Top 10 Raptors Matches: Raptors Hand Arrows First Loss of 2020

The fifth-best Colorado Raptors match of all time comes from the fifth and final match of the 2020 season.

With everything that’s taken place since this match was played, it feels like it happened much longer ago than March 6.

The last week of societal normality was a roller coaster in landscape of Major League Rugby and the Raptors were the team that made the first wave when they handed the second-place Toronto Arrows their first loss of the 2020 season.

The Raptors brought their A-game on that chilly night at Infinity Park. After starting the season in an 0-3 hole, the Raptors used a defensive masterpiece to defeat the Utah Warriors 22-14 in Round 4 to pick up their first win of the season, and then used another huge defensive effort in Round 5 to knock off the undefeated Arrows 22-19.

The match was ultimately decided by two defensive stands. With pendulum that was momentum in this match swung back and forth between the two teams throughout the contest, but it was the Raptors that were able to turn the tides when the pressure began to mount.

The largest play of the match occurred right at the end.

The Arrows, trailing by three points, began to work the ball down the pitch and eventually pushed the Raptors backs up against the wall. With their heels inching closer and closer towards their own goal line, the Raptors looked to be in serious trouble. The Arrows began to work through their phases with just over a minute to play before Colorado’s outside center Rene Ranger ripped the ball out of the hands of the Toronto attacker. The ball squirted into the arms of wing Mika Kruse who immediately went to the ground.

The Raptors were able to form a few rucks and grind out the clock to hand the Arrows their first loss of the 2020 season. As fate would have it, this was not only the Raptors final match of the 2020 season, it was also their final MLR match as well.

Read the recap of this match right here.

SCORING

Colorado Raptors

Tries: John Ryberg, Mika Kruse

Conversions: Robbie Petzer (0/2)

Penalty Goals: Robbie Petzer (4/4)

Toronto Arrows

Tries: Gaston Mieres

Conversions: Sam Malcolm (1/1)

Penalty Goals: Sam Malcolm (4/4)

Check out the rest of the list!

10. Raptors Steal the Show at Starfire

9. 2018 MLR Championship

8. Chad London Stuns RUNY at the Horn

7. The Robbie Petzer Show

6. Gold Rush