecast: cloudy, 48°F (9°C), wind SE 7-11mph (11-18km/h)
Broadcasts: Fox Sports 2, The Rugby Network
| OFFICIALS |
Referee: Scott Green (USA)
Assistants: Chris Assmus (Canada) & Brad Schwalger (Canada)
TMO: Amanda Cox (USA)
| HISTORY |
HEAD-TO-HEAD (4) – Seattle 4, Dallas 0
2023-04-28 – Seattle Seawolves 61, Dallas Jackals 19 (Starfire Stadium)
2023-03-03 – Dallas Jackals 10, Seattle Seawolves 35 (Choctaw Stadium)
2022-05-08 – Seattle Seawolves 74, Dallas Jackals 7 (Starfire Stadium)
2022-03-19 – Dallas Jackals 12, Seattle Seawolves 34 (Choctaw Stadium)
