SEATTLE, WA—The Seattle Seawolves head east this weekend to face the New England Free Jacks with one goal. Reset the season and climb off the bottom of the table. Both teams sit at 1–3, but the path there tells a clear story. Seattle creates chances. New England does the same. The difference will come down to control, defense, and who handles pressure better.

Seattle enters this match battle-tested. Injuries have forced constant changes across the lineup, especially in the backline. Key absences including Mark Bennett, Rufus McLean, and Dewald Donald have tested depth early. More setbacks followed with Sean McNulty, Dorian Jones, and Harison Mataele ruled out. Despite this, the group has stayed aligned. Players like Calvin Liulamaga, Tiai Vavao, and Nolan Tuamoheloa have stepped into larger roles and gained valuable experience.

Head Coach Allen Clarke has leaned into that mindset. The focus has stayed on improvement, not excuses. That approach shows in the numbers. Seattle continues to produce strong attacking output every week. Against Old Glory, they controlled possession and turned pressure into points in a 33–16 win. In losses, the same pattern appears. High carry metres, strong ball movement, and multiple line breaks. Divan Rossouw, Duncan Matthews, and André Warner continue to lead that attack.

The issue has not been creating chances. It has been finishing matches. Seattle has struggled with missed tackles, penalties, and turnovers in key moments. Against Anthem, 17 penalties and 25 missed tackles cost them. Against Chicago, 41 missed tackles and 9 tries conceded told the story. Against California, they matched attacking output but lost on efficiency. The pattern is clear. When errors stack, games get away quickly.

New England presents a similar profile. They generate attacking volume with high carry metres, line breaks, and defenders beaten. Mitch Wilson has been a consistent threat with over 100 metres in multiple matches. Joe Johnston anchors the defensive effort and breakdown work. When New England beat Anthem, they controlled territory and finished inside the 22. When they lose, the same issues show. Missed tackles, turnovers, and penalties give opponents easy points.

This match will be decided in small moments. Both teams can move the ball. Both teams can score. The edge goes to the side that protects possession and defends consistently. Seattle has shown they can control a match when discipline holds. New England has shown they can win when they convert pressure.

Seattle’s Starting XV reflects that intent:

Seattle Seawolves: 1 LaRome White (80), 2 Dewald Kotze (24), 3 Ignacio Péculo (35), 4 Callum Botchar (25), 5 Rhyno Herbst (77), 6 Marno Redelinghuys (74) (vc), 7 Patrick Ryan (19), 8 Riekert Hattingh (98) (c), 9 JP Smith (110), 10 André Warner (31), 11 Michael Hand II (17), 12 Dan Kriel (61), 13 Divan Rossouw (39), 14 Nolan Tuamoheloa (19), 15 Duncan Matthews (50).

Impact Players: 16 Liki Chan-Tung (7), 17 Charles Walsh (1), 18 Mason Pedersen (82), 19 Kalisi Moli (32), 20 Tiai Vavao (4), 21 Nicklas Boyer (85), 22 Calvin Liulamaga (3), 23 Drake Davis (13).

The number next to each player shows how many games they have played before this match. (c) means captain, (vc) means vice-captain. (—) means this is their first Major League Rugby cap.

There is no mystery heading into this one. Seattle must tackle better. They must reduce penalties. They must protect the ball. If they do that, their attacking strength will take over. If not, New England has the tools to punish every mistake.

This is not just another match. It is a chance to define the season.
Fans can watch the Seattle Seawolves take on the New England Free Jacks on Sunday, May 3 at 4:00 PM ET live on ESPN+, KONG 6, and the K5+ App, with additional coverage on NBC Sports Boston, Premier Sports in Canada, the UK and Ireland, Sky Sports in New Zealand, and ESPN across Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America.
Local Seattle fans can join non-rostered players and fellow Seawolves supporters at Kells Irish Restaurant & Pub, located at 1916 Post Alley, Seattle, WA 98101, for the official watch party.