Arrows Conclude Long Road Trip with Narrow Defeat in Dallas

It came down to the final play of the match, but the Dallas Jackals did just enough to hold off a late push from the visiting Toronto Arrows to secure a 14-11 win on Saturday evening.

Ross Braude scored the Arrows’ lone try in the tight affair at Choctaw Stadium — the last leg of their season-opening, six-game road swing — and Sam Malcolm chipped in two penalty goals.

Toronto controlled the majority of territory and possession in the opening frame, and looked dangerous right off the hop; an early chance from a five-metre lineout was stymied by the Jackals, but the Arrows continued to probe.

The deadlock was broken just ahead of the hydration break, as Malcolm slotted a close-range penalty to give the travelling Canadians a three-point lead.

The Arrows continued to pressure the hosts, and looked increasingly threatening on the heels of a pair of linebreaks. Metre-leader Fabian Goodall struck first, and later Braude found a gap, but staunch defence from the Jackals ensured neither chance led to points.

Sandwiched in between those two breaks was the first try of the match, with Dallas lock Sam Golla wriggling free from a tackle and racing in to score a seven-point try, albeit well against the run of play.

A late first-half goal from Malcolm cut the Arrows’ deficit to one point entering the interval.

Toronto again looked the livelier of the two sides following the kickoff, and this time were rewarded with a try eight minutes into the frame. An attacking lineout saw the Arrows’ drive stopped just short of the goalline, but an spatially-aware Braude spotted a gap at the breakdown and snuck in for his second try in as many matches.

The Jackals regained the lead at the hour-mark, with hooker Dewald Kotze crashing over from the back of a driving maul; Martin Elias’ conversion sent the hosts ahead 14-11.

Both teams traded spells of possession between the 22s throughout the final quarter, though scoring opportunities would prove to be scarce.

As the clock ticked into the red, a late drive from the Arrows resulted in a penalty inside Dallas’ half. Opting for the corner instead of a shot at goal, the Arrows signalled their intent: the visitors wanted to shoot for a victory instead of potentially settling for a draw.

The lineout throw was clean and the maul started brightly, but it was ultimately stopped short by the Jackals defenders. The final whistle ensued, sealing the win for the home side.

Hometown lock Hank Stevenson made his first MLR start, and recent signees D’Shawn Bowen and Dawson Fatoric came on for their MLR debuts.

Thirteen Arrows were unavailable for the game due to injury.

 

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Toronto (1-5; 6 points) enters Week 8 of the 2023 season with a home clash against the New York Ironworkers (2-3; 10 points) on Saturday, April 8, marking the team’s home opener.

The Arrows fell to the Ironworkers earlier this season, dropping a 39-3 away decision at Memorial Stadium in Mount Vernon, NY. Toronto holds a 3-4 all-time record against New York, with the two clubs splitting the season series in 2019, 2021, and 2022.

The Eastern Conference clash at York Lions Stadium will kick off at 4 p.m. ET. Tickets are available for purchase via AXS, with single game seats starting as low as $20.