The Glendale Raptors defeated the Austin Blacks 59 – 11 on a wet and muddy pitch at Burr Field in Austin.  Despite the slippery conditions Glendale managed to run in 9 tries from 9 different players after jumping out to a 33 – 6 halftime lead.

Austin opened the scoring in the fourth minute of the match when Glendale was penalized for offside in the midfield.  Further Glendale ill discipline allowed the referee to march off another ten meters for backchat, placing the ball within range of the accurate Austin kicker.   Continued play was back and forth as neither team could establish itself in the slippery conditions.  At the thirteen-minute mark, Glendale drove a lineout, scoring on a cleanly taken first phase move by center Mike Graham.  Graham converted his own try to put the Raptors up 7 – 3.

Austin bounced back immediately as Glendale was caught hindering an Austin player.  The penalty kick was straight and accurate tightening the match to 7 – 6.

Again play moved back and forth as both sides attempted to establish superiority.   Glendale would strike next with converted try off a penalty tap.  Prop Jacob Nelson took a short pass from scrum half Zack Johnson to power over under the posts, 14 – 6.    

Glendale would take control of the match during the final 10 minutes of the half, scoring 19 unanswered points.  From a short lineout, wing DeWon Reed finished off a first phase move for a converted try, 21 – 6.  Four minutes later from multiple phases, started from another lineout, fly half Andre Bachelet broke free to score.  The conversion was unsuccessful.  In injury time a kick ahead was gathered up by flanker Peter Pasque as he scored the final converted try of the half, 33 – 6.

As the second half began the field was considerably drier.  With better footing Glendale began to dominate the scrum.  It was from a tight head scrum that saw the Raptors attack through a number of phases to put wing Justin Howley over for a converted try.  A short time later a cross kick by Graham to the right was gathered up by fullback Taylor Howden to score in the corner.  Graham converted the difficult angled kick for an insurmountable 47 – 6 lead.
The next two scores came from Glendale as they mounted a number of phases to finally see reserve flanker Cory Lambert score a converted try.  The Raptors final score came from a turnover.  The ball was quickly passed to six foot nine Casey Rock as he outpaced the cover defense on a 70-meter run.  As he was brought down by the last defender Rock off loaded the ball to a supporting prop Pat Carroll for the Raptors’ final try, 59 – 6.
Austin continued to battle and was rewarded with a try in the thirty minute when Glendale was penalized and Austin quick taped and through two phases scored a final try of the match, 59- 11.

The Glendale second side defeated A Austin 57 – 3.

Glendale plays Queen City March 21 at Infinity Park.  There is a second side match against Queen City followed by a third side match against the Billings Bulls.