NEWS

Western Conference Final Review: Seattle Reach Championship With Last-Minute Score

Written by Joe Harvey

Ryan Rees’ last-gasp try helped the Seattle Seawolves win the Western Conference with a 28-25 victory against the Dallas Jackals.

The victory means that Allen Clarke’s team will play the New England Free Jacks in the Championship Final on Sunday, August 4.

In a blow-for-blow affair at Starfire Sports Complex, Divan Rossouw’s brilliance ultimately inspired the North Westerners to a fourth Championship.

Photo provided by the Seattle Seawolves

A quick start for Agustin Cavalieri’s team saw Dallas take an early lead.

Winning a scrum penalty, the side kicked a penalty through scrum-half Juan Dee Oliver to quieten the normally ferocious Starfire crowd with just three minutes played.

When Seattle’s Mack Mason missed a penalty moments afterward, it provided more confidence for the visiting team.

The pressure helped propel the Texas club back into their hosts’ 22m.

A lineout drive came to nothing, but the calm thinking of Oliver to go against the grain and send the ball to Jeronimo Gomez Vara, who fired an offload to Nic Benn to score in the corner.

Photo provided by the Dallas Jackals

Oliver’s conversion from the right touchline offered the small traveling contingent from Fort Worth greater cause from applause, although that jubilation soon turned to nervousness.

After their slow start, the Seawolves could not be subdued for much longer.
As the home side built phases of possession and trundled toward the try line,

Dallas continually gave away penalties within 10 meters of their own try line.
Eventually, the referee, Scott Green, saw no option but to send Juan Pablo Zeiss to the sin bin.

Photo provided by the Dallas Jackals

Within 30 seconds, the Argentine was joined by Makeen Alikhan on the sideline. The flanker dragged down Seattle’s maul, and a penalty try was awarded.

Following the water break, the Seawolves thought they had another try in the bag when Cameron Orr crossed the try line. However, his score was wiped off for Moni Ngakuru’s forward pass.

Even with two players down, Dallas found a way to keep on top.

A Martin Elias kick forward was mishandled by Sam Windsor and went forward into the arms of Conner Mooneyham. The accidental offside provided Oliver with another three points from the kicking tee.

Before half-time, more drama unfolded.

First, Ngakuru received a yellow card for a dangerous clear-out. Benn quickly took advantage of the extra space when Tomas Malanos offloaded to the wing in contact.

Joe Taufete’e registered Seattle’s second try of the game when he bulldozed beneath the posts, putting the teams six points apart at the break.

When each side was restored to its full numbers, the game became its most open and expansive.

On the stroke of 50 minutes, Seattle landed a hammer blow on the Jackals.
Carries from Tavite Lopeti and Windsor put the Seawolves two meters out, a
JP Smith show-and-go enough to offset the Jackals’ defenders and help the scrum-half stretch his body to score.

After the conversion, the home side took the lead for the first time in the game. Shortly after, if Smith had not fumbled the ball over the try line, they could have had another try.

Photo provided by the Seattle Seawolves

A long-range Oliver penalty missed the mark for Dallas. But, like all season, the South African was the catalyst to help his team cross the whitewash again.

Kicking a nonchalant 50:22 allowed Dallas to drive Tomas Bekerman over for his fifth try of the season, giving Dallas a four-point lead with just over 10 minutes still to play. The conversion clattered against the uprights.

Despite that late fightback, Dallas was forced to leave Washington heartbroken.

When Divan Rossouw received the ball in his own half, the Namibia international found a soft shoulder, drove into the Jackals’ 22m, and offloaded to replacement scrum-half Rees, who scored the deciding try.

After Windsor’s conversion put a little more daylight between the teams, that Starfire roar was back in full force and helped the side lock up a date with the New England Free Jacks next week in San Diego.

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