51����

One thing is certain: St. Bonaventure’s match Saturday vs. Walsh University in a National Collegiate Rugby Championship semifinal won’t be a repeat of their match Oct. 3.

The two Atlantic Rugby Conference powers tied, 25-25, when SBU’s Mehdi Merah scored with just over 2 minutes to play. In the tournament — their semifinal is being played at a neutral site in Butler, Pennsylvania — sudden-death overtime will break any tie.

The 3 p.m. match will be streamed on the for $8.99.

Coach Danny Neighbour is also certain of one more thing: the Bonaventure team that tied Walsh two months ago isn’t the same team now.

“The big thing is the trust the guys now have in what works and what doesn’t, and executing our game plan. What we’ve talked about all season hasn’t changed that much — what’s changed is their ability to execute it,” Neighbour said. “It’s gotten better and better, culminating in a great performance against Brown where the boys couldn’t put a foot wrong.”

The Bonnies (7-2-1 overall), ranked No. 3 in the latest NCR poll, are coming off a dominating 51-7 quarterfinal victory Nov. 22 over No. 2 Brown, the defending national champion. (A new poll hasn’t been released since the quarterfinals were played.)

“At the end of the day, it’s down to who’s got the better horses and who’s the better team. I felt we were the better team going into that game and just needed to execute,” Neighbour said. “I didn’t think it would be by 44 points, but I felt we could command the game and win.”

No. 4 Walsh (6-3-1) edged Marian, 30-28, in its quarterfinal match. The other semifinal Saturday has top-ranked Queens University hosting No. 8 Belmont Abbey. All four semifinalists play in the Atlantic Rugby Conference.

“What’s the old expression? Iron sharpens iron,” Neighbour said. “Everybody knows the ARC is the toughest league. Every week’s a tough game so we’re battle‑tested. I’m confident we can do it and move on to another final. I think teams should be worried about playing us.”

The Bonnies will be attempting to reach the national title game in Houston for the third time in five years. They defeated Penn State for the title in 2021 and lost to Notre Dame College in 2023.

______________

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).