Eastern Conference Semifinal Match Preview
June 13, 2025 - Major League Rugby (MLR) News Release
Written by Joe Harvey
Intensity is at an all-time high ahead of the 2025 Major League Rugby Playoffs presented by Sportsbreaks, which get underway this weekend.
Eight teams will be whittled down to one over the next three weekends at a showpiece finale at Rhode Island's brand-new Centreville Bank Stadium.
The Eastern Conference Semifinals will get underway on Saturday evening when the Chicago Hounds host Old Glory DC.
CHICAGO HOUNDS (2) V OLD GLORY DC (3) | SATURDAY 14 JUNE, 7PM EDT
The first game of knockout rugby in 2025 will see the Chicago Hounds host Old Glory DC in the Midwest.
At the end of the regular season, just eight points separated the two teams. Chicago's 11-5 record placed them second in their division, while DC's eight wins and eight losses placed them third.
For the Hounds, it is a second shot at postseason rugby. In 2024, the side beat the NOLA Gold on the road before being knocked out by eventual champions the New England Free Jacks in their Conference Final.
Now one year wiser and under the tutelage of Chris Latham, Chicago have doubled down on last year's success to secure a home Semifinal.
"There's a bit of excitement within the team right now," Chicago back-row Mason Flesch said.
"We're just trying to keep our routine the same, so the week flows smooth and doesn't ramp up too early.
"A big mantra that we've adopted is the 'Monsters of Midway'. That gets us into the headspace to dominate and know that when people come to play us in Chicago, they're going to the well over and over if they want to beat us."
When the teams met one another in the regular season in Chicago it was the Hounds who were victors.
A 13-point tally for Chris Hilsenbeck, a brace of tries for Maclean Jones and a penalty try were enough to counteract Perry Humphreys' hat-trick, Cory Daniel's effort and Jason Robertson's six points from the kicking tee.
But despite that result DC back themselves.
Across the 2025 season Simon Cross' team have impressed and registered a double over the New England Free Jacks, along with victories against the Seattle Seawolves and Utah Warriors.
Clearly with the ability to turn over Chicago on the road and return to a Conference Final for the first time in two years.
"There is definitely a buzz around the locker room this week," Old Glory scrum-half Connor Buckley said.
"We've got a locker room full of guys who are hungry to bring a title to DC. We're very excited for this weekend."
Old Glory's experiences a year ago have provided ample motivation in 2025.
Dispatched by New England in their Conference Semifinal, Simon Cross' team had to watch the rest of the Playoffs unfold from afar.
This season, the Flags returned with an added intensity to everything they did, as plenty of the team returned for a second shot at knockout rugby glory.
"Last year, we fell just short of the Eastern Conference Final, but we got a taste of what Playoff rugby is like in this league," Buckley said.
"We're a much-improved team from that point. We didn't enjoy watching the Eastern Conference Final from home last year.
"We don't plan on doing that again. Making the final would be massive for us."
In their 23-17 loss to the New England Free Jacks in the Eastern Conference Final last season, the Hounds got their first insight into Playoff rugby two seasons into their existence.
Now, in their third season, with a squad teeming with talent and a dynamic brand of rugby, there is plenty of confidence from the Conference's second seed heading into the weekend.
"For everyone in the group, it would mean a lot for a shot to go into the final," Flesch said.
"It will mean a lot more to those that got the opportunity and fell a bit short. It'll be more about redemption.
"This is a massive moment for the Hounds.
"To be three years in, getting the home Playoff in front of our fans and family is all the more exciting knowing what is at stake."
NEW ENGLAND FREE JACKS (1) V MIAMI SHARKS (4) | SUNDAY 15 JUNE, 2PM EDT
There is a stark contrast between the New England Free Jacks and Miami Sharks heading into this weekend's Semifinal.
New England are postseason regulars, with this Playoffs appearance their fourth season in a row, while it is Miami's first time in the final eight.
While the Sharks are just getting their feet under the knockout rugby table, Jose Pellecina's charges have shown plenty of resolve in the regular season.
In regular season wins over the Houston SaberCats, Old Glory DC and this weekend's opponents, New England, the Sharks have proven themselves capable of taking on any team placed in front of them.
For a team in their second MLR season, the Sharks have blended their strong South American heritage with domestic talent perfectly in Florida.
Ricky Rose arrived in the 305 as the team's first-ever Draft pick ahead of the 2024 season.
Selected first overall in the 2023 MLR Collegiate Draft, the towering lock has seen the team's growth firsthand and made eight appearances for his team this season.
"There were many lessons learned in our inaugural season, but we are fast learners," Rose said.
"We've improved tenfold in many areas of the game and in our maturity. We've defined our core tenets and have grown upwards from our roots.
"It (winning on Sunday) would be a great testament to our efforts. We have put in continual hard work right from the rip.
"We derive confidence from this. It is now time to reap what we have sowed."
To do just that, Rose is confident that his team will not stray too far from what has brought them to the Conference Semifinals in the first place.
"The plan is plain and obvious to each one of us," Rose said.
"We are going to enjoy this week of preparation together, but our blinders are on. All eyes are pointing onward to our next battle with confidence and determination."
All of 2025, the Free Jacks have carried the weight of chasing a three-peat.
Having lifted the Shield in back-to-back seasons, the men from Massachusetts want to further their own legacy as the best in class by securing the treble in Ryan Martin's first season as head coach.
In some ways, it was a slow start for the back-to-back champs, who lost games to the Chicago Hounds, Seattle Seawolves, and Old Glory DC in their opening five games of 2025.
A midseason recovery of form helped the team top the Eastern Conference for the fourth year in a row and host another Semifinal at Veterans Memorial Stadium.
Coming up against Miami brings a certain amount of intrigue.
Over the 17-week regular season, the teams played each other twice, with New England winning the first encounter in April and Miami winning the second last month on home soil.
"We've got a good, positive environment heading into the weekend," Ben LeSage, New England's center, said.
"It's a mix of excitement and focus, really just eager to finally take to the field and get things underway.
"Understanding that we have the chance to win a third in a row and do something unprecedented brings a ton of motivation.
"A new season starts again on Sunday with no margin for error. We'll be relying on our home fans to give us that extra boost. Every little bit counts."
LeSage makes no secret of his team's overriding motivation: to ultimately lift the Shield on Saturday, June 28.
More than accustomed to having a target on its back, New England is not getting ahead of itself either and is looking forward to participating in crunch time again.
"Making the Eastern Conference Final would be another huge accomplishment, especially in a season where there's so much parity between all teams," LeSage said.
"It gives our fans another chance to cheer us on at home. Our hopes are to play three Playoff games."
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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
