This was a defensive battle between the Saints and the Lions. Alex Goff photo.

St. Thomas Aquinas' Saints triumphed in a gritty 7-0 win over the Notre Dame de la Salette Lions at the SLUH All-Catholic Tournament in boys high school rugby.

On March 23, under clear and cold skies at St. Louis University High School, the clash of these two rival teams was a showcase of endurance and fortitude in the competitive sport of rugby.

The Saints took the lead early on with a try from Carson Kraft, setting the halftime score at 7-0, which ultimately also became the final score. Not to be overshadowed, Max Doerfler secured the conversion. La Salette fought gallantly throughout, and in the second half as La Salette placed significant pressure, narrowly missing out on bridging the point gap.

But Aquinas went into halftime thinking they should have led by much more. They had possession and field position, but came away with just the one try.

Kraft, praised for his exceptional play at lock, partnered with Doerfler, a leader at No. 8, to ensure the Saints held firm during the crucial moments; Owen Charlton was dangerous on attack.

"There's a target on our back now," said Doerfler. "Early in the season we were playing like underdogs. Now we've got to change our mentality and make sure that in every single game we are 100% on."

This was a tough game (shortened to 45 minutes in the SLUH tournament format) and showed how close these two programs are.