It’s finally weeks not months until Major League Rugby returns for its second season. Last year, a quiet preseason led to the Seattle Seawolves entering the inaugural MLR season without high media expectations. As the defending champion, that won’t be the case this year.

Still, repeating will be no easy task. Though they triumphed in the finals, Seattle had twice lost to the Glendale Raptors in the regular season. The Raptors, regular season table toppers, have an argument for being top dogs themselves. The two new league entrants, Rugby United New York and Toronto Arrows, are both somewhat unknown commodities but who look like they could pose threats. And the doubling of the season length will test durability and depth in ways not seen last season.

But the Seawolves have not rested on their laurels. They’ve added Ben Cima (Eagle #505) to bolster their talents at out half, for one. They’ve also brought in Anton Moolman as coach, which is a change from the player coaching of Phil Mack.

But the rest of the league has been gearing up as well, looking to deny Seattle a second championship

2018 Review

In many ways, Seattle had the perfect season. Not in the table, surely, as they lost twice to Glendale. But they sold out every home game, seemed to generate tons of local support, defied low preseason expectations, and ultimately won the championship.

Opening the year, many eyes were on the San Diego Legion to see if they’d be able to challenge presumptive favorite Glendale. It came as a shock to many, therefore, when Seattle kicked off MLR 2018 by comfortably handling the Legion 39-23 at home.

But in Round 2 they hosted Glendale. A tough fought match in bad weather saw Glendale leave Starfire with the 19-15 win and retention of the league favorite status. A status they would not relinquish until the very end.

Nevertheless, Seattle would run off an impressive string of victories. They won in the South, a particularly hard task in season one, by first beating NOLA 31-29 (Round 4), then Houston 20-7 (Round 7), and then a surging Austin team 20-19 (Round 8).

And they defended their house. After the Glendale loss, Seattle would not fall again in front of their home crowd.

Over the course of the season, they became known for their rabid defense, which earned the nickname “the Seawall.” And, from the first whistle, their scrummaging ability was a huge advantage. They bullied San Diego in Round 1 and really never seemed to find their equal on the pitch. Their props, Tim Metcher and Olive Kilifi, earned first and second team all MLR selections, respectively.

Despite their home dominance and their second place finish in the regular season table, the playoffs did not go through Seattle. MLR chose playoff sites in advance and not based on regular season results. Which meant Seattle had to win twice on neutral ground.

The first win came in a rematch against San Diego. Though the score ended up largely the same at 38-24, the fixture was much closer. San Diego opened the scoring quickly, with new addition Joe Pietersen both slotting a penalty goal and dotting down early. It was only in the second half that Seattle pulled away, having worn down San Diego with tough forward play. Peter Tiberio, one of Seattle’s most unsung heroes of season one, ran back an intercepted pass from Eagle Dylan Audsley, effectively ending the Legion’s chances for a comeback.

The championship match was the Seawolves’ third go at Glendale, and in this instance, the third time was the charm. As Aladdin Schirmer observed in an interview with TRS last month, the team just got tired of being second best. Easy to say, harder to do. But the Seawolves did it, toppling Glendale 23-19 in the final.

Key Additions

Perhaps no addition is as important for the Seawolves’ sophomore campaign as the introduction of Anton Moolman as coach. Last year, the championship squad was essentially player coached by veteran scrum half Phil Mack.

Seattle had intended to bring in Tony Healy to steer the ship, but visa problems prevented Healy’s arrival. That matter is currently being litigated. But this year Moolman is set to arrive from South Africa, presumably, with the okay from US immigration officials. That will mean a full-time coach to guide training and a freed-up Phil Mack to focus on half-backing.

On the field, adding Ben Cima gives the Seawolves an international-level fly half with a tremendous leg for kicking at the sticks. That could be valuable in 2019, as the team was only 15-for-21 in penalty goals last year, split among three different kickers. Six misses are more than any other team but Austin.

It should also take some of the game management burdens from Mack, who did a fantastic job but on whom much of Seattle’s offensive connectivity relied last year.

Also of note, hooker Stephan Coetzee joins the team from a professional career in South Africa, of late with the Southern Kings (PRO14). That signing creates questions about the return of Ray Barkwill, the veteran Canadian international who was a staple at hooker for the Seawolves last season but who is also 38 years of age.

Key Losses

To date, no major losses have been confirmed. As mentioned, the return of Ray Barkwill is in doubt. But Seattle has played its offseason personnel moves fairly close to the vest, and little has come out with regards to its key players from 2018.

Seawolf faithful will want to see the confirmed return of their powerful tight five. Riekert Hattingh also provided a major offensive boost when he reclaimed the 8 shirt from injury late in the season. Fans would celebrate his confirmed return. And of course, the hair, Vili Toluta’u. Sporting the most recognizable hairdo in MLR, the championship MVP and first team all-MLR flanker was a crucial cog to Seattle’s success that they’ll want to see back in the green, blue, and gray. Happily for Seawolf fans, as both Hatting and Toluta’u were rostered for Seattle’s friendly against San Francisco Golden Gate this past weekend, their return looks all but assured.

2019 Outlook

Seattle was the first champion. Now they’ll be the first defending champion. What will that mean for the psychology of a team that thrived on their underdog status?

Also, how will the longer season and farther travel impact their big men? The Seawolves made hay with their pack, but do they have the depth to hold onto that advantage over the twice-as-long season?

Having a full-time head coach on site should help keep their minds right. Combined with the strong team bonds of the players, who seem so far to be largely consistent with the team from last year, don’t expect the Seawolves to lose the focus that made them champions.

As for the longer season, only time will tell. This season will test each teams’ depth in new ways. Many other programs have been working to address the scrum in the offseason. Across the league, teams have been bolstering front row ranks and adding full or part-time forwards/scrum coaches. Seattle may not be able to replicate the dominant forward performance from the championship run. But with their undeniable talent, they should still be among the tops in the league.

All told, Seattle will be a good bet, perhaps the odds-on favorite, to repeat for a second title in as many years.