TRAVELER'S REST, S.C. — Lander Men's Rugby jumped out to a fast start and never surrendered control Friday evening, defeating Furman 40–5 at the North Village fields.

The Bearcats entered the match looking to establish their system early, play on the front foot and put pressure on Furman from the opening kickoff. Lander did just that, producing several early scoring opportunities and building a commanding advantage.

"We wanted to come out, play our system and be the aggressor," said head coach Buck Billings. "I thought we did a really good job of that early. We put them under pressure and capitalized on opportunities."

Lander received tries from Asher Johnston, Ethan Richardson, Calvin Henderson, Harry Cromie, Logan Wilcox, and captain Will Watts. Johnston was perfect from the tee, converting all five of his attempts, while Jacob "JD" Dawkins took the final conversion attempt.

After the early scoring surge, however, the Bearcats occasionally drifted away from the structure that had created their success. Knock-ons in and immediately following contact cost Lander possession and left additional scoring opportunities on the field.

"We never really lost control of the match, but we stopped capitalizing on some of our opportunities," Billings said. "When we stayed within our system, we were able to create pressure and play some very good rugby. When we got away from it, we made things harder on ourselves. That gives us something very clear to work on this week."

Furman continued to compete throughout the match, eventually breaking through for a second-period try. Billings credited the Paladins for continuing to challenge Lander despite the early deficit.

"Furman played hard and stayed in the match," Billings said. "They never made it easy for us, and I have a lot of respect for the way they continued to compete."

The match also featured a unique reunion for Lander's Harry Cromie, who had previously played against a member of the Furman side during his tour of Northern Ireland with one of the USA age-grade academies.

Following the victory, Calvin Henderson was named Man of the Match, while Will Watts earned Back of the Match and Ethan "Brownie" Brown was selected Forward of the Match. Brownie also received the team's Hard Hat of the Week, recognizing his work and contribution throughout the week.

The victory gives Lander momentum heading into another significant test. The Bearcats return home next Saturday for Senior Day against The Citadel, with kickoff scheduled for noon.

"We're excited to get the win, but now we have another week to prepare," Billings said. "The Citadel is going to be tough and physical. They play with a lot of pride, they play hard for the entire match, and we know what kind of challenge they bring. It's Senior Day for us, so we want to prepare the right way and allow our seniors to finish their final home match with a victory."