By Johnny Woo
BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. – Old Glory DC traveled to SeatGeek Stadium on Sunday night to face the undefeated Chicago Hounds in Round 5 of Major League Rugby, leaving with a tough 49-31 loss. But the scoreboard did not tell the full story.
DC fought hard and kept the match within reach deep into the second half, but Chicago’s depth and discipline proved to be the difference in the end.
Old Glory wasted no time making a statement. A big tackle from Perry Humphreys won early possession before Max Schumacher launched a deep kick that sparked a footrace to Chicago’s in-goal. John Rizzo got there, but was tackled early by Mark O’Keeffe, who
made contact before Rizzo could possess the ball. O’Keeffe was sent to the sin bin, and Old Glory was awarded a penalty try to take a 7-0 lead in the first two minutes of the game. An electric start – DC came to hunt the top dogs.
Chicago answered quickly. The Hounds worked a lineout to within 19 meters and Theo Fourie forced his way over in the fifth minute. Chris Hilsenbeck’s conversion leveled it at 7-7.
Old Glory did not fold. Pressing just outside Chicago’s 22 in the seventh minute, a pitch back found Jason Robertson, who spotted a crease in the middle of the defense and weaved through for DC’s second try. Robertson added the conversion and Old Glory led 14-7.
In the following moments, the Hounds were pressing inside DC’s 22. DC was making tackle after tackle when finally Charlie Abel muscled through two defenders off the side of the ruck to tie it at 14-14.
DC responded again. Damien Hoyland, physical all afternoon, carried the ball in working off a wide lineout sequence for his first try of the match in the 19th minute to make it 21-14. Then Chicago evened it again. Cory Daniel was yellow-carded for high contact, and the Hounds took full advantage, with Fourie scoring his second try of the half off a lineout within five meters to make it 21-21.
Chicago’s momentum built from there. Mason Flesch scored off a skillful sequence of kicks and offloads in the 32nd minute. Ollie Devoto collected an offload from Brock Webster, who just got it off before the tackle, resulting in a try near the sideline right
before halftime. The missed conversion kept it 33-21, but notably both tries came during Daniel’s time in the sin bin. When he returned, DC had steadied.
DC showed real fight opening the second half. A lineout close to Chicago’s in-goal ended with reserve hooker Koikoi Nelligan breaking through for a try in the 55th minute to cut the deficit to 33-26. Old Glory had the momentum and the crowd at SeatGeek
Stadium knew it.
Chicago had other ideas. The Hounds won penalty after penalty in the tight exchanges and Hilsenbeck converted two to push the lead back out to 39-26. But Old Glory kept coming. After a John Rizzo turnover and pressure in the redzone, Robertson was
tackled just short of the line but reached the ball across for his second try of the night. With ten minutes left in regulation, the score was 39-31. The conversion that would have brought it within a one-score game hit off the right upright and stayed out.
It was the moment DC needed and didn’t get. Hilsenbeck would add another penalty in the 74th minute to make it 42-31, and with six minutes left Old Glory needed two tries. Chicago managed to keep possession away from DC in the final moments, before Santiago Videla crossed for the finishing blow in the 81st minute.
Old Glory finishes the night at 2-3. Five tries scored, 401 carry meters, and an 84% tackle success rate paint the picture of a team that went toe to toe with the league’s best. Chicago remains undefeated at 5-0, their depth and discipline proving too much to handle in the end. But for Old Glory, this was not a performance to hang their headsover.