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MLR Semifinal Saturday Match Recaps | Chicago Hounds vs Old Glory DC | Utah Warriors vs Seattle Seawolves

Written by Joe Harvey

The 2025 Major League Rugby Playoffs, presented by Sportsbreaks, delivered on the first day of knockout action.

In the opening match, the Chicago Hounds were the first team to claim a place in a Conference Final thanks to a 27-16 win over Old Glory DC in their Eastern Conference Semifinal.

After trailing 16-10 at the break, second-half tries for tighthead prop duo Charlie Abel and Ignacio Peculo helped create a barrier between the two teams.

Later on in the evening, the Utah Warriors and Seattle Seawolves got things underway for the Western Conference four. They registered their first Playoff win on their return to the postseason against a tricky visiting team.

At full-time, the scoreline read 23-21 in favor of the hosts, who saw Jordan Trainor dot down twice in the first half and expert place-kicking from Joel Hodgson and D’Angelo Leuila. 

CHICAGO HOUNDS 27–16 OLD GLORY DC

For the second year in a row, the Chicago Hounds will compete in the Eastern Conference Final after they defeated Old Glory DC 27-16 in their Semifinal.

With both teams looking for their second-ever playoff win, SeatGeek Stadium was surrounded by inherent nervousness. Whoever dealt with it best would progress to the Eastern Conference Final in a week’s time.

Early on, that team was Old Glory. Simon Cross’ team broke into their opponent’s half with elusive carries by the likes of John Rizzo and Damian Hoyland, while dogged tackling without possession kept them in Hounds territory.

Jason Emery finally got DC on the board with a penalty goal after Chicago’s captain, Lucas Rumball, held onto the ball at the ruck.

Buoyed by their positive start in the Midwest, Emery got another penalty on the board after a no-arms tackle from Chicago’s Dylan Fawsitt.

To get themselves back into the contest, the Hounds needed a spark. 

An overthrown lineout let Old Glory off the hook in their own 22m, and tenacious defense largely kept the hosts off the scoreboard. 

Eventually, Chicago got their break when Facundo Gattas did not roll away at the ruck and gave Chris Hilsenbeck from the kicking tee. 

Immediately after the restart, Jame Scott did not get out of the ruck quickly enough, and Emery added a third penalty to his collection.

With half-time approaching, the game quickly switched gears. 

Against the run of play, Chicago’s Tim Swiel intercepted the ball in midfield from a loose Lautaro Bavaro pass, offloaded to rookie sensation Peyton Wall, who raced over the whitewash for the game’s first try, and Hilsenbeck’s conversion handed the hosts a narrow one-point lead.

Easy MONEY 💰

Peyton Wall locks in the first #MLRPlayoffs presented by @sportsbreakscom try!

📺 https://t.co/N1YhUY5UJQ#CHIvDC | #MLR2025 pic.twitter.com/I1JVg2tRho

— Major League Rugby (@usmlr) June 14, 2025

That lead did not stand the test of time. When Hilsenbeck missed a kick to touch as the clock ticked towards red, DC went through the phases and sent Rizzo over in the right corner for his fifth try of the year. Emery’s subsequent conversion landed Old Glory a six-point lead at the break.

Clearly unimpressed with their first-half showing, Chicago started the second half brightly. Much like DC in the opening 40 minutes, the hosts camped out in their opposition’s half.

After a second driving maul from five meters out came to nothing, the Hounds moved the ball from right to left and tried to batter down the white wall ahead of them. 

Following several lunges toward the whitewash, Charlie Abel dotted down from close range, and Hilsenbeck added the conversion.

To continue their good start to the second half, Hilsenbeck struck a central penalty after Jamason Fanana-Schultz went off his feet at the ruck in an illegal attempt to steal the ball.

Chicago struck a definitive blow with the final 10 minutes approaching. 

When Ollie Devoto kicked the ball to Mark O’Keeffe, the home side was within ten meters of the try line. That spark revitalized tired bodies, saw green jerseys pile toward the try line, and led replacement prop Ignacio Peculo to dot down.

Any hope of a DC comeback faded further when Gattas, who was reintroduced to the clash for the injured KoiKoi Nelligan, was sent to the sin bin in the 77th minute for a side entry in the maul.

At full-time, the home crowd gave rapturous cheers, safe in the knowledge that their team would play for at least one more week.

