Queen's Men's Rugby put on a dominant display in their home matchup against the RMC Paladins, securing a 69-7 win in front of an energized crowd at Nixon Field. The Gaels, now 3-1 on the season, wasted no time establishing their control, running in seven tries in the first half alone.

Marcus D'Acre (Economics) set the tone early, crossing the try line in the opening minute and adding the conversion to give Queen's a quick 7-0 lead. D'Acre's impact didn't stop there, as the Gaels' fly-half was instrumental in guiding the offense and finished the match with five successful conversions.

Matt Carroll (Arts & Science) followed up on his try-scoring form from last week's win over Waterloo with two first-half tries, both converted by D'Acre. Carroll's explosive pace and support lines created headaches for the RMC defense, with his second score coming in just the 11th minute, pushing Queen's lead to 26-0.

Trekker James (Psychology) added his name to the scoresheet with a try in the eighth minute, capitalizing on a quick phase play from the Gaels' forwards. Coen Quinn (Applied Science) showcased his athleticism with a brilliant 35-yard solo effort, breaking through RMC's defensive line in the 16th minute to extend the lead further. Owen Lee (Commerce) and Briar Baron (Applied Science) continued the scoring barrage before halftime, with D'Acre converting all but one of the first-half tries, giving Queen's a commanding 47-0 lead at the 1st half break.

Coming out of halftime, Queen's showed no signs of slowing down. Tao Nichol (Applied Science) opened the second-half scoring with a try just two minutes in, converted by Ben Greenstein (Life Sciences). Nichol later delivered one of the most memorable moments of the match with a thunderous stiff-arm en route to his second try in the 57th minute, leaving the RMC defenders in his wake.

While RMC managed to break Queen's shutout in the 59th minute with a converted try, the Gaels responded almost immediately. Owen Lee capped off the scoring with his second try of the game, securing the 69-7 final score.

Head Coach John Lavery will be thrilled with the team's offensive output, but also with how well-rounded the performance was on both sides of the ball. D'Acre continues to shine as the team's leader, both in scoring and playmaking, while emerging talents like Nichol and Carroll are proving to be key contributors. The Gaels' defense, which had been a point of emphasis following their loss to Guelph, was much tighter this week, effectively shutting down the Paladins' attack for most of the match.

With this decisive victory, Queen's will look to maintain momentum as they prepare for their next contest, a highly anticipated clash against the Laurier Golden Hawks on Oct. 5 at Nixon Field.