Hounds Suffer One-Point Loss to Sabercats

HOUSTON, TX- The Chicago Hounds suffered another one-point loss in Week 12 of the 2024 Major League Rugby season, falling 23-22 to the Houston Sabercats on Saturday night. The loss moves the Hounds to 5-5-1 on the season and as a result, drops Chicago to third in the Eastern Conference playoff standings.

Chicago was led by the wing duo of Nate Augspurger and Julian Dominguez, earning his 50th MLR cap on the night. Both players scored a pair of tries. Flyhalf Adriaan Carelse went one for four on conversions, rounding out the Hounds’ scoring with two points in the game. Defensively, the Hounds were led by flanker Ben Landry, who completed all 11 of his tackle attempts in his 80-minute outing.

It was a hot, muggy evening in Houston as  the Hounds and Sabercats’ began play in Sabercats Stadium. The first twenty minutes saw the teams trading blows, with Houston pressuring early and often. However, the Chicago defense held strong. The game went into the first half water break scoreless.

It didn’t take long for Houston to find the endzone when play resumed, however. After a Chicago scrum penalty, the Sabercats got close to paydirt. In the end, it was scrumhalf Andre Warner dotting down the first points of the evening. Flyhalf AJ Alatimu converted the score, making it 7-0 Houston after 22 minutes.

Houston extended their lead at the half-hour mark after a Chicago penalty. Alatimu opted for a shot at goal, and the penalty attempt was successful. 10-0 Houston after 30 minutes. Just as things began to look bleak for the Hounds, they responded in blitz-like fashion.

Augspurger scored his first try of the night off a beautiful cut-out pass from Carelse. The Hounds were threatening near the endzone, and Carelse sailed the ball over a few would-be Houston defenders. Augspurger dotted down the ball, with some acrobatic flair, to cut the lead to five points. Carelse’s kick was no good.

The Hounds got the ball back immediately following the try. Carelse sent a grubber kick behind the Sabercats defensive line and the ball laid up perfectly for a scoop and score. It was a race between Julian Dominguez and a Houston defender. Dominguez dove on the ball, and with a successful conversion kick, the Hounds were suddenly in the lead, 12-10.

At the stroke of halftime, the Sabercats earned a penalty close to the Hounds’ endzone. Alatimu kicked another successful penalty attempt and the home side went into the sheds with a narrow, 13-12 lead.

Similar to the scoring blitz in the first half, Chicago opened up the second stanza with back-to-back scores in the blink of an eye. Augspurger collected his own grubber kick for his second score of the day, doing extremely well to gather the ball and dot it down. The kick was no good, but Chicago regained the lead, 17-13.

Moments later, Chicago turned the Sabercats over deep in the Hounds’ half. Scrumhalf Nick McCarthy shot a pass out to fullback Luke Carty. The fullback did well to occupy a pair of Houston defenders, and sent in a grubber kick behind the fractured defensive line. Outside center Mark O’Keeffe collected the ball and connected with a streaking Dominguez on a great offload. The left wing broke one tackle and was off to the races, beating two more Sabercats to score his second try of the night. The kick was no good, but Chicago held a two-score led at 22-13.

Houston cut the led to four at the 50 minute mark via a try from hooker Pita Anae-Ah Sue. The kick was no good, 22-18. Wing Semiou Smith gave the home side the lead in the 61st minute, but the kick was no good once more. Houston regained the lead, 23-22.

That was how the game would finish. Chicago built phases at the end of the game, and looked to be in a position for a penalty attempt if they could have drawn some ill-discipline out of Houston. But a knock-on in contact resulted in a ‘Cats scrum. They won the ball and kicked it out, moving to 10-1 on the season.