On an unusually warm Colorado November evening at Infinity Park, the Glendale Raptors completed the fall season with a hard fought victory, 22 – 16, over the Dallas Harlequins in front of 1,100 rugby supporters.

The Raptors would get on the scoreboard early as the Harlequins were penalized early for diving over at the ruck.  Fly half Andre Bachelet kicked the angled kick for the 3 – 0 lead.  Shortly thereafter wing Justin Howley scored a converted try following a short build up, 10 – 0 Raptors.

The physical battle intensified between the two sets of forwards, with big hits and no quarter given.  In the twenty-seventh minute a Raptor player was sin binned, one of fourteen first half Raptor penalties, and the Harlequins slotted the penalty.  A second yellow card and continued infractions allowed the Harlequins to move to a 10 – 9 half time score.  The score might have been in the Harlequins favor had their kickers been more accurate on the night.

The second half demonstrated continued uncompromising play by both teams as they fought their way back and forth, neither side gaining supremacy.  In the nineteenth minute following a series of phases the Raptor forwards drove prop Pat Carroll over for a converted try in the right corner.

In the sixty-sixth minute the Harlequins scored an intercept try under the posts to pull with one of the Raptors 17 – 16.  Just two minutes later Bachelet put through a clever kick that wing Dustin Croy recovered for a try in the corner for the final 22 – 16 margin.