Head to Head: Ruben de Haas vs John LeFevre
Published on June 14, 2026 under Major League Rugby (MLR) News Release
The scrum-half position decides tempo, territory, and rhythm in a way that no other position quite does. Whoever controls it tends to control the game. On Monday evening at SeatGeek Stadium, Ruben de Haas and John LeFevre will each try to do exactly that - one for the team that has been the story of the entire 2026 season, the other for a side that nearly ended that story just two weeks ago.
De Haas's rugby journey reads like an unlikely American dream told in reverse. He was born in George in South Africa's Western Cape, emigrated to the United States at the age of ten, settled in Arkansas, and played football at Jessieville High School while finding the game through one of only two club rugby teams in the entire state. His father Pieter and grandfather Gerard were well-known players for the Lions and Bulls, respectively - the rugby is in the blood, even if Arkansas was not exactly the expected environment for it to surface. He captained the USA Under-19s on their 2016 tour of Ontario and has since accumulated 44 senior caps for the Eagles. He has been at three different MLR clubs in three seasons, arriving at Chicago this year after a year at NOLA, and has been central to everything the Hounds have built in their perfect campaign. His kick game - fourth most passes in the league, joint most retained kicks - keeps Chicago's relentless attack in the positions it needs to be.
LeFevre's story is quieter and more local. A Virginia native who attended Old Dominion University, plays for the Washington Irish outside the MLR season, and has been part of the Old Glory program since his debut in 2022. He spent 2024 with the American Raptors and came back. This is his fourth season in the organization, and for the first time in his career, he has been a consistent starter - before this year, he had started just one MLR match in his career. He has responded by making the third most passes in the league, leading Old Glory's attack with a composure that his experience in the system explains. He made 95 passes in a single game in Week 5. That kind of volume at nine defines what Old Glory can and cannot do.
The numbers reflect two different roles. De Haas is a carrying, distributing nine in an attack-first system - his tries and offloads point to a player asked to be a threat himself, not just a conduit. LeFevre's 45 tackles from ten games are the standout figure on his side of the ledger: that is the workload of a scrum-half who is constantly putting his body on the line in defense as Old Glory's defensive structure comes under sustained pressure.
The last time these clubs met, in Week 10, Old Glory led 32-19 with fifteen minutes remaining. Chicago scored 14 unanswered points to win 33-32 and collect all five. It was the closest anyone has come to beating the Hounds all season. Old Glory knows exactly what it takes. Simon Cross's side has the best tackle success rate in the league, the most successful tackler in the competition in Cory Daniel, and a collective defensive identity that has made them one of the hardest teams in MLR to put away.
This is Old Glory's 100th match in MLR history. They have won 40 of their previous 99, drawn four, and lost 55. Chicago, meanwhile, is the first team in the history of the competition to go through an entire regular season unbeaten - ten wins from ten, maximum points in every match. Only once before has the team that topped the regular season log gone on to lift the trophy. Monday is when Chicago finds out whether this year is different.
SeatGeek Stadium hosts the final on June 21. A Chicago win tonight means they play that final at home. That is not a small thing. Neither is an Old Glory side that led this exact opponent by 13 points in the final quarter two weeks ago. De Haas and LeFevre will set the tempo from the first whistle. In a match this tight, whoever controls the nine channel is likely to control the outcome.
Major League Rugby Stories from June 14, 2026
- 3 Reasons You Need to be in Chicago for Championship Weekend - MLR
- Head to Head: Ruben de Haas vs John LeFevre - MLR
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