After clinching the Mid-South Conference (MSC) the previous weekend, men's rugby added an exclamation point with a convincing 39-7 win over Life University Saturday afternoon at Hunter Stadium in St. Charles, Missouri.
 
The victory in the match, which was played in front of an electric crowd celebrating alumni weekend, gave the Lions a perfect 6-0 record in the MSC. Evan Williams led the Lindenwood offense with 19 points while Eduan van Heerden totaled 10 points with two tries in the game.
  
How it Happened:  
Lindenwood started quickly when the Running Eagles committed a penalty 50-meters out at the four-minute mark. Williams slotted the kick through the posts to give the Lions a 3-0 lead. Four minutes later, a second Life penalty was converted by Williams to increase the margin to six points.

The first Lindenwood try was scored when a maul came up just short of the try line and van Heerden picked up the ball and careened forward into the defensive line. The collision knocked the defenders back just enough for him to fall into the scoring zone for an 11-0 advantage.
 
The Lions extended their lead even further when Williams tossed a cut out pass to Tyren Al-Jiboori, who broke a tackle and then used his speed to get around the edge. As the last defender approached, he executed a perfectly times offload back to Williams who outraced the defense for his lone try of the day. The conversion made it 18-0 in favor of Lindenwood.
 
The Running Eagles scored their only points of the game when they charged down a clearing kick deep in Lions territory and followed it with the conversion to make it 18-7, but that was as close as Life would get the rest of the match.  
 
In what might be argued as the play of the year, Lindenwood scored their most explosive try of the season to close out the first half. With six passes in one phase, the ball touched five different players. Ryhs Smith ended up on the receiving end of a 60-meter try after catching an offload from Evan Conlon who had received an offload from Runako Brynard. With the conversion, the Lions took a 25-7 lead into the break. 
 
Lindenwood wanted to start the second half as well as the first half had finished to thwart any hopes of a Running Eagles comeback, and that's what happened, as van Heerden scored his second try of the match in the opening four minutes. The conversion extended the lead to 32-7. 
 
The final Lions score came after a Life penalty just five-meters from the try line. Neal Moylett took a quick tap to catch the defense on their heels and dotted down. Williams booted the conversion for the final 39-7 margin.  
 
Player/Coach Thoughts:  
Stephen Alberts: "I woke up in the morning with a gut feeling that we were all going to show up to the game and give it our all, especially after the alumni's speeches and words of wisdom at the jersey presentation the night before. I think we all just got a good sense of what it meant to be a Lion at Lindenwood and we just showed it and left it all on the field. It's much more than just a game to everyone. It's a lifestyle and I'm happy that we all got to band together as brothers on and off the field." 
 
Eduan van Heerden: "The support we got from the alumni players really gave us the motivation to win our first game against Life at home, because we knew we didn't just play for ourselves, but for them as well. After the first try, a spark went off in the guys and we dominated them not just physically but also technically." 
 
Head Coach Josh Macy: "Our team is coming together at the right time of the year. We are playing hungry, humble, and smart. It was a great weekend all around with support for the guys from so many different parts of the university and community. This win and more are a credit to all of us." 
  
What's Next:  
The Lions improved to 26-1 overall with the victory. They travel north to face Iowa Central Community College April 2. The opening kickoff is scheduled for 12 p.m. Saturday at Crimmins Field in Fort Dodge, Iowa, with the second XV's squaring off at 2 p.m. It's the last XV's match before the collegiate national playoffs.
    
Other Action: 
After the first match, the Lions and Running Eagles second XV's squads faced each other. After being behind by as many as 21 points, Lindenwood came from behind to pull out a 49-42 victory. Giovanni Agostini and Johannes Greyling were both a force coming off the bench to help the Lions in their ferocious comeback. 
  
Lindenwood vs. Life University Box Score:   
4' Lindenwood Penalty Kick Evan Williams 3-0   
8' Lindenwood Penalty Kick Evan Williams 6-0  
18' Lindenwood Try Eduan van Heerden 11-0  
26' Lindenwood Try Evan Williams 16-0 
27' Lindenwood Conversion Evan Williams 18-0   
31' Life Try 18-5 
32' Life Conversion 18-7  
38' Lindenwood Try Rhys Smith 23-7   
38' Lindenwood Conversion Evan Williams 25-7 
44' Lindenwood Try Eduan van Heerden 30-7 
45' Lindenwood Conversion Evan Williams 32-7  
62' Lindenwood try Neal Moylett 37-7  
63' Lindenwood Conversion Evan Williams 49-7 
  
Lineup:    
1. Gabriel Kettering–  Beorn Graham 60'     
2. Runako Brynard - Kayleb O'Donoghue  - 60'     
3. Samuel Buckley – Liam Smith 53'     
4. Alejandro Martinez Tapia  - William Whiteside 55' 
5. Eduan van Heerden - Duncan Krige  60'   
6. Marnus Spangenberg  -  
7. Cian Darling  
8. Neal Moylett  - Juan Mota Sanchez 65' 
9. Evan Conlon – Alejo Gallego Boniello 62' 
10. Evan Williams  
11. Tyren Al-Jiboori  - Jake Jacobson 65'    
12. Rhys Smith     
13. Stephen Alberts  
14. Nick Hardrict, II     
15. Shiven Dukhande