In the first action of the season, men's rugby fell to the St. Louis Royals 29-26 Friday night at Hunter Stadium in St. Charles, Missouri, but earned a 50-34 victory over Iowa Central Community College Saturday afternoon at Cummins Field in Fort Dodge, Iowa.  Head Coach Josh Macy split his roster to send two equal sides to the pitch for each match.  
 
The Royals are a talented local men's rugby club and several players were very familiar to Lindenwood as former Lions, so the game Friday night featured great skill play from both sides and a high level of physical play.  Lindenwood was led by the punishing defense of prop Alec McDonnell and incisive runs from fullback Evan Williams, whom was making his debut.
 
Wing Cristian Rodriguez said, "We didn't get the result we wanted, but in a sense, it's better for us to learn from this and move on. We have a mixed team of older and younger guys, so now going into next week we all will know what we have to work on."
 
The Royals kept the college side under immense pressure and a kicking masterclass was on display from backs Lungile Tshuma, Tadhg Leader, and Ty Turner, all former Lions. That leadership took the Royals to a late comeback victory.  
 
A different, but similarly talented side took faced the Tritons on Saturday.  Lindenwood played a structured defense and allowed pressure to create points. Mental lapses led to opportunities for Iowa Central, and that kept the game close for the duration.
 
Prop Gabe Kettering thought it was a good overall effort. "Despite the slow start, there were a lot of positives today, especially in the new players who came out and really showed us just how well they are capable of playing."
 
Captain and flanker Michael de Waal kept the ship headed in the right direction. "We have a lot of good things to look forward to," he said.
 
De Waal's effort was compounded with a grinding work ethic from freshman MJ Spangenberg. Veteran wing Sam Chapman kept the scoreboard ticking with a hat trick on the day.
 
"We wanted to see what the new talent had to offer and examine just where some of that talent would fit into our existing mix," Chapman said.
 
The Lions begin the season 1-1 and will return to the pitch for three matches in two days, starting with a home match against the St. Louis Ramblers November 1 at Hunter Stadium.  A pair of friendlies against Lindenwood - Belleville follow on November 2.  The opening kickoff of the first game is scheduled for 4 p.m. at the Lindenwood Track with the second at 7 p.m. at Hunter Stadium.