Raptors stop Legion in MLR warm-up

A last-second try from Hanco Germishuys handed the Glendale Raptors a 38-31 win over the San Diego Legion in Major League Rugby preseason action on Sunday. It was the second of the game for the Eagles flanker, bringing a close to an entertaining match at Torero Stadium.

The Legion started fastest with teenage hooker Kapeli Pifeleti on the end of a driving maul to fall over the line. Ryan Matyas was next to score, picking off an errant Glendale pass to run half the field untouched. Matyas would leave the field soon after in some discomfort.

Glendale returned fire through second row Kody O’Neil who powered over from close range. Dylan Taikato-Simpson then celebrated his Raptors debut by copying Matyas with a long-range intercept score. The speedy fullback then put Germishuys in space and the flanker finished well down the left side to give Glendale the lead at the break.

The momentum continued as Luke White went over from a lineout drive early in the second half, making it four unanswered tries for the Raptors. Discipline would then play a significant factor, however, with Kelepi Fifita binned for team infringements.

San Diego sensed an opportunity and finally responded with a bit of individual excellence from Nick Boyer. The scrumhalf looked to be caught at the back of a scrum but somehow wrestled free and bounced off Connor Cook to score.

A second yellow card was brandished, this time to Raptors captain Shaun Davies. Again the Legion took full advantage. Savenaca Totovosau showed his power, brushing off two defenders to score and draw the scores level at 24-apiece.

The lead would swing to the Legion when captain Joe Pietersen slipped through, converting his own score to make it a seven-point game with only six minutes to play. It would not last, however, with Zach Fenoglio on the end of a cheeky Will Magie chip kick. The final play saw the lineout drive come close and Germishuys took it the rest of the way.

That concludes San Diego’s preseason schedule with their next match the regular season opener against New York on January 27. Glendale will suit up one more time this coming weekend against the Houston SaberCats at Constellation Field on Saturday.

SCORING

SAN DIEGO 31
Tries – K. Pifeleti (8’), R. Matyas (12’), N. Boyer (50’), S. Totovosau (60’), J. Pietersen (73’)
Cons – J. Pietersen 3/5 (13’, 51’, 74’)

GLENDALE 38
Tries – K. O’Neil (20’), D. Taikato-Simpson (23’), H. Germishuys 2 (30’, 80’), L. White (44’), Z. Fenoglio (78’)
Cons – W. Magie 4/6 (21’, 45’, 78’, 80’)
Yellow cards – K. Fifita (46’), S. Davies (55’)

TEAMS

SAN DIEGO LEGION
1 Nathan Sylvia, 2 Kapeli Pifeleti, 3 Paddy Ryan, 4 Chris Turori, 5 Keni Nasoqeqe, 6 Pat Blair, 7 Devin Short, 8 Drew Gaffney, 9 Nick Boyer, 10 Joe Pietersen (capt.), 11 Jasa Veremalua, 12 JP du Plessis, 13 Ryan Matyas, 14 Savenaca Totovosau, 15 Conor Kearns

Replacements: 16 Dean Muir, 17 Faka’osi Pifeleti, 18 Aaron Mitchell, 19 Sione Tu’ihalamaka, 20 Alec Barton, 21 Tai Enosa, 22 Nick Lupian, 23 Nick Evans

GLENDALE RAPTORS
1 Blake Rogers, 2 Chad Gough, 3 Kalepi Fifita, 4 Kody O’Neil, 5 Luke White, 6 Brendan Daly, 7 Hanco Germishuys, 8 Connor Cook, 9 Shaun Davies (capt.), 10 Will Magie, 11 Harley Davidson, 12 Ata Malifa, 13 Mika Kruse, 14 Nick Johnson, 15 Dylan Taikato-Simpson

Replacements: 16 Zach Fenoglio, 17 Max Lum, 18 Marco Fepulea’i, 19 Dwayne Pienaar, 20 Malon Al-Jiboori, 21 Carlo de Nysschen, 22 Robbie Petzer, 23 Campbell Johnstone

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Paul-Henri Courbier (USAR)