Lindenwood shutout McKendree 72-0 in the Midwest Rugby Conference (MRC) opener Saturday evening at Leemon Field in Lebanon, Illinois. Featuring several players making their debut on the roster, the Lions displayed a great attack and a resilient defense, even when their backs were against the wall with two yellow cards.
How It Happened:
Men's rugby was firing on all cylinders from the beginning of the contest and took an early 5-0 lead when sophomore
Byron Forword attacked the line, slipped through the defense and scored in just the third minute of the game.
The Lions added to their advantage 16-minutes later when captain
Duncan Krige dotted down with patience and determination following a dominant scrum and a strong pick-and-go effort. Forword booted the conversion to make it 12-0 Lindenwood.
The pressure continued as the Lions capitalized on their momentum. Fullback
Brendan Mason displayed great speed and threaded a kick through the defense for rookie
Karsten Rice, who collected the ball with relentless determination and scored, extending the lead to 17-0.
As the first half progressed, the Bearcats showed signs of an attacking threat, but the Lions defensive work kept a clean sheet. At the 29-minute mark, Krige supported a kick chase, received the ball, and passed it out wide to Rice, who drove the ball within five-meters of the try line.
Jeremy Zwick picked off the ruck, ran at the defense, and passed to Krige in space, extending the lead to 22-0.
To close out the half, the Lindenwood forwards carried the ball powerfully, and slick passing from the backline allowed them to orchestrate a well-structured maul.
David Scanlon drove the ball over the line, ending the first half with the Lions in front 27-0.
Emerging from the break with renewed energy, Lindenwood quickly added to the offensive tally just a minute into the second half. Forword received a deep, pressure-relieving kick from McKendree and executed a cross-kick to Rice, who beat his defender with dazzling footwork. After drawing in more defenders, Rice offloaded to Krige, who scored his third try to complete a hat trick.
Brendan Mason slotted the conversion to extend the lead to 34-0.
Moments later, the Lions found themselves defending in their half of the pitch, but showed heart and determination to shift momentum back to their side. After three-minutes of solid defensive structure, they capitalized on a lineout, with
Mark Barbour reading the overthrow and driving the ball down the field, ultimately winning a penalty on the Bearcats side of the field. Mason executed an impressive 30-meter kick, putting the team eight-meters from the tryline. Lindenwood set up a maul with
Mark Barbour peeling off to score and increase the margin to 41-0. Just one minute later, Krige sliced through the defensive line to assist Jared de Jager, who finished in style, extending the lead to 46-0.
The Lions then made forward substitutions, including the debut of
Zack McCartney. Shortly after,
David Cathcart finished off a dynamic play with blistering pace to make it 53-0.
As more substitutions were made, McKendree fought back with great effort in an attempt to stay in the game. That pressure led to a pair of yellow cards on Lindenwood in the 56
th and 57
th minutes, reducing the Lions to just 13 men. Despite this adversity, Lindenwood held strong for six-minutes against the relentless Bearcats attack. As the tide turned back in favor of Lions, Eduan van Heerdan picked off the ruck in broken play on the opposing five-meter line to score. With a Mason conversion, the Lions led 60-0.
With Lindenwood restored to 15 players, any remaining hope for McKendree was quickly extinguished.
Dimitri Diakogiannis, in his first carry of the day, used dazzling footwork to beat defenders and power over the try line, with Mason adding the conversion to make it 67-0. Finally, in the 78
th minute,
Joaquin Gonzalez Fontan delivered a finishing blow, scoring the last try of the match for the final margin.
Coach Quote:
Head Coach
Josh Macy: "Most of the time when there's a big score line, guys will start to play hero ball. Everybody wants their shot at a try. I was impressed with how we stuck to the plan, accelerated our pace of play, and really made this a useful match against a very plucky team."
Player Quote:
Rookie Freshman Flanker
Zack McCartney: "I found the game good and thought we had a big defensive effort to stop them from scoring. I enjoyed making my debut with the boys and getting to play in my first conference game."
What's Next:
Men's rugby has a busy Saturday planned for November 2. The Lions will travel to Belleville, Illinois for the Russ Ellis 10's tournament hosted by the Sunday Morning Rugby Football Club beginning at 9 a.m. in Jaycee Park. Later that night, Lindenwood hosts long-standing rival Arkansas State in the first MRC home game of the season. The opening kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Hunter Stadium in St. Charles, Missouri.
Scoring Summary:
3' Lindenwood Try
Byron Forword 0-5
19' Lindenwood Try
Duncan Krige 0-10
20' Lindenwood Conversion
Byron Forword 0-12
22' Lindenwood Try
Karsten Rice 0-17
29' Lindenwood Try
Duncan Krige 0-22
36' Lindenwood Try
David Scanlon 0-27
41' Lindenwood Try
Duncan Krige 0-32
42' Lindenwood Conversion
Brendan Mason 0-34
47' Lindenwood Try
Mark Barbour 0-39
48' Lindenwood Conversion
Brendan Mason 0-41
49' Lindenwood Try Jaryd De Jager 0-46
52' Lindenwood Try
David Cathcart 0-51
53' Lindenwood Conversion
Brendan Mason 0-53
63' Lindenwood Try Eduan Van Heerdan 0-58
64' Lindenwood Conversion
Duncan Krige 0-60
68' Lindenwood Try
Dimitri Diakogiannis 0-65
69' Lindenwood Conversion
William Bentley 0-67
78' Lindenwood Try
Joaquin Gonzalez Fontan 0-72
Lineup:
