Anthem Claim Historic First Home Win as Roberts and Carty Inspire Nine-Point Triumph over Seattle
MLR Anthem Rugby Carolina

Anthem Claim Historic First Home Win as Roberts and Carty Inspire Nine-Point Triumph over Seattle

Published on April 13, 2026 under Major League Rugby (MLR)
Anthem Rugby Carolina News Release


Anthem Rugby Carolina had never beaten the Seattle Seawolves. In three previous meetings, the two-time MLR champions had won each time, and the question hanging over this young franchise was whether it could break through against a team with genuine pedigree. On a blazing 85-degree afternoon at American Legion Memorial Stadium, they answered emphatically. Four tries, 14 points from the boot of 'man of the match' Luke Carty, and a defensive display that held Seattle scoreless for the first 20 minutes of the second half delivered a 34-25 victory that sent the Charlotte crowd home delirious and moved Anthem to 2-1 for the season.

"I'm feeling great, grateful for all the supporters that came today," head coach Cuca said afterwards, smiling broadly. "The players worked very hard. They were conscious that they didn't have the best performance last week, but they were committed to making this better."

The first half was a breathless, see-sawing affair that produced five tries. Anthem set the tone from the very first scrum, their pack shoving Seattle backwards to win an early penalty. That established a dominance that would persist all afternoon, with Anthem winning every one of their scrums, a platform the rest of the team built on ruthlessly. Campbell Robb opened the scoring on seven minutes, finishing a well-executed lineout drive after James Scott's clean catch gave the forwards the platform to maul their way over. Carty converted, and when the fly-half had earlier kicked for touch rather than taking three points from in front of the posts, it spoke volumes about the confidence coursing through this team.

Davy Coetzer's two penalties from distance, at 11 and 20 minutes, kept Seattle in the contest, then the visitors struck again through Ezekiel Lindenmuth on 22 minutes after a fortunate 50-22 kick pinned Anthem deep. Paddy Ryan, the abrasive USA international flanker, added a try from a quick lineout move on 28 minutes to put Seattle ahead 18-14. But this Anthem side has developed a habit of responding to setbacks, and Julian Roberts, moved to outside center as a deliberate tactical switch, provided the spark. Roberts raced through a gap off a deft pullback pass from Tom Pittman on 26 minutes, and Malacchi Esdale finished a beautifully constructed five-phase team move on 31 minutes to send the home fans into halftime celebrating a 21-18 lead.

O'Meara was effusive about Roberts afterwards. "Julian Roberts has probably been one of the most impressive players to us so far this season." he said. "We see him as someone that should be competing for an Eagle selection at that position." That is some endorsement for a player who has been a revelation in just three weeks.

The second half was a masterclass in game management. Seattle came out swinging, crossing the line within three minutes only for that score to be disallowed for an earlier infringement, spotted by Anthem's coaching staff, and confirmed by the televised replays.

From that point on, the home defense was immense. Three times Seattle were held up over the try line, 21 points potentially left on the field, thanks to Anthem's refusal to yield an inch. Mark Carney, watching from the coaching box, identified the defensive stands as the decisive passages of play. "Our goal-line stands were the turning point," Carney said. "Not just not conceding points, but getting good exits, then getting back into our shape and building pressure." Captain Johan Momsen, co-captaining alongside Sam Golla, was at the heart of it. "We just came out and expressed ourselves," Momsen said. "We played pressure free. We know we have it. We see how we train."

The bench, once again, proved decisive. Five replacements in a single wave at the 49-minute mark injected fresh energy, and it was Will Sherman, the rookie lock from Southern California, who crossed for his first Anthem try on 60 minutes after Eric Storti's electrifying break opened up the Seattle defense. Carty's penalty on 64 minutes extended the lead to 31-18, and when the flyhalf coolly slotted another from 25 meters in the 79th minute to deny Seattle a losing bonus point, it completed a 14-point haul from a player who has been, in Cuca's words, a calming influence since the day he called the club wanting to be part of this project.

Golla, making his first start of the season after returning from injury, was typically selfless in his assessment. "It was a full team win across the board, especially with the bench and the reserves," the co-captain said. He singled out the defensive culture that saw Anthem make nearly 50 more tackles than Seattle, adding: "We're building something here. And this is just the start. We want to win the rest of our home games. We want to make the playoffs." Carney echoed the sentiment, pointing to the culture the coaching staff have built. "This isn't just a team, it's a family. These guys go to bat for each other on the field," he said. "It's something that we haven't had in a while with this franchise, and it's awesome to see." On squad depth, he was equally bullish: "Our bench has been tremendous. We've got guys that are desperate to put on a starting jersey, and they're all fighting day in, day out in training. We're well positioned to continue this momentum. We just have to stay humble."

Seattle did pull a try back through Divan Rossouw on 69 minutes in broken play, the fullback had been Seattle's most dangerous ball carrier all afternoon, and Mark Bennett converted to cut the deficit to six. But Anthem's composure never wavered. They ate up the clock with patient phase play, their scrum continuing to shunt Seattle backwards, and Carty's late penalty put the result beyond doubt, and denied Seattle a losing point. Even Will Leonard, watching from the stands after missing the match-day 23, could feel the shift. "It was huge. We showed real determination and resilience to come out this week and bounce back from that disappointing loss," he said. "Whatever role I have to play, whether that's playing or supporting, I'll do that and be happy to do that." That kind of squad mentality is what sustains winning runs.

The broader numbers told the story of a team growing into itself. Anthem consistently broke tackles and found space in the wide channels, their backs making clean breaks whenever the Seattle defense drifted narrow. The lineout remained a work in progress, Anthem won just over half of their own throws, an area Cuca candidly acknowledged still needs attention. But with the scrum dominant, the defense resolute, and the backline clicking behind Carty and Pittman's increasingly assured partnership, those are problems for the training field, not the scoreboard.

O'Meara offered the broadest perspective. "There was no drop in belief and confidence in the group. We just didn't feel like we put our best foot forward last week," he said. "This result solidifies it. We are a completely different team. This is a different group, and we have a different trajectory." Charlotte has a rugby team that believes. After 85 degrees, 80 minutes, and one historic afternoon, it is getting harder to argue with them.

Anthem Rugby Carolina 34: Tries Campbell Robb (7), Julian Roberts (26), Malacchi Esdale (31), Will Sherman (60). Cons Carty 4 (8, 26, 32, 61). Pens Carty 2 (64, 79).

Seattle Seawolves 25: Tries Ezekiel Lindenmuth (22), Ryan (28), Divan Rossouw (69). Cons David Coetzer (23), Mark Bennett (70). Pens Coetzer 2 (11, 20).

Anthem Rugby Carolina J Trainor; C Mooneyham, J Roberts, T Pittman, M Esdale; L Carty, Z Going; P Telea-Ilalio, C Robb, A Maughan, J Momsen (C), J Scott, S Golla (C), T Tonga'uiha, M Alikhan. Replacements: R Gurovich, A Heaney, O Kane, W Sherman, B Godfrey, I Safodien, M Fuala'au, E Storti.

Seattle Seawolves D Rossouw; M Hand, M Bennett, D Jones, N Tuamoheloa; D Coetzer, A Warner; E Lindenmuth, D Kotze, I Peculo, R Herbst, H Mataele, M Redelinghuys, P Ryan, R Hattingh. Replacements: L Chan Tung, L White, C Walsh, T Vavao, K Moli, J-P Smith, C Liulamaga, N Boyer.

Scoring Summary

Time Team Scorer Type Score

7 ‚¬Â² ARC C. Robb Try 5-0

8 ‚¬Â² ARC L. Carty Conversion 7-0

11 ‚¬Â² SEA D. Coetzer Penalty 7-3

20 ‚¬Â² SEA D. Coetzer Penalty 7-6

22 ‚¬Â² SEA E. Lindenmuth Try 7-11

23 ‚¬Â² SEA D. Coetzer Conversion 7-13

26 ‚¬Â² ARC J. Roberts Try 12-13

26 ‚¬Â² ARC L. Carty Conversion 14-13

28 ‚¬Â² SEA P. Ryan Try 14-18

31 ‚¬Â² ARC M. Esdale Try 19-18

32 ‚¬Â² ARC L. Carty Conversion 21-18

60 ‚¬Â² ARC W. Sherman Try 26-18

61 ‚¬Â² ARC L. Carty Conversion 28-18

64 ‚¬Â² ARC L. Carty Penalty 31-18

69 ‚¬Â² SEA D. Rossouw Try 31-23

70 ‚¬Â² SEA M. Bennett Conversion 31-25

79 ‚¬Â² ARC L. Carty Penalty 34-25

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Major League Rugby Stories from April 13, 2026


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