Mac comes back to Kingston

Last year, the men’s rugby team lost to the McMaster Marauders in the OUA semifinal and watched them win the OUA championship. The two teams will face off in this year’s OUA semifinal at Tindall field tomorrow.

Queen’s finished the season ranked second in the OUA, earning a quarter-final bye. The Marauders finished third and beat the Brock Badgers 23-18 in quarter-final play on Wednesday night.

Captain Dan Moor said the Gaels need a strong defensive performance to overcome the Marauders’ physical presence.

“In the last couple of games, we have been pretty tough and if we bring that defensive intensity on Saturday, I’m sure we’ll get a result that we like,” he said.

Moor said he’s not too concerned with any player on the McMaster team.

“They have a good flyhalf and a strong backrow, but those are the same weapons we have,” he said.

The Gaels need big performances from center George Gleeson, flanker Matt Kelly and flyhalf Liam Underwood. Gleeson and Kelly both scored tries in the Gaels’ last game against McMaster, while Underwood is the OUA’s top scorer.

The team will review tapes from their previous game against the Marauders, revisiting plays and positions for their upcoming match.

The Gaels’ Sept. 24 game against the Marauders resulted in a 43-3 win.

The semifinal will feature Liam Underwood and Marauders scrum-half Andrew Ferguson, who are first and third respectively for points in the OUA.