Acadia Men’s Rugby was on the road to Antigonish for another double header against rivals Saint Francis Xavier in both the first and second division this past weekend. With a bitter taste still in the club’s mouth after losing last year’s Nova Scotia final to the X-Men, the sense of commitment was evident from the moment the bus left Wolfville, and this commitment carried the club to victory at Memorial Field this past Sunday.
The first division kicked off first and kept their foot on the gas for the entire match. In a dominant performance by the forwards, in both the set piece and open play, Acadia’s seemingly endless offensive threats proved too much for the ever-strong defending team. Of particular note were Captain Mark O’Riley’s leadership and four try contributions to the ultimate 66-7 result.
The second division game was a battle for the full 80 minutes. St. FX worked well through their phases and consistently made it over the gain line. However, individual efforts from first-year Acadia players in the backfield would lead to big points, which kept Acadia in the win column for a second time that day.
With obvious new energy within the club, it is quickly becoming clear that this will be quite a season for Men’s Rugby at Acadia. Both the first and second divisions are at home for their next games, with the second division hosting King’s College this Sunday, and the first division battling Dal on homecoming Saturday. We hope to see you there to support the lads on the road to the Maritime Championship.
Eamonn Sullivan is a fifth-year Psychology major at Acadia University and a scrum-half for ARFC
