Old Glory DC hosted former MLR champions and Western Conference foes, the Seattle Seawolves, this week in Major League Rugby action. The Seawolves (2-5), desperate to claw out of the Western Conference basement, arrived in search of momentum. Meanwhile, Old Glory DC (4-3) looked to tighten their grip on second place in a rapidly tightening Eastern Conference. In the end, it was a composed and clinical performance from OGDC, who imposed their will en route to a 29-12 bonus point victory at home.
The first half was a gritty, physical contest, with both sides trading blows and defensive stops. OGDC absorbed early pressure and survived a yellow card before Seattle finally broke through in the 13th minute. Old Glory responded in style though. In the 21st minute, a slick strike play off a lineout just inside Seattle’s half led to a dazzling team try. With sharp offloads and strong support lines, Nick Grigg finished the movement, and Jason Robertson added the extras to give DC a 7-5 lead. Despite chances on both ends, the score held as OGDC took a narrow two-point lead into halftime.
DC came out firing in the second half. After repeated maul infringements by Seattle, the visitors were clearly wary of another card. OGDC capitalized, with Collin Grosse diving over off the back of a ruck to extend the lead. Just minutes later, Old Glory struck again. Following a turnover, Jason Robertson booted a clever kick downfield toward the Seattle try line. John Rizzo out-hustled his opposite number and grounded the ball after a brief TMO review confirmed the try.
OGDC continued to dominate possession and territory, and in the 69th minute, Owen Sheehy finished in the corner to secure the all-important bonus point try—solidifying DC in the Eastern Conference playoff picture and keeping pace with Chicago. Seattle managed a late score in the 74th minute, but it was too little, too late. Old Glory closed out the match with a penalty goal to put the final stamp on a sharp 29-12 victory.
Old Glory (4-3) hits the road next week to face a dangerous NOLA Gold side (2-5) in New Orleans. DC will look to build on their momentum and stay firmly in the hunt for playoff positioning. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET next Saturday, April 12. Join us at Saints Row Brewing for the official watch party.
