Seawolves vs Crimson Tide in Pictures

Photostory: Mark Janzen

The defending MLR champions Seattle Seawolves are just over two weeks away from opening their Major League Rugby campaign at home against the Glendale Raptors (Jan. 27). Two preseason wins are in the books, including a 45-0 victory over San Francisco Golden Gate Rugby.

Ædelhard takes a quick look back at the title-holders’ preseason opener – a contest that saw Seattle knock off the historic Vancouver Island Crimson Tide 48-7 in a pre-Christmas game in Langford, B.C.

Vili Toluta’u – Seattle Seawolves

“It was good to get on the field and finally get some minutes with the boys. Other than that, we still have a couple of guys trickling in, so we have to get them up to pace and get it going. We’re trying to build off what we did last year and exceed expectations. We have to get everyone on the same page.

“The weather here is much like Seattle, so we knew we had to play it tight. It was a good start.”

Scott Dean – Seattle Seawolves

“One of the big things for us was to bring the energy today and I thought we did that throughout the match. It was a blast. I loved it.”

Luke Campbell – Vancouver Island Crimson Tide

“It was pretty fun. Obviously there is a difference between a professional team and a rep team with amateur boys, but it’s always fun to test yourself against a tough opponent.

“I thought we played simple rugby – fast and direct – and we found some success with that. Where we struggled was when we tried to get too fancy and in the conditions today we just couldn’t quite finish.

“The Crimson Tide has a huge amount of history. They’ve played international teams before, so it’s always fun to bring this team back and playing professional teams and bring respect to the Tide symbol. It was fun to represent your region.”

Phil Mack – Seattle Seawolves

“Having a hit out like that was hugely beneficial and it was fun as well.

“We knew the Crimson Tide were going to be very enthusiastic and they were. I know of lot of the players and I’ve played with a whole bunch of them. They really tested us and made us work for the points we scored. I think for this (Seawolves) group, it’s nice to get some rewards for all the hard work we’ve put in during the preseason.”