Seawolves finish 2023 preseason with romp against Seattle Rugby Club
By Charles Hamaker
Tukwila, WA – To wrap up their two-match preseason, the Seattle Seawolves and Seattle Rugby Club met up in a local showing. After a brief feeling out period between the two clubs, the Seawolves were able to break down Seattle with their clinical passing and displays of strength throughout. After the length of a first half concluded, the two teams formed two “split-squads” and performed some exercises for those in attendance, including lineouts and displays of line passing.
Hattingh ready to rumble
After the 14 minutes that mainly saw Seattle Rugby Club trying to get their lineout and passes working, the Seawolves took advantage of their next possession as passes were clicking. The ball knocked on and it appeared that the Seawolves may have wasted the possession, but captain Riekert Hattingh stormed through and grabbed the ball in stride to rumble for the try. 20 minutes later it was off some excellent passing, capped off by draft pick Shane Barry, that Hattingh scored his second try of the match. Hattingh’s performance for Seattle will be huge in regards to their overall success, considering his leadership (team captain) and his ability.
Riekert lead the entire league for most of last season in the most tries scored category, before a bit of a dry spell to round out the regular season. He'd end the year at second in the league to Rugby New York’s Ed Fidow. Hattingh has all of the makings of a rugby captain, whether it be his bruiser play style, his leadership capabilities as a legendary member of this Seawolves franchise, to his nimble speed as a big man. There isn’t much more you’d want from your captain, and Hattingh should again prove to the whole league that he’s not to be messed with.
Seawolves captain Riekert Hattingh runs with the ball (Photo by Melissa Levin)
Primed for an exciting performance
Tonight’s scrimmage effort was more so an opportunity for the Seawolves to get some more work in prior to the regular season kicking off and to continue the positive relationship that the club has with the Seattle Rugby Club. The Seawolves began to look like the team we saw soaring to a playoff spot last season before some mistakes derailed the team, then the outside circumstances that allowed them to enter the playoffs and nearly securing a third MLR Title. I said it last season, that this team was capable of winning it all if a few aspects of their play were cleaned up. With the additions in the offseason and the return of most of their key core, the Seawolves very well could push the league around like we’ve seen them do before.
Offseason addition Conner Mooneyham tries to shake a tackler, before passing the ball off (Photos by Melissa Levin)
Quick notes
6 players scored tries for the Seawolves in the scrimmage
The try scorers were James Malcolm, Riekert Hattingh (2), Pite Lopeti, David Busby, Reid Watkins, and Peter Malcolm
12 different players scored tries for the Seawolves in the preseason
In addition to the aforementioned 6, the other six in the match against the Raptors were Dan Kriel (2), AJ Alatimu, Duncan Matthews, Martin Iosefo, Karl Keane, and Lopeti Aisea
Fly half Jordan Chait converted every Seawolves conversion kick except for the last one, scored by resident points machine AJ Alatimu
Three different players have kicked conversions for the Seawolves this preseason
Karl Keane, Jordan Chait, AJ Alatimu
After the scrimmage, both teams joined together to display some lineouts (Photos by Melissa Levin)
What’s next?
Seattle will have ten days “off” before they return to game competition, when they begin the 2023 MLR regular season. This year's campaign begins against the team that it ended against, as the defending MLR Champion Rugby New York Ironworkers come to Starfire stadium. The two teams clash in a rematch of the MLR Title match from last season, on February 18th with the contest beginning at 6:30PM PST. Seattle, with several new additions from the offseason, is looking to add a third MLR Title to the trophy case after getting within reach of it last year.