Arrows end losing streak with win over Old Glory

A strong second half from the Toronto Arrows earned a 34-28 victory over Old Glory at Lupo Family Field on Sunday. It snapped a five-game losing streak for the Canadian side and pushes them ahead of DC and out of the last place in the Eastern Conference.

The Arrows were on the front foot for much of the first 15 minutes but repeat handling errors denied them a score. Instead Jason Robertson chipped the ball over the defensive line and it bounced perfectly on the turf for Renata Roberts-Te Nana to regather and sprint home from halfway. The conversion from Robertson made it 7-0 to Old Glory.

Tayler Adams got the Arrows on the board with a penalty goal just after the hydration break, but Old Glory fired straight back with another try. Api Naikatini took the ball off the top of a lineout and connected with Tevita Naqali, who in turn passed to James King on the short side to barge in. Robertson nailed the kick from a tough angle to extend DC’s lead.

A try finally came to the Arrows at the half-hour mark as Andrew Ferguson found just enough space beside a ruck to slip in under the posts. Naikatini very nearly had reply soon after but the big lock dropped the ball over the line and the score stayed 14-10 to the visitors at halftime.

The score would change quickly in the second half. Some skilled interplay between Ciaran Hearn, Danny Tusitala, and Dylan Taikato-Simpson earned territory and then Cory Daniel’s outside-in angle caught the defense flat-footed for try number three. Again Robertson was accurate to make it a full seven.

Toronto were in dire need of inspiration and they got it. Ferguson sold a dummy and broke around the end of the lineout, chipping over the defense and stepping on the afterburners. Tusitala looked to be a step ahead but at the last moment it was the Arrows scrumhalf who won the race to finish a brilliant individual effort.

Suddenly the Arrows had the bit between their teeth and they exploded for two converted tries in three minutes. Adams hit Joaquín Tuculet with a flat pass with the Argentine’s offload sending Guiseppe du Toit free. Another flat ball from Adams went to du Toit, who popped it back inside to a screaming Sam Malcolm for a breakaway effort.

There was still time for drama. Tuculet was shown yellow for what was ruled a deliberate knock-on and within seconds DC took advantage. A kick to the corner earned a lineout and after Max Lum found Dacoda Worth in the lineout, the hooker broke free and offloaded to replacement scrumhalf Danny Thomas for the try. Malcolm’s pressure wasn’t enough to stop Robertson from tacking on the extra two.

A scrum penalty gave Adams a chance to stretch the lead but it drifted wide. Old Glory’s hopes faded as Tusitala was binned for the same reason as Tuculet with both teams down to 14 men. One final chance ended in a knock-on, and scrum the subsequent scrum the Arrows sent the ball dead to claim the spoils.

Old Glory return home for their two remaining matches, the first next Saturday against the San Diego Legion. The longest season will come to an end for the Arrows next Sunday as they host the New England Free Jacks in Marietta.

 

SCORING

TORONTO 34
Tries – A. Ferguson 2 (30′, 48′), G. du Toit (53′), S. Malcolm (56′)
Cons – No kick (30′), T. Adams 3/3 (49′, 54′, 57′)
Pens – T. Adams 2/3 (22′, 69′)
Yellow cards – J. Tuculet (70′)

DC 28
Tries – R. Roberts-Te Nana (16′), J. King (27′), C. Daniel (42′), D. Thomas (70′)
Cons – J. Robertson 4/4 (17′, 28′, 43′, 71′)
Yellow cards – D. Tusitala (75′)

 

TEAMS

TORONTO ARROWS
1 Pat Lynott (17 Rob Brouwer 52′), 2 Jack McRogers (16 Joe Tomlinson 73′), 3 Gastón Cortes (18 Marc-Antoine Ouellet 52′), 4 Mike Sheppard, 5 Paul Ciulini (19 Adrian Wadden 62′), 6 Ollie Nott (20 Mason Flesch 57′), 7 Tomás de la Vega, 8 Ronan Foley, 9 Andrew Ferguson (21 Jason Higgins 72′), 10 Tayler Adams, 11 Joaquín Tuculet, 12 Guiseppe du Toit (capt.), 13 Mitch Richardson (22 Manuel Montero 47′), 14 Johnny Sheridan (23 Kobe Faust 72′), 15 Sam Malcolm

OLD GLORY DC
1 Jamie Dever (17 Jack Iscaro 55′), 2 James King (16 Max Lum 55′), 3 Steven Longwell (18 Dante Lopresti 61′), 4 Tevita Naqali, 5 Api Naikatini, 6 Cory Daniel (20 Dacoda Worth 70′), 7 Mungo Mason (capt.), 8 Josh Brown (19 Mo Katz 78′), 9 Danny Tusitala, 10 Jason Robertson, 11 D’Montae Noble (21 Danny Thomas 69′), 12 Ciaran Hearn, 13 Renata Roberts-Te Nana, 14 Sam Cusano (23 Simi Moala 63′), 15 Dylan Taikato-Simpson (22 Owen Sheehy 67′)

 

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Mike Lash (New Zealand)
Assistants: Cisco Lopez (USA) & Pete Chamberlain (USA)