The Gaels men’s rugby team skipped a beat in a so-far strong season against their rivals this weekend.
Queen’s men’s rugby took their first loss of the season on Oct. 4, falling 21-19 to the Western Mustangs in a tense, physical battle in London, ON.
The Gaels struck first when Bauer Mercer, ArtSci ’26, powered through the line for an early try, with Marcus D’Acre, ArtSci ’26, converting to make it 7-0. Western responded 10 minutes later after finding open space to even the score.
The rest of the half was evenly played, with Western missing a penalty-kick opportunity just before the break to keep the match level at 7-7.
Queen’s regained control early in the second half when Noah Gittens, MSc ’26, crossed the line at the 48-minute mark. D’Acre’s conversion attempt drifted wide, leaving the Gaels up 12–7. Moments later, D’Acre was shown a yellow card for a high tackle, forcing Queen’s to play shorthanded temporarily, and Western took advantage.
With extra room to work, Western scored to go ahead 14-12 after completing the conversion. Five minutes later, the Mustangs broke through again, and another successful conversion stretched Western’s lead to 21-12.
Back at full strength, Queen’s refused to back down. D’Acre redeemed himself late, finishing off a strong attacking sequence and converting to cut the deficit to two. Despite several final-phase surges, the Mustangs’ defence held firm to hand the Gaels their first defeat of 2025–26.
The result drops Queen’s to 3-1, while Western climbs to 2-2 and keeps its playoff hopes alive. In the latest Canadian University Men’s Rugby Championship rankings, the Gaels slipped to sixth in the country, while Western stayed put at 9th.
Queen’s will look to rebound at home on Oct. 10, when they host the Guelph Gryphons at Nixon Field. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
Tags
Bauer Mercer, Marcus D'acre, Men's rugby, Noah Gittens, western mustangs
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