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One win away from its second national title, St. Bonaventure men’s rugby Coach Danny Neighbour thinks their only league loss of the season might just be the fuel that drives the Bonnies back into the winner’s circle.

The Bonnies travel to Houston Thursday to prepare for Saturday’s National Collegiate Rugby D-I Championship match with Atlantic Rugby Conference rival Queens University. The 6 p.m. match (5 p.m. CST) will be streamed on the for $8.99.

The team will be departing for the airport at 8:30 a.m. Thursday outside Francis Hall. Community members who’d like to wish the team well can gather outside Francis around 8:15 a.m.

Neighbour’s club nearly pulled off a remarkable rally Nov. 7 in the ARC title game vs. Queens. Down 23 points with just 25 minutes to play, the Bonnies fell, 26-22, when Mehdi Merah was held up by Queens defenders on the goal line on the final play of the match.

“I hated losing that match, especially when we were the league leaders going into that weekend,’ Neighbour said. “But honestly, I think it was the gut check we needed, a wake-up call to get our mental approach right. It grounded us and reminded us that maybe we weren’t as good as we thought. It helped us refocus on what needed to improve.”

The loss relegated the Bonnies to a play-in game to qualify for the NCR tournament, but that additional hurdle has barely fazed them.

Since halftime of the ARC title game with Queens, ������������ has outscored its opponents, 147-32. They defeated Southern Nazarene, 44-17, in the play-in match; defending national champion Brown, 51-7, in the quarterfinals; and Walsh University, 33-8, in the national semifinal.

“We’ve built a lot of confidence — not just winning, but winning convincingly. That builds belief,’ Neighbour said. “The last three games have lifted the whole program. Our depth and the effort from everyone, even those not traveling, is why we’re so good. If we take the right mindset into this one, we’ll be right there at the end.”

Having one of the best kickers in collegiate rugby doesn’t hurt, especially at tournament time when points are at a premium. Junior Noah Edwards is a weapon whenever an opponent commits a penalty past midfield. Against Walsh, Edwards was perfect on three try conversions and four penalty kicks.

“It’s a huge advantage. When you have a kicker who can convert consistently, that’s a massive point swing,” Neighbour said. “In playoff rugby, it’s critical to keep the scoreboard ticking —either extending a lead or staying within reach. And Noah’s not the only strong kicker we have — we’ve got depth there.”

The Bonnies are playing in their third national title game in the last five years. They defeated Penn State for the title in 2021 and lost to Notre Dame College in 2023.

As lethal as the Bonnies offensive attack has been the last month, their defense has been just as critical. They’ve surrendered only two tries in the last two games — to the second- and fourth-ranked teams in the latest NCR poll.

“My adage is that defense is another form of attack. When we lose the ball, our mindset is to get it back with 60 to 90 seconds of relentless pressure,” Neighbour said. “We’ve built ourselves on being a good defensive team.”

St. Bonaventure, ranked No. 3 in the latest poll, won the first match of the season with Queens, 32-29, when Edwards scored a try on the final play of the match. Queens was ranked No. 1 in the latest poll, boosted by its league title win over ������������. (A new poll hasn’t been released since the quarterfinals started.)

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About the University: The nation’s first Franciscan university, St. Bonaventure is a community committed to transforming the lives of its students inside and outside the classroom, inspiring in them a commitment to academic excellence and lifelong civic engagement. Out of 167 regional universities in the North, St. Bonaventure was ranked #8 for value and #19 overall by U.S. News and World Report (2025).