Northern Colorado Flamingos routed the Glendale Raptors 49-19 at Wildwing Rugby Complex on Saturday to improved to 3-1 in the West-North DII club league.

The home team scored their bonus point try just before the halftime whistle in a match featuring 12 tries, but only five conversions, under blustery fall conditions.

From the onset both teams employed territorial kicking tactics aided on occasion by a vagrant crosswind backing to the north. The early stages were dominated by ground gained via the boot, yet lost to the knock-on or forward pass, until Northern strung together a half dozen phases which brought them to the Raptor 10 meter line. Scrumhalf Jeff Brundage blasted out of a loose piece, into space, and then outpaced the defense to score centerposts in the 15th minute: Northern 7, Glendale 0. The next fifteen minutes saw possession exchanges as each side probed with lengthy kick-and-covers and forward rumbles, when blindside flanker Sol Mascarenas bulled his way through a handful of Raptors, and when in the clear, handed of to hard-charging center Chad Graepler. Graepler then sidestepped neatly and passed inside to prop Steve Robinson who galloped across for an unconverted try: 12-0 at 30 minutes.

Northern scored after the ensuing kickoff as No. 8 David Luedtke scooped ball up from a won scrum, and twisted and turned 30 meters to score: 17-0 at 32 minutes. Yet the Raptors were not out, and as time dwindled, the Raptors put together a half-dozen phase movement that resulted in No. 8 Dan Bassert plunging over into goal; conversion by breakaway Spenser Wells: 17-7 at 38 minutes. Northern roared right back as wing Drew Crisby booted the ball ahead and outraced the Glendale defense to claim the score at the midway whistle: 22-7 to Flamingos.

Northern opened the second half utilizing a strong north wind to pin Glendale deep in their own end as Brundage booted the ball out of his 22, forty meters downfield, and then the wily pill bounced and skittered a further forty before tripping into touch just outside the Raptor goalline. A stolen lineout, sideways-moving maul, and great Northern pressure resulted in Brundage finishing the movement when he dove into goal from a loose piece for a scoreline of 27-7. Northern stayed on the attack with fullback Craig Sherman dipping and dummying his way fifty meters to the Raptor 22 before passing to Crisby, who closed swiftly dotting down in the corner: 32-7 at 51 minutes. Unlucky Raptor handling errors due to the wind gave Sherman the ball at speed and he covered 45 meters in jinks and janks, then unloaded to #14 Todd Oswald who finished swiftly for a 37-7 Northern Colorado edge at 55 minutes.

Replacement 8-man Ben Sigg had a Glendale knock-on pop up and into his grasp, and he proceeded to flit 30 meters to score the next Flamingo try, staving off a pair of would-be tacklers on his way in: 44-7. Glendale got one back at minute 70 when hooker James Fuller muscled his way into goal for a Wells-converted goal: 44-14. The final Flamingo score of the day came in the 73rd minute as Brundage picked up his hat trick in a nifty little scoot around the defense: 49 -14. Glendale returned upfield and flanker Gavin Griffith displayed fine running form in eluding a handful of tacklers on his way to the match’s last tally, an unconverted try to make the final Northern Colorado Flamingos 49, Glendale Raptors 19.

 

Northern Colorado Flamingos (22) 49

Tries: Brundage (3), Crisby (2), Robinson, Luedtke, Oswald, Sigg

Convs: Sherman (2)

Glendale Raptors (7) 19

Tries: Bassert, Fuller, Griffith

Convs: Wells (2)

By Bernie Decker (Dustin Gordon on a burst for Glendale with Andre Bachelet in support. Chris Swallow photo)

Northern Colorado Flamingos routed the Glendale Raptors 49-19 at Wildwing Rugby Complex on Saturday to improved to 3-1 in the West-North DII club league.

The home team scored their bonus point try just before the halftime whistle in a match featuring 12 tries, but only five conversions, under blustery fall conditions.

From the onset both teams employed territorial kicking tactics aided on occasion by a vagrant crosswind backing to the north. The early stages were dominated by ground gained via the boot, yet lost to the knock-on or forward pass, until Northern strung together a half dozen phases which brought them to the Raptor 10 meter line. Scrumhalf Jeff Brundage blasted out of a loose piece, into space, and then outpaced the defense to score centerposts in the 15th minute: Northern 7, Glendale 0. The next fifteen minutes saw possession exchanges as each side probed with lengthy kick-and-covers and forward rumbles, when blindside flanker Sol Mascarenas bulled his way through a handful of Raptors, and when in the clear, handed of to hard-charging center Chad Graepler. Graepler then sidestepped neatly and passed inside to prop Steve Robinson who galloped across for an unconverted try: 12-0 at 30 minutes.

Northern scored after the ensuing kickoff as No. 8 David Luedtke scooped ball up from a won scrum, and twisted and turned 30 meters to score: 17-0 at 32 minutes. Yet the Raptors were not out, and as time dwindled, the Raptors put together a half-dozen phase movement that resulted in No. 8 Dan Bassert plunging over into goal; conversion by breakaway Spenser Wells: 17-7 at 38 minutes. Northern roared right back as wing Drew Crisby booted the ball ahead and outraced the Glendale defense to claim the score at the midway whistle: 22-7 to Flamingos.

Northern opened the second half utilizing a strong north wind to pin Glendale deep in their own end as Brundage booted the ball out of his 22, forty meters downfield, and then the wily pill bounced and skittered a further forty before tripping into touch just outside the Raptor goalline. A stolen lineout, sideways-moving maul, and great Northern pressure resulted in Brundage finishing the movement when he dove into goal from a loose piece for a scoreline of 27-7. Northern stayed on the attack with fullback Craig Sherman dipping and dummying his way fifty meters to the Raptor 22 before passing to Crisby, who closed swiftly dotting down in the corner: 32-7 at 51 minutes. Unlucky Raptor handling errors due to the wind gave Sherman the ball at speed and he covered 45 meters in jinks and janks, then unloaded to #14 Todd Oswald who finished swiftly for a 37-7 Northern Colorado edge at 55 minutes.

Replacement 8-man Ben Sigg had a Glendale knock-on pop up and into his grasp, and he proceeded to flit 30 meters to score the next Flamingo try, staving off a pair of would-be tacklers on his way in: 44-7. Glendale got one back at minute 70 when hooker James Fuller muscled his way into goal for a Wells-converted goal: 44-14. The final Flamingo score of the day came in the 73rd minute as Brundage picked up his hat trick in a nifty little scoot around the defense: 49 -14. Glendale returned upfield and flanker Gavin Griffith displayed fine running form in eluding a handful of tacklers on his way to the match’s last tally, an unconverted try to make the final Northern Colorado Flamingos 49, Glendale Raptors 19.

Northern Colorado Flamingos (22) 49

Tries: Brundage (3), Crisby (2), Robinson, Luedtke, Oswald, Sigg

Convs: Sherman (2)

Glendale Raptors (7) 19

Tries: Bassert, Fuller, Griffith

Convs: Wells (2)