Arrows Winning Streak Ends Following Narrow Loss to Colorado

7 March 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

GLENDALE, CO – Toronto’s four-match winning streak to start the 2020 Major League Rugby season was snapped on Friday evening, with the Arrows dropping a close 22-19 contest to the Colorado Raptors.

Colorado opened the scoring with a pair of penalty goals from the boot of Raptors centre Robbie Petzer, the first and second of four he would hit on the evening.

After a Sam Malcolm penalty goal halved Toronto’s deficit, Colorado scored a well-worked team try that began with a strong run from flanker Connor Cook and ended with wing John Ryberg dotting down.

The Arrows responded quickly, and it was through the hands of Uruguayan international Gaston Mieres. After breaking the line, the versatile outside back juked his way across the try line for his second tally in as many matches.

Late penalty goals from both sides saw the hosts hold a 14-13 lead entering the interval.

The second half opened with a try from Raptors wing Mika Kruse, who capitalized off an Arrows handling error to race in for the score.

The bulk of the second frame was coloured with sevenral errors and infringements from both teams, slowing the pace of play and making it difficult for either side to find rhythm, but Malcolm was able to add two more penalty goals through the mid-stages of the half to draw the match level. The decisive play fell in the 76^th minute, with Petzer’s connecting on his fourth penalty to put the hosts ahead for good. The Arrows would have one final drive in the dying seconds of the match, but the ball was stripped metres from the line, and Colorado retained possession until the referee indicated that time was up.

“We had opportunities to take this game by the scruff of its neck, but the match didn’t fall our way,” said Arrows Director of Rugby Chris Silverthorn. “Despite the loss, we’ll take four wins from our first five games, especially considering all of those games were played away from home. We have plenty more to give, and we’ll regroup during the bye week and put our best foot forward.”

The loss drops Toronto’s record to 4-1-0, though the club remains atop the Eastern Conference with 19 points.

Sunday’s game was the fifth of seven consecutive away matches for Canada’s first professional rugby union team. The club will then play seven of its final nine matches at home between April 4 and May 31 to close out its sophomore MLR regular season.

Round six marks a bye week for the Arrows; the club will return to action with a road clash against Eastern Conference rivals Rugby United New York on Friday, Mar. 20.

Toronto Arrows Score Report

Tries: G. Mieres (25)
Conversions: S. Malcolm (26)
Penalty Goals: S. Malcolm 4 (19, 32, 64, 66)

Colorado Raptors Score Report

Tries: J. Ryberg (21), M. Kruse (41)
Penalty Goals: R. Petzer 4 (5, 16, 40, 76)

Toronto Arrows Lineup vs. Colorado Raptors

1. Rob Brouwer
2. Andrew Quattrin
3. Richie Asiata
4. Kolby Francis
5. Paul Ciulini
6. Tomy de la Vega
7. Lucas Rumball (C)
8. Manuel Diana
9. Andrew Ferguson
10. Tayler Adams
11. Leandro Leivas
12. Guiseppe du Toit
13. Ben LeSage
14. Gaston Mieres
15. Sam Malcolm

16. Steven Ng
17. Pat Lynott
18. Cole Keith
19. Josh Van Horne
20. Peter Milazzo
21. Riley Di Nardo
22. Mitch Richardson
23. Will Kelly

STAFF
Vice President & General Manager: Mark Winokur
Director of Rugby:Chris Silverthorn
Coaches: David Butcher, Aaron Carpenter, Cory Hector, Peter Smith
Performance Analyst: Rodin Lozada
Team Physicians: Dr. Anthony Dixon, Dr. Chris Gallimore, Dr. John Gillis
Athletic Therapist: Perry Fan
Physiotherapist: Rohit Rajput

About Toronto Arrows Rugby Football Club:

The Toronto Arrows Rugby Football Club is Canada’s first professional rugby union team.

Competing in Major League Rugby, the team is equipped to compete against top-tier North American club teams, providing emerging Canadian talent with enhanced and more frequent opportunities to hone their skills at an elite level.

For more information, visit https://torontoarrows.com/  

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For more information, please contact: 

Brock Smith
Communications Manager
Toronto Arrows
[email protected] 

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Header Photo Credit: Josh Fredlund