In a neutral site match, No. 2 ranked men's rugby earned a 39-0 shutout over No. 11 University of Mary Washington Saturday afternoon at Tennessee Rugby Park in Knoxville, Tennessee. Nick Hardrict, II scored twice and Le'Donn Mathis was a difference maker for the Lions.
 
How it Happened:
With a steady rain falling, field conditions were difficult for fast-paced rugby, so each team spent time working the kicking game early to establish territory. Eventually, the Lions worked their way down and earned a five-meter lineout. Alejandro Martinez Tapia worked a maul over the try line to put Lindenwood ahead 5-0.
 
It wasn't long before the Lions gained possession again and worked the ball deep into Eagle territory, earning an attacking scrum. After winning the scrum, Eduan van Heerden eventually picked the ball from the back of the ruck and worked through a gap in the defense to score. Cole Scharffenorth slotted the conversion to make it 12-0.
 
In the later stages of the first half, a Chad Tinney try on the goal line paired with a Scharffenorth conversion gave Lindenwood a 19-0 advantage at the break.
 
In the second half, after being held up in the try line for the third time in the match, the Lions received the drop goal restart and swung the ball to Nick Hardrict, II. After slipping and regaining his feet, he overpowered the tackler to score his first try of the match and increase the lead to 24-0.
 
After Hardrict, II scored his second try, Lindenwood had a scrum at the 50-meter line. The ball worked through the backline and into the hands of Jaryd de Jager. The wing broke numerous tackles and outpaced the defense for a long try. The Lions led 34-0 with less than five minutes remaining.
 
With time almost up, Delfino Salinas received the ball from a lineout and faked the defense out as he broke through the line. A perfectly timed pass from Salinas found Duncan Krige for the last try of the match and a 39-0 final.
 
Other Matches:
Lindenwood played the University of Tennessee and won 61-17. Using the conditions to their advantage, the Lions worked their forward pack and were dominant at the point of contact. Mark Barbour captained the team and was able to score twice while Riley Richardson-Mould created turnovers and was a force defensively.
 
What's Next?
Lindenwood takes on former conference rival Arkansas State February 17. The opening kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Curt Huckaby Field in Jonesboro, Arkansas.
 
Scoring Summary:
Lindenwood Try Alejandro Martinez Tapia 5-0
Lindenwood Try Eduan van Heerden 10-0
Lindenwood Conversion Cole Scharffenorth 12-0
Lindenwood Try Chad Tinney 17-0
Lindenwood Conversion Cole Scharffenorth 19-0
Lindenwood Try Nick Hardrict, II 24-0
Lindenwood Try Nick Hardrict, II 29-0
Lindenwood Try Jaryd de Jager 34-0
Lindenwood Try Duncan Krige 39-0
 
Lineup:

1. Chad Tinney
2. Christopher Wallace
3. Connor Devos
4. David Scanlon
5. Le'Donn Mathis
6. Alejandro Martinez Tapia
7. Duncan Krige
8. Eduan van Heerden
9. Jeremy Zwick
10. Cole Scharffenorth
11. Dimitri Diakogiannis
12. Declan Ries
13. Stephin Alberts
14. Nick Hardrict, II
15. Kobe Millar
16. Xavier Herbert
17. Johannes Greyling
18. Asher Webb
19. Neil Milczarek
20. Jack Johnson
21. Delfino Salinas
22. Byron Forword
23. Jaryd de Jager