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Colorado have that winning feeling again, bringing a halt to their three-game losing streak with a decisive 22-14 win over the visiting Warriors on Saturday. Rene Ranger’s double gave the Raptors a 15-0 lead before Utah added two late scores for a more favorable end result.
Points were difficult to come by in the early going. The two sides went back and forth with a long-range penalty goal from Robbie Petzer the only scoring in the first quarter.
It took until the half-hour mark for the first try. A Ranger offload sparked a line break by Marco Fepulea’i. Utah were on the back foot and after several phases it was Ranger again, this time spinning through two defenders to ground the ball over the line. Petzer’s conversion rang off the upright but the Raptors were two scores ahead.
Utah meanwhile was having no luck at all. Robbie Povey was on kicking duty for the day and he fired penalty attemps wide on either side of halftime. Colorado’s defense shut down any potential threats in their own end.
Ranger was making his presence known on both sides of the ball. The New Zealand international won a turnover at the breakdown, and after Petzer’s penalty kick missed Ranger took matters into his own hand. Repeat phases had the Warriors on the retreat and the Raptors No13 came charging around a ruck like an extra forward to crash over and dot the ball down for his second try.
Defense ruled the game until the last five minutes when a torrent of tries came. Utah finally got in the board when Huluholo Mo’ungaloa finished off a set move from a lineout.
A wild sequence from the restart nearly had them in again. Two offloads put them over halfway but a third went to ground instead of hand. Mason Emerson was there to snap it up and the fullback turned on the jets, weaving 60 meters up the field for a superb individual score.
The Warriors were now out of bonus point range but they did get a consolation score with time expired. Saia Uhila charged over to give the visitors something positive to build on during the week.
Friday night lights will look over the next match for the Raptors as they host the Toronto Arrows at Infinity Park. On Saturday the Warriors will take to the road again, this time to the Pacific North as they take on the defending champion Seawolves in Seattle.
SCORING
COLORADO 22
Tries – R. Ranger 2 (29’, 59’), M. Emerson (77’)
Cons – R. Petzer 2/3 (60’, 78’)
Pens – R. Petzer 1/2 (13’)
UTAH 14
Tries – H. Mo’ungaloa (75’), S. Uhila (80’)
Cons – R. Povey 2/2 (76’, 80’)
Pens – R. Povey 0/2
TEAMS
COLORADO RAPTORS
1 Zak Taulafo (18 Kelepi Fifita 60’), 2 Chad Gough (16 Jay Finau 66’), 3 Marco Fepulea’i (17 Xendy Tatibouët 69’), 4 Kody O’Neil (19 Brendan Daly 49’), 5 Luke White (capt.), 6 Michael Curry, 7 Connor Cook, 8 Sam Slade (20 Aladdin Schirmer 62’), 9 Carlo de Nysschen (21 Sean Yacoubian 60’), 10 Ata Malifa (22 Tomás Quinlan 60’), 11 John Ryberg, 12 Robbie Petzer, 13 Rene Ranger (23 Nick Boyer 60’), 14 Mika Kruse, 15 Mason Emerson
UTAH WARRIORS
1 Franco van den Berg (17 Huluholo Mo’ungaloa 50’), 2 Veremalua Vugakoto (16 Ricky Tu’ihalangingie 77’), 3 Angus MacLellan (18 Kalolo Tuiloma 56’), 4 Puna Vuli (19 Saia Uhila 60’), 5 Matt Jensen, 6 Bailey Wilson, 7 Sama Malolo (20 Ara Elkington 50’), 8 Jurie van Vuuren, 9 Dwayne Polataivao (capt.) (21 Michael Baska 51’), 10 Hagen Schulte (23 Jared Whippy 64’), 11 James Vaifale, 12 Dom Toluono (22 Tyler Fisher HT), 13 Calvin Whiting, 14 Gannon Moore, 15 Robbie Povey
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Jamie Nutbrown (New Zealand)
Assistants: Kahlil Harrison (USA) & Mike Lawrenson (USA)
