Hounds Score Nine Tries in Week Nine Win over Seattle

CHICAGO, Il.- The Hounds walked away from their Week Nine matchup of the 2026 Major League Rugby season with their eighth consecutive victory, beating the Seattle Seawolves 57-17. The Hounds clinched the first overall seed with the victory and extended their franchise record for most consecutive wins.

Flyhalf Chris Hilsenbeck, four conversions, scrumhalf Ruben De Haas, two tries, and wing Noah Brown, a pair of tries, all scored 10 points with No. 8 Jake Kinneeveauk, flanker Mac Jones, center Santiago Videla, flyhalf Reece Botha, and flanker Emmanuel Albert all contributing to the scoring efforts as well.

In his first MLR start, No. 8 Jake Kinneeveauk scored the first try of the afternoon, touching down in the opening five minutes of the game. The Hounds’ 2024 second round draft pick had an impressive starting debut and continues his upwards trajectory after appearing in just one game last year. Hilsenbeck hit the easy conversion and the Hounds were up 7-0 before fans even had time to settle into their seats.

Seattle showed life in the opening half hour of the game, however. They responded almost immediately with a try themselves, this time from flyhalf Davey Coetzer. Coetzer couldn’t hit the conversion and the Hounds kept a narrow two-point lead.

Before the first half hydration break, the Hounds worked their way back downfield and into scoring position. After a few phases of forward ball, the Hounds exploited a massive overlap on the right side of the field. A wide pass was sent out to wing Noah Brown and he walked into the try zone untouched for his first score of the season. Hilsenbeck did not convert the try, kicking a difficult angle from the sideline.

In the 22nd minute, scrumhalf Ruben De Haas got involved with a long range try. Attacking from the 10 meter line just inside Seattle’s half, the Hounds went left from the base of the ruck. Hilsenbeck got the ball as first receiver and noticed space behind the Seattle defense, sending a grubber kick through the defensive line. Left wing Peyton Wall outpaced a pair of Seattle defenders to gather the kick and threw an impressive offload while being dragged into touch. The offload found a trailing Ruben De Haas who jogged to the middle of the try zone for the score. With the successful conversion, it was 19-5 in favor of the Hounds.

Seattle responded with their second try of the day just a few minutes later, coming from right wing Ina Futi. Coetzer couldn’t connect on the tough conversion kick though, and the score remained a two possession game at 19-10.

The teams then traded possession for the closing 15 minutes of the half, but Chicago’s offense was not to be stopped. Attacking from a lineout inside the Seawolves’ half, Hilsenbeck passed the ball to inside center Ollie Devoto. The center did well to occupy a pair of Seattle defenders before finding a streaking Mac Jones running full speed at a gap in the defensive line. He had work to do, evading a would-be tackler before running another 20 meters for the score. It was seemingly a death-knell for the visiting squad with the Hounds going into the locker room at halftime with a commanding 26-10 lead.

The Hounds kept their foot on the gas pedal in the opening minutes of the second half. Noah Brown broke through the Seattle defense in the 43rd minute and raced 40 meters for his second try of the afternoon. With Hilsenbeck’s successful conversion kick, the lead grew to 33-10. Reserve center Santiago Videla was next up in the 48th minute. After catching a pass from De Haas off the base of the ruck, Videla spotted a half-gap in the Seattle line. He stiff-armed a Seawolves’ forward, creating an initial line break, and pinned his ears back, racing into the corner for another Chicago score. The kick was no good.

De Haas made it a brace in the 61st minute, throwing a head fake from the base of a ruck right on the Seattle try line, confusing the defense and touching it down for his third score of the season. Reserve flyhalf Reece Botha showed both his vision and his pace in the 72nd minute, catching a pass just inside the Seattle half. He spotted another gap in the shoddy Seattle defnse and raced through the line all the way to the try zone for his first try of the season.

Seattle scored their third try of the afternoon a few minutes later before Chicago responded through flanker Emmanuel Albert, making his first start of the 2026 campaign. The former Houston Sabercat had an impressive showing, capped off with the scoring effort. Albert is just another forward that highlights the depth the Hounds currently have at their disposal. This type of depth should give the coaches headache come selection time.

The Hounds finished the game with a nine-try performance and eclipsed 50 points for the fourth time this season. The afternoon marked a few special milestones for Hounds players. Loosehead prop Jake Turnbull earned his 100th Major League Rugby cap today. The MLR veteran signed with the Hounds this past offseason and today was his third appearance for the team.

Meanwhile, tighthead prop Charlie Abel earned his 50th Hounds cap when he came on as a replacement in today’s game. He made his Chicago debut in the franchise’s first MLR game on February 18, 2023 against Old Glory DC, becoming Chicago Hound No. 4. He has been a leader in the clubhouse since the inaugural season.

They will now turn their attention to Old Glory DC for a road matchup next Saturday in the nation’s capital.

CHI: 57

SEA: 17

Scoring:

Tries: Brown (2), De Haas (2), Kinneeveauk, Jones, Videla, Botha, Albert

Conversions: Hilsenbeck (5/7), Videla (½)

Lineup: