Right after being eliminated from the DIA playoffs in the semis, the Lindenwood Lions turned their attention to 7s.

And their 7s coach, Cam Wyper, has some unfinished business. It was Wyper who took Lindenwood to the CRC Qualifier in Las Vegas, expecting to play, only to be told that while the tournament organizers had told him he could play, he was, at the last minute, told he couldn’t (Wyper is too old by USA Rugby rules to compete in championship college games).

While Lindenwood adjusted somewhat, Wyper had been a central decision-maker on the team. Taking him out of the equation forced the team to change how they approached their games.

“It was really disappointing, because we felt we should have gone further than we did,” said Wyper.

So now, in Denver, Lindenwood goes in with a more solid plan. Wyper won’t play - he’s the coach - and the lineup is a little more settled because they’ve planned for that from the start.

“We’ve been working hard,” said Wyper. “We have some injuries, some guys unavailable, but we’ve also been able to bring in guys who weren’t in Vegas.”

The key, for Wyper, has been replicating the tournament atmosphere. That’s why he’s been running the team through two-a-days, with an emphasis on performing, then rest and recovery, and then getting back onto the field.

“We’ve been working in the middle of the day, so they’re used to the heat,” said Wyper. “We keep the water levels up and the food right - 7s is about recovering, and what we wanted to see was late in the training sessions, when everyone’s tired, can they still make the right decisions. Being used to being tired and keeping that focus is a massive thing.”

Among the players who weren’t in Las Vegas, Cameron Reed is emerging as a big, tough player who can run. Halfback Mickey Bateