For 65 minutes, the Toronto Wolfpack was thoroughly dominated by the Dewsbury Rams.

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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The Rams outran and out-muscled the Wolfpack. But three tries in a five-minute span gave Toronto a 22-17 win to extend its perfect start in the Betfred Championship.

The run started with a kick by Josh McCrone into the in-goal area where Ryan Brierley, seeing his first action since July, touched it down. Then three plays after Toronto was awarded a penalty at the halfway line for an illegal kickoff, Blake Wallace took a pass 10 metres from the line and dragged a couple of Dewsbury defenders to the goal.

Two minutes later, a knock-on call against the Rams deep in their zone gave possession back to Toronto and three plays later, Gareth O’Brien faked an offload and ran five metres to put Toronto ahead.

The barrage put to waste an excellent effort by the home side on the soggy pitch at a rainy Tetley’s Stadium in West Yorkshire. Great production from the forwards with and without the ball helped Dewsbury build a 10-4 lead at the half on two penalty kicks from Paul Sykes and a try from Michael Knowles. Adam Higson scored Toronto’s first-half try.

Sykes converted three more penalty kicks to put Dewsbury up 16-4 after 60 minutes, then made it a three-score game with a drop goal.

Unfortunately, Toronto continued to lose players to injury as both Jon Wilkin and Adam Sidlow left the game in the first half.

The Wolfpack (5-0) heads to France next Saturday to battle the Toulouse Olympique.

RUGBY ROUNDUP

Canada’s national men’s team lost 39-23 to Argentina XV in the Americas Rugby Championship in Langford, B.C., on Friday. The win clinched the title for the South Americans. Canada (1-3) finishes the tournament against the U.S. in Seattle on Friday.

Meanwhile, the Toronto Arrows could not find traction in a Colorado snowstorm, losing 22-0 to the Glendale Raptors and dropping their Major League Rugby record to 2-3. They should get much better weather next Sunday when they head south to face the San Diego Legion. The Arrows play three more road games before starting their home schedule on April 7.