The @HoundsChicago are headed to the Eastern Conference Finals after knocking off @OldGloryDC 27-16 at home.

📺 https://t.co/N1YhUY5UJQ#CHIvDC | ESPN+ | #MLR2025 pic.twitter.com/uIGrbzhUID

— Major League Rugby (@usmlr) June 15, 2025

“That’s a pack win out there,” Lucas Rumball, Chicago’s captain, said at full-time. 

“We’ll comb over the stats, but coming out here in the second half and seeing all the possession and tackle percentage we had to make, the boys really put a shift in there.”

UTAH WARRIORS 23–21 SEATTLE SEAWOLVES

The Utah Warriors survived a second-half comeback from the Seattle Seawolves to register their first Playoff win four years after their last appearance in the postseason.

A brace of tries for Jordan Trainor, along with Joel Hodgson’s kicking and D’Angelo Leuila’s kicking, helped the side to a 23-21 victory at a packed-out Zions Bank Stadium.

Utah were almost left with nothing for an early foray into the Seawolves half. 

When Bailey Wilson spilled the ball into touch with no opposition players ahead of him, it seemed like the opportunity for a quick start had gone begging.

But when Dewald Kotze’s lineout throw missed its mark and fell into the hands of his opposite number, Liam Coltman. 

After the All Black regained possession for the hosts, the Warriors worked the ball wide, Trainor crossed the try line, and Joel Hodgson converted from out wide.

Seattle was not perturbed by going behind early. Consistently on either side of the water break, Allen Clarke’s team ventured into Utah territory but was turned away by a Joel Hodgson turnover and physical defensive sets.

For their staunchness without the ball, Utah was rewarded.

When Duncan Matthews failed to field a high ball, the South African invited the dangerous Warriors into their half. As the home team built toward the try line, a late tackle on Spencer Jones by Seattle’s Rodney Iona gave Hodgson three points from the boot.

The Englishman was called on again shortly afterward after Nic Benn’s tackle in midfield helped Utah break free and saw Trainor sent over the whitewash to a standing ovation by an elusive Kyle Brown.

Seattle’s frustration continued to grow as half-time approached. With a lineout in a promising position, the side looked to gradually move toward the whitewash, only for Frank Lochore’s sublime intervention to stop the former champions in their tracks and end the opening 40 minutes. 

Following that frustrating first half, Seattle was the first team to strike when the game resumed. Once again, with good field position, the visitors looked to push wide, and as Duncan Matthews looked to send the ball wide, Trainor deliberately knocked it on.

The double try scorer was not only sent to the sin bin for his offense but as he was the last defender in a pinched wall of black and red, a penalty try was awarded too.

At the next possible opportunity, Utah took points. When Eddie Fouche did not roll away quickly enough, it allowed a half-time introduction; D’Angelo Leuila cleanly put the ball between the uprights.

Utah’s resurgence was short-lived as Lauina Futi’s fifth try of the season brought the road team back into the contest again, bridging the gap to just six points with Iona’s conversion.

With 15 minutes left to play, Leuila took the Warriors further ahead with another penalty goal when Aki Seiuli won a penalty at the scrum.

Jones was sent to the sin bin for the remaining 10 minutes after a high tackle on Seattle’s Matthews and invited plenty of pressure on the hosts in the closing stages.

It took hardly any time at all for Seattle to make the most of that extra space on the field.

From the penalty that resulted from Jones’ yellow card, Seattle rumbled toward the try line before a stunning floated pass from Iona made its way to Matthews and then to Futi for his second score of the game. When Iona added the conversion, the gap was down to two points.

It's a historic night for the @utwarriorsrugby as they picked up their first playoff win in three attempts to advance to the Western Conference Finals

📺 https://t.co/N1YhUY5UJQ#UTAHvSEA | #MLR2025 pic.twitter.com/w52oBrV3SA

— Major League Rugby (@usmlr) June 15, 2025

Knowing that they had to dig deep to get that first-ever Playoffs win, that’s exactly what Utah did. As a Seattle lineout throw did not go straight, the Warriors ran the clock down before Hodgson sent the ball into the stands to pure elation.

“We made it hard on ourselves, but we got there in the end,” Player of the Match, Jordan Trainor, said. “This crowd was unreal. It was great to put on a show for them.

“Full credit to Seattle. We knew after the last time we played them they were going to go all the way to that final whistle, and they did. Just real happy to earn another week.”

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