Date: 31 Mar 2012
Home: Gdynia Seahawks - 22
Away: Warsaw Eagles - 52
Eagles only unbeaten team left after snowy 52-22 victory over Seahawks
A late wintry blast covered the field at the National Rugby Stadium in Gdynia with a blanket of snow on Saturday afternoon, leaving the Warsaw Eagles and the host Seahawks to battle in conditions not seen for an official game in Poland since 2006. After a slow start, both offenses found their footing in the third quarter, which saw the lead change hands four times, although the Eagles eventually scored the game's final 33 points to emerge with a 52-22 victory in the battle of the birds.
Tyrone Landrum scored five times in his return to the Eagles, who are now the lone unbeaten in the Topliga after the second weekend of games. Landrum scored in three different ways, rushing for a score, taking a kick back for a touchdown and hauling in all three of Kevin Lynch's touchdown passes.
Both teams struggled to find a rhythm in the first half, which was interrupted by the snow several times as the grounds crew prepared the field. The Eagles went ahead 7-0 on the first of Landrum's touchdown receptions, only to see the Seahawks grab an 8-7 lead after Kyle McMahon scrambled for a two-point conversion following his 27-yard touchdown pass to Marcin Blum. Lynch hit Landrum again shortly thereafter, however, to give the Eagles a 13-8 halftime lead.
Things got a bit crazy in the third quarter, which started with McMahon hitting Josh DeLuca on a 32-yard scoring pass to give the Seahawks a one-point lead. Landrum erased that advantage on the next play, however, taking the ensuing kickoff 82-yards to paydirt. DeLuca then caught another touchdown pass to allow Gdynia to go ahead once again before the lead changed hands for the final time on a 14-yard touchdown dash by Adam Nawrocki. Landrum then extended the third-quarter lead to 32-22 with a 35-yard touchdown run.
The Seahawks could find no answer in the final frame, allowing three more touchdowns by the visitors to make the final score look a lot uglier than the actual run of play suggested. Lynch hit Landrum for the third time at the beginning of the quarter and the Eagles got a defensive touchdown for the second straight week to put the game out of reach.
The Eagles, who look much improved after welcoming Landrum back to the roster, now stand alone at the head of the Topliga going into the Easter break. They will next play again on April 14, hosting the 1-1 Dom-Bud Krakow Tigers. The Seahawks, meanwhile will be on the road the next day, taking on the AZS Silesia Rebels, who also stand at 1-1. The Eagles and Seahawks will meet again in Warsaw on May 13.