Raptors Looking to Right Ship After Round 7 Loss

The Raptors (2-4) are coming off a 26-7 loss to Selknam in Round 7 in a match that left much to be desired. Not only did the loss mark the end of the Raptors’ two-match winning streak, but it also marked their first loss on home soil in 2024. 

Sunday’s loss also could prove to be costly in the long run. The Raptors fell from fifth place to sixth place in the Super Rugby Americas table, with Selknam jumping up two spots into the fourth and final playoff spot with the bonus point victory. Had the Raptors won, they’d be in a playoff spot at the midway point of the season.

The Raptors will start the second half of the season with a tough task as second-place Dogos XV comes to town. Dogos – the only unbeaten team left in the competition – hammered the Raptors 56-8 in the first match of the 2024 season. 

Things have changed for the Raptors since returning to the friendly confines of Infinity Park, though. Mose Timoteo took over as head coach ahead of the homestand, and the club has gone 2-1 since. The most impressive win of the Raptors’ tenure in Super Rugby Americas came in Round 6 when they defeated Yacare XV who entered that match in second place.

The best way to get the bad taste that Sunday’s loss left out of the Raptors’ mouths would be to beat one of the best teams in the competition in Round 8. Nothing is impossible in sports, but beating Dogos will not be an easy task.

Dogos enter Round 8 having conceded the fewest number of points – 95 – and the fewest number of tries – 10 – in the entire competition. That’s 31 fewer points and seven fewer tries than Pampas, the next closest team. After three lopsided losses to open the season, the Raptors have conceded the most points – 225 – and tries – 32 – with six matches to play.

Dogos also has the edge on the Raptors through six matches on the offensive side of the equation as well. Dogos have scored 189 points and 24 tries in 2024, which are third-most in the league thus far. The Raptors have scored 103 points and 14 tries, both of which rank sixth in the competition.

The Raptors will have to play their cleanest match of the season to knock off one of the league’s best on Sunday afternoon. That means limiting penalties, turnovers, and making sound decisions on both offense and defense. The Raptors could use a clean match following a week that saw the Raptors receive four cards – a red and three yellows – and drop a winnable match against Selknam. Those cards brought the total on the season to 13 and made the Raptors the most-carded team in Super Rugby Americas to this point.

The Raptors will look to get back in the win column against Dogos XV at Infinity Park on Sunday, April 14 at 3 PM MT. The gates for the match will open at 2:30 PM, and tickets for the match can be purchased here.