In the sweltering heat of a Chicago summer, Lincoln Park and the Chicago Lions clashed in a contest that laid bare the harsh realities of rugby’s unforgiving nature. With the mercury pushing into the high 80s, Park blooded two debutants – Adam Cooley in the midfield and George Daley in the engine room – but it was their exit strategy, or lack thereof, that gifted the Lions an early advantage.

The Lions, ever the opportunists, pounced on Park’s territorial generosity, turning a botched clearance into a scrum and subsequent try. The scoreboard ticked over again when a Park handling error was ruthlessly punished, the Lions’ centre scooping up the loose ball to extend their lead.

Park’s riposte came through the bullish Rivera, who peeled off a maul with the subtlety of a freight train to barge over. Rivera’s carrying was a rare bright spot in an otherwise disjointed Park performance, his several strong runs a testament to his individual quality amidst the collective struggle.

Yet for all Rivera’s endeavour, Park’s lack of cohesion was their undoing. Handling errors plagued their attacking forays, while a litany of penalties at the breakdown – mostly for the cardinal sin of holding on – kept them pinned in their own half. The referee’s whistle became a soundtrack of frustration for the Park faithful.

The Lions’ dominance was further underlined by a penalty try just before the interval, though Park could take some solace from their scrum, which stood firm against the tide. The Lions, for their part, found their lineout to be less than a sure thing, offering Park a glimmer of hope in the set-piece battle.

As the second half unfolded, the Lions stretched their legs and their lead, dotting down twice more to put the result beyond doubt. Park, however, refused to go quietly into the night. DeLisa, with pace that would make a cheetah blush, scorched down the right touchline for a 40-yard try that served as a reminder of the latent talent in the Park ranks.

In the end, it was a day when the Lions roared and Park whimpered. For the debutants, Cooley and Daley, it was a baptism of fire that will either forge them into harder, sharper players or leave them questioning their life choices. As for Park, they’ll need to address their continuity issues and breakdown discipline if they hope to avoid similar maulings in the future. The Lions, meanwhile, will take this victory and look to build on a performance that, while not flawless, showed enough teeth to suggest they’ll be a force to be reckoned with this season.