Glendale wins battle over Austin

Recap

The Glendale Raptors opened their Major League Rugby with a 41-26 win over a feisty Austin Elite side at Infinity Park but it was very far from smooth sailing. Two red cards and a yellow saw the Raptors finish the game with only 12 men on the field but they managed to hold on and escape to the showers with the result they needed.

As was seen in the first match of the day at Houston, discipline proved a major issue for both sides. Ben Mitchell was the first to be sanctioned, sent to the bin just two minutes into the match for a late hit on Will Magie. Glendale could not capitalize on the advantage, however, and instead it was Reece Czarnecki who finished off an attacking move to give Austin the first points of the match.

Magie knocked over a penalty shortly after but it wouldn’t be until the clock ticked over the half-hour mark until Glendale finally awoke from their slumber. Connor Cook, John Quill, and Ben Landry each powered over before the break, with Magie converting each to make if 41-26 to the home side.

Austin’s deficit grew rapidly from the restart. Max de Achaval was on the end of a Magie grubber to touch down and then with the Raptors on the rampage Sani Taylor was binned for preventing them from going quick. From a scrum Glendale attacked the space where Taylor might have been and Harley Davidson crossed to make it 38-7.

The script flipped moments later when Landry lifted Hanco Germishuys clean off the ground in a monstrous tackle, slamming him to the earth with a thud on this shoulder. After a brief consultation the referee had no option but red and the giant Raptors lock strode quietly from the pitch.

Germishuys took it on himself to pull Austin back into the match. On a barging 60 meter gallop he barged through one, shook off another, and sold the last defender on a dummy to score a superb individual effort. With Taylor back on the pitch Austin were in again, this time via Mitchell.

Glendale were still well and truly ahead but there were yet more twists to come. Connor Cook lifted Todd Clever in a tackle and the former Eagles captain landed head-first, and again there was no option but red. Down to 13 men the Raptors were up against it and repeat infringements brought forth another card, this time yellow to Kelepi Fifita.

Czarnecki’s arms were just long enough to reach the tryline on a diving effort moments later and with six minutes to play Glendale’s 12-point lead would be defended by only 12 men. Somehow Austin conspired to foil their own progress and instead it was Magie who would take points in the dying moments to secure a win in a strangest of circumstances.

SCORING

GLENDALE 41
Tries – C. Cook (31’), J. Quill (37’), B. Landry (40’), M. de Achaval (44’), H. Davidson (46’)
Cons – W. Magie 5/5 (32’, 38’, 40’, 45’, 47’)
Pens – W. Magie 2/3 (21’, 79’)
Yellow cards – K. Fifita (74’)
Red cards – B. Landry (48’), C. Cook (71’)

AUSTIN 26
Tries – R. Czarnecki 2 (12’, 74’), H. Germishuys (52’), B. Mitchell (58’)
Cons – T. Guillimin 3/4 (13’, 53’, 59)
Pens – T. Guillimin 0/1
Yellow cards – B. Mitchell (2’), S. Taylor (46’)

TEAMS

GLENDALE RAPTORS
1 Luke White (16 Blake Rogers 55’), 2 Zach Fenoglio (19 Sam Figg 65’), 3 Kelepi Fifita, 4 Casey Rock (20 Brian Wanless 53’), 5 Ben Landry, 6 Connor Cook, 7 John Quill (18 Dylan Fawsitt HT), 8 Peter Dahl, 9 Shaun Davies (capt.), 10 Will Magie, 11 Seth Halliman (17 Nick Kwasniewski 74’), 12 Bryce Campbell, 13 Mika Kruse (22 Chad London 49’), 14 Harley Davidson, 15 Maximo de Achaval

Not used: 21 Jake Christmann, 23 Ata Malifa

AUSTIN ELITE
1 Chris Schade, 2 Mike Brown (17 Siaosi Finau 36’), 3 Mason Pedersen, 4 Ben Mitchell, 5 Victor Comptat (23 Ross Deacon HT), 6 Kyle Breytenbach (16 David LeMasters 62’), 7 Hanco Germishuys, 8 Pedrie Wannenburg (19 Todd Clever 53’), 9 Michael Reid (21 Knute O’Donnell 46’), 10 Timothée Guillimin, 11 Sani Taylor (22 Sione Fangaiuiha 75’), 12 Andrew Suniula (capt.), 13 Roland Suniula, 14 Reece Czarnecki, 15 Zac Mizell (20 Alex Faison-Donahoe 70’)

Not used: 18 Robert Drummond