USRN

RUNY are on the road this weekend as they travel to Colorado to take on Glendale Raptors. The game kicks off on Friday night at 9.30pm EST at Infinity Park.

Both RUNY and Glendale Raptors were in action last weekend with the Raptors comprehensively beaten by an impressive San Diego side who seem to be coming into their own over the past 4 weeks.

The Raptors lie in 5th position in the league having lost to the Legion last week however their form prior to that was solid, beating the SaberCats and NOLA Gold respectively in week 12 and 11.

The Raptors major threat all season has been the counter attack of their dynamic back three in Harley Davidson, John Ryberg and the elusive Dylan Taikato-Simpson.
Ryberg who has ten tries to his name and is the league’s top try scorer has been particularly good. Ryberg’s relationship and understanding with Dylan Taikato-Simpson has seen him on the receiving end of Taikato-Simpson’s trademark no look pass, often times sending Ryberg into space.

In recent games Glendale Raptors have shown they have signifiant strength in depth with their bench making impacts when called upon. Ata Malifa always makes an impact when he comes on. Malifa is particularly effective in the latter stages of games when the game has become a little less structured allowing him to showcase his natural flair and sevens skills. US Eagles sevens player Malon Al-Jiboori has also risen to the challenge when coming off the bench scoring two tries in three weeks coming off the bench.

RUNY have been a solid team all season however, their lack of winning bonus points has been an issue for them. All top four teams including RUNY have won 8 games however RUNY sit in 4th position, 8 points behind NOLA Gold due to their lack of bonus points. RUNY have accumulated just 5 bonus points all season compared to NOLA Gold’s 13.

The spine of RUNY’s team has seen them get wins over teams when perhaps they have not played at their best. From Foden at fullback, to Petri at scrum half they have look assured in managing games.
The RUNY forwards have also been excellent all season. Players like Ross Deacon, Dylan Fawsitt, James Denise and Anthony Parry have all pitched in with excellent performances throughout the season.

RUNY have had one just one loss in their last five games which came at the hands of the aforementioned excellent San Diego Legion whereas Glendale have 2 losses and a draw from their last 5 games. Form would suggest that RUNY will get the win on the road however with this Glendale back three you never quite know.

Prediction: RUNY.