The Royals traveled to St. Bonaventure University for an important early-season Atlantic Rugby Conference clash. In a hard-fought 80-minute battle, Queens came up just short, falling to the Bonnies 22-21.
St. Bonaventure opened the scoring early with a penalty kick, but the Royals quickly found their rhythm.
Joey Craig intercepted a pass and raced down the field to score under the posts, with
Jack Rice adding the conversion to put Queens ahead 7-3.
The Royals continued to build momentum through smooth phase play, eventually finding the try line again as
Arden Redmond powered over for another score. Rice added the conversion, giving Queens a 14-3 advantage.
The Bonnies responded with pressure of their own, using their forwards effectively to work their way into the Royals' 22 and eventually over the try line to cut the deficit to 14-12.
Queens held on through a tense final stretch of the first half, making a crucial defensive stand on their own try line just before halftime to take a 14-12 lead into the break.
The second half opened with both teams showing strong defensive discipline. Neither side was willing to give the other anything easy, creating a back-and-forth battle throughout the opening stages.
Eventually, St. Bonaventure again worked its way into the Royals' 22, with the Bonnies' forwards powering over the line to take a 15-14 lead.
The Royals answered immediately. Following a turnover, senior Gideon Wessels took a quick tap and put the Bonnies under pressure. The Royals moved the ball quickly, finding the other Redmond brother, Harry, who crossed the try line to put Queens back in front. Rice added the conversion, making it 21-15 with approximately 21 minutes remaining.
The next 15 minutes were a back-and-forth affair, with both teams battling for field position and momentum. St. Bonaventure eventually broke through once again, with their forwards finding the try line to take a narrow 22-21 lead.
With the match coming down to the final moments, the Royals still had one last opportunity.
Following a short, high kickoff from Rice, Queens won a penalty and had a chance to take the lead with a penalty kick. Unfortunately, the kick went wide, allowing St. Bonaventure to hold on for the 22-21 victory.
Royals captain
Keanin Kamp reflected on the team's effort after the match:
"It was a great match, and I'm proud of how we stayed in the fight for 80 minutes and gave ourselves an opportunity to win the match. It just wasn't our day, but we put together a solid 80 minutes."
The Royals will now turn their attention to their next challenge, traveling to Belmont Abbey for NCR Friday Night Rugby this Friday night.
