LONDON, Ont. –  The men's rugby team lost to the Waterloo Warriors 40-19 on Friday evening in their fifth game of the season. The loss will bring the Mustang's record to 1-4 and the Warriors up to 4-1 with one more game let in their regular OUA season.
 
An even match in height and speed, the Mustangs and Warriors engaged in a back-and-forth of possession for the first ten minutes of the game before the Warriors wing Darvis Steffur took a run down the field that allowed teammate Michael Appiah-Kubi the first try of the game. Mitch Voralek made the convert successful, and the Warriors made their way onto the scoreboard.  Although the ball made its way down into Waterloo's end twice more before returning, the Mustangs couldn't land the try before the Warriors got two more in.  
 
In spite of losing a player to the sin bin, the Purple and White succeeded in marching down the field with a series of hard tackles and prosperous lineouts before the end of the first half. Centre Rhys McMartin was able to find space for the try, allowing fly-half Mikko Vorster the opportunity to land an additional 2 points on the board. Scrum-half Sam Khan followed up with a second with one-minute left in the half, shrinking the margin to 14-35.
 
As intensity picked up in the second half, so did the tension. Scraps were narrowly avoided as aggression spiked, but Western appeared to be the stronger half and kept their minds focused on the game. The match evened out as the Mustangs upped their defensive line and prevented the Warriors from making any breakthroughs, but the Black and Yellow held just as fast. A chip n' chase out of the scrum from Khan at the Purple's 22 led to a big run from wing Stephen Kim, but the ball bounced out before it could be touched-down. The Warriors took it back, and with an impressive charge from Steffur, Waterloo's score climbed to 40.
 
When asked what switched in that second half, Khan was quick to answer. "It was a tough one. It was kind of late in the game, things weren't going our way, and we just looked at the bigger picture: why are we out here together? We played for our vets today – they've put so much effort into this program over the years, and you're not always going to win. But we came together for them."
 
With three minutes left in the half, flanker Chase Harrison scored the last try of the game and offered a bit of revival for the Mustangs. Although Western picked up their pace – facing the Warriors with a new intensity that resulted in less time wasted – it didn't prove to be enough. The Warriors continued to push until the clock ran down, and the score halted at 19-40.
 
In terms of what the boys are looking to change before their game next Friday, Khan offered some input. "We're going to set an atmosphere that's beneficial for us. We're not going to let the external factors get in our head – not the refs, not the opposition, and not the fans. We're going to play for ourselves."
 
The Mustangs are scheduled to play their final game of the regular OUA season next Friday, October 18^th against the McMaster Marauders. The game is set to begin in Hamilton on Back 10 Rugby Field at 4:00 P.M EST.