Second Half Flurry of Tries Ensures a Tight Victory for Jackals

Juan-Dee Oliver, the youngest and lightest player on a Jackals roster full of big men, took charge of the match in the opening minutes of the second half Sunday to set the stage for a dramatic 22-20 victory over the Chicago Hounds at Choctaw Stadium.

With the Jackals trailing 8-5 as the second half began, 21-year-old Oliver scooped up a kick blocked by team captain Jeronimo Gomez Vara and scrambled to open space. When the Hounds defenders closed in, he offloaded to Samuel Tuifua who went the final 30 meters for the try. That put the Jackals ahead to stay, 12-8.

Oliver, a scrum half at 176 pounds, wasn’t finished. When the Hounds botched the ensuing kickoff, he did a kick-and-chase and fell on the ball for a try. Martin Elias kicked the conversion and added a penalty kick minutes later to put the Jackals up 22-8 in the 53rd minute.

From there, the game was turned over to the Jackals’ defense. It allowed two tries to the Hounds the rest of the way but made them work hard for them on a hot and humid evening. When the Hounds made their final push in the closing minutes, they couldn’t get the job done.

The Jackals improved to 6-7 as they continue to seek a berth in the Major League Rugby playoffs. They padded their hold on the fourth playoff berth, ahead of the Utah Warriors. The Jackals lead them, 37-27, in the standings.

The Hounds, coming off a bye week, lost their fourth straight game and dropped to 5-7-1.

The Jackals have a quick turnaround before playing Old Glory DC Friday at Choctaw Stadium. Kick-off is scheduled for 7:30 pm CT, and the match will be televised by The Rugby Network.

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Lori Barber

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The Dallas Jackals are a professional rugby team that plays at Choctaw Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The Jackals are members of Major League Rugby. The team has played in Dallas/Fort Worth since 2022. Stay connected with the latest updates by following the Dallas Jackals on social media and visiting the official team website.