A trip to Peterborough gave the Gaels lessons, opportunities, and most importantly, a big win.
The Queen’s men’s rugby team proved its depth runs deep in a dominant 48-22 win over Trent at Nixon Field on Sept. 13. The Gaels notched eight tries from across their roster. Owen Lee, Comm ’26, notched two tries, while veterans Trekker James, ArtSci ’26, Bauer Mercer, ArtSci ’26, and Tao Nichol, Sci ’26, chipped in with a try each. Young standouts Briar Barron, Sci ’29, Gabriel Ricci, HealthSci ’29, and Chase Kittleson, ArtSci ’28, also got in on the action with a try apiece. Star Marcus D’Acre, ArtSci ’26, converted four of his eight conversion attempts in the game.
Head Coach John Lavery said in an interview with The Journal, that the victory highlighted both the growth of his young players and the reliability of his veterans, but not without bumps in the road.
“We handed the reins to two second-year kids and they knocked it out of the park,” he said, referring to players such as Bannon and Kittleson. “For 70 minutes, we’re pretty dominant, and then a little bit of nerves, stress, and inexperience got us into a bit of trouble toward the end. There’s learning in that, too.”
Those final minutes, Lavery noted, were a valuable test. “Trent has experienced players, and that showed in the last five or six minutes,” he said, referring to a sequence that saw the Gaels give up two late tries in close succession. “Our guys are learning to respond to challenges, deal with stress, and take responsibility. You don’t learn that in five minutes; it happens over years in small increments.”
The bench played a major role in the match, with Lavery choosing to give substitutes real minutes rather than token cameos. “If I say I trust you to do a job, I have to give you a commensurate amount of opportunity,” he said. “We gave most guys 30-35 minutes off the bench, some even more, and they delivered.”
That faith paid off, with standout performances from several underclassmen. Finn Enticknap-Smith, Sci ’29, impressed his coach, who praised him as an underdog who stepped up when called upon. Kittleson thrived in a new playmaking role, with Lavery calling him a “future face of the team.” And Ricci, a rookie from Montreal listed at just 5-foot-7, turned heads with his pace and fearlessness. “He delivered in both games and adds positivity you can’t replicate,” Lavery said.
The team’s attacking identity, he added, is built on speed and ambition. “The only way to hang with the top programs is high-tempo attack and being extremely effective in the tackle… learning to play fast is a different animal.”
The win moves Queen’s to 2-0 on the season, and Canadian University Men’s Rugby Championship’s Coaches’ Poll now pegs the Gaels at 4th in Canada. Lavery, though, doesn’t pay much mind to the rankings. “I’d rather let our playing do the talking,” he said. “If you don’t produce, what does a ranking even mean?”
The Gaels are off this weekend, but will host the McMaster Marauders on Sept. 27 at Nixon Field, where kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. EST.
Tags
Gaels, Nixon Field, rugby, Trent
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