Eight-Try Arrows Shut Out Jackals in Record-Breaking Victory

News May-15-2022

Eight-Try Arrows Shut Out Jackals in Record-Breaking Victory

The Arrows’ playoff hopes remain alive following a commanding 57-0 victory over the Dallas Jackals on Saturday evening.

Seven different players scored tries in the record-breaking win, with the home side scoring 43 points in the opening half alone en route to the largest shutout victory in Major League Rugby history.

Activated off the injured reserve earlier in the week and starting his first match since March 27, Ross Braude wasted little time making his presence felt. The Canadian international sliced through Dallas’ line at midfield, and when the ball was advanced inside the five-metre line, Braude’s quick tap off a penalty caught the defence unawares as he stretched out for the opening try.

Will Kelly poked a short-range penalty goal minutes later, the first three of his 17 points off the tee on the evening.

Gaston Mieres appeared to have scored a sensational 50-metre try, but the TMO chalked it off, ruling he had spotted a knock on in the buildup.

Unphased by the decision from upstairs, the Arrows proceeded to rattle off three rapid-fire tries to secure the bonus point. James O’Neill bagged his first MLR try off the back of a powerful rolling maul, while probing efforts from match captain Guiseppe du Toit and Ronan Foley ensued in the following minutes.

Mieres wouldn’t be held off the scoresheet. A Dallas mistake off the restart, followed by a penalty led to the Uruguayan international diving across in the corner for a try at the half-hour mark.

Lolani Faleiva made it a six-try first frame just ahead of the interval, with the big rookie barging his way across for his fourth try in the past three matches.

The second half proved to be far quieter than the explosive opener.

Effective all match long, a Toronto lineout deep in Jackals territory led to another driving maul, with McRogers the man to cross the whitewash immediately following the hydration break. Kelly’s conversion pushed the Arrows across the half-century mark.

McRogers went over again in the final stages of the match, extending his team-leading try tally to six.

Fourth-placed Toronto (7-6; 35 points) enters Week 16 of the season with a home clash against league leaders New England Free Jacks (12-1; 56 points) on Thursday, May 19. The Eastern Conference meeting at York Lions Stadium will kick off at 7 p.m. ET.

Tickets are available for purchase via AXS, the official ticketing partner of the Toronto Arrows, on a first-come, first-served basis, while supplies last. Single game tickets start as low as $15.

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Toronto Arrows Stat Leaders:

Ball Carries: Lolani Faleiva – 14
Carry Metres: Matt Hood – 216
Tackles Made: Jack McRogers – 13
Offloads: Lolani Faleiva – 4

Dallas Jackals Stat Leaders:

Ball Carries: Eric Naposki, Jack Paloucek – 10
Carry Metres: Eric Naposki – 137
Tackles Made: Jack Paloucek – 17
Offloads: Eric Naposki – 2

Toronto Arrows Score Report:

Tries: Ross Braude (5), James O’Neill (21), Guiseppe du Toit (25), Ronan Foley (27), Gaston Mieres (30), Lolani Faleiva (39), Jack McRogers 2 (56, 73)
Conversions: Will Kelly 7 (6, 26, 28, 31, 40, 57, 74)
Penalty Goals: Will Kelly (13)