Men's rugby notched two impressive wins on a three-day trip to Texas.  The Lions defeated Texas A & M 33 to 5 on January 31 at Penberthy Sports complex in College Station, and then stopped the University of Texas 95-3 on February 2 at Burr Field in Austin.

In the game against the Aggies, neither team could gain an advantage through the first 13 minutes, but then A & M charged a kick to dot down in the corner for a 5-0 lead.  The Lindenwood forwards were able to mount some pressure through scrums and aggressive defense, opening things up for senior captain Brandon Chalker, who scored a try that was converted by freshman Reece Botha.

Sophomore second row Emmanuel Albert commented on the battles early in the contest.

"During the first half, it was tough as A & M had some really good defensive players and ball carriers," he said.  "We were caught flat-footed and they ended up scoring first.  We were able to switch on and play more as a team than as individuals, which helped us take the lead back and ultimately win the game."

The first half ended with fullback Connor Burns finding some space and scoring at the final whistle.

The message to the players at halftime was to simplify the game plan and mount pressure on attack and defense.  That advice was well-received as the forwards turned the screws to the Aggies scrum, allowing halfback Josh Wells to contest for possession.  Botha eventually turned that possession into five points for Lindenwood.

Junior scrum half Joshua Wells talked about the change of fortunes in the game.

"Dropped balls and miscommunication had us frustrated," he said.  "But, once we figured it out and started playing like the team we know we are, we started putting together more phases and found more gaps in the A & M defense."

The Lions played good defense the rest of the match, but poor ball handling and some questionable decisions kept them out of the try zone until the last five minutes when Kayleb O'Donoghue proved to be a highlight show with several great lineout throws and two tries to provide the final margin of victory.

After a day off, Lindenwood returned to the pitch against the Longhorns.  In a more well-played game, the Lions were able to score nine times in the first half alone, including three from freshman Tyren Al-Jiboori.

Captain Jack Desmond summarized the effectiveness of the team.

"Everything really ran smoothly," he said.  "From the warmup you could tell that the boys really came to play.  The forwards ran the ball with purpose, and dominated the set pieces.  The backs looked crisp and were able to exploit space with our wide options, and our stellar defensive launch left the Texas attack without much room to work with."

Botha had great vision and tactical decision-making in the match and strong mauls off the lineouts from the forwards led by hooker Jason Schnetler, and great use of space from outside backs Al-Jiboori and Connor Burns, highlighted the first half.  Al-Jiboori scored a fourth try and eight man Drake Humphrey finished off a hat trick early in the second half before the reserves came in and continued a great overall effort.  Sophomore prop Samuel Buckley provided some powerful tackles and runs and added points to the scoreboard, as did freshman Deven Mason, who converted several tries in the half. 

With the two wins, the Lions improved to 10-1 overall.  They'll return to action for a Mid-South Conference match February 9 against No. 9 ranked Arkansas State.  The opening kickoff against the second side is set for 11 a.m. with the first sides facing each other at 1 p.m. at Huckaby Fields in Jonesboro, Arkansas.