Five Must-Watch Plays from Arrows v. Legion

The Toronto Arrows produced a strong display against the San Diego Legion, but it was a telling second-half flurry from the Legion that decided the game.

Toronto narrowed the gap just before halftime with a superb try and kept the game in the balance at 13-16. However, the Legion would come out flying after the break, scoring a converted try either side of an Arrows score in the first 20 minutes of play.

Fly-half Tayler Adams kept the Arrows within touching distance for much of the game with an exceptional kicking performance but it wasn’t meant to be for Toronto. A try extended San Diego’s lead before a late charge from the Arrows fell just short.

Despite periods of top-quality rugby, wins have been hard to come by in recent games. This week’s Five Must-Watch Plays showcases exactly what has made this Arrows team so potent at times: masterful phase management, resilient defence and splashes of high-octane offence.

Crunching Tackle Swings Momentum

The Arrows had fallen behind early in this one, with San Diego dominating the opening 15 minutes.

An Adams penalty got Toronto on the scoreboard but the Legion kept coming. Or at least they did keep charging forward until this hit from Mike Sheppard…

Smash. Bang. Wallop.

Arrows Come Within Inches of a Try

Speaking of a momentum changer, this clip starts about a minute after the first one. If the tackle brought the Arrows into the game, their quick ball movement almost scored them a wonder try.

Just watch this play.

The Arrows move the ball from a scrum close to the halfway line to within 10 metres of the Legion try line in 20 seconds. A high tackle gives Toronto an advantage, and Adams dinks a cross field kick to send the Legion backline scrambling.

It was just an inch or two short of reaching its intended target. Toronto wouldn’t leave empty handed, as Adams would kick another three points from the resulting penalty.

Arrows Elite Phase Management

The best teams in rugby control phases with ease and manage the clock expertly. The All Blacks are one of the greatest teams at playing into the red (when time has expired but the ball is still live so play continues) and the Arrows did just that perfectly.

While Toronto got lucky the Legion chose not to kick the ball to touch, the Arrows produced a masterclass of ball control and phase management to score.

The Arrows pounced on that Legion mistake and made them pay with a wonderfully-worked try. A great catch from the kick, two offloads, some quick hands and Toronto scored their first try of the game in style.

Arrows Never Quit

Another Tayler Adams penalty drew the teams level 16-16 minutes into the second half. However, the Legion would quickly extend their lead once again.

What do the Arrows do in response? This.

Excellent Passing Results in a Late Score

Despite being down late, the Arrows continued to press and look for a third try. This late Leivas try came thanks to two elements: sacrificing to take a big hit, and top-quality passing.

Check it out.

Looking Ahead

Coming up next for the Toronto Arrows is 5th-placed Austin. The Gilgronis have endured a mixed bag of results recently, going 2-3 in their past five. For the Arrows, last week’s loss dropped them down to 6th in the East. With a better points differential than the four teams above them, if results go the Arrows’ way, they could be within touching distance of 3rd place by next week. Kick off is at 8 p.m. ET on June 12.

About the Author:

Oliver Smith is writer, podcast host and sports fanatic. Growing up in London, England, he moved to Toronto, Canada in 2010 before graduating with Honours at Queen’s University. He has been a sports writer since 2019.  Reach him on Twitter or LinkedIn.

Header Photo Credit: Ben Weitz