Glendale wins battle over Austin

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 capitalise 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 penatly 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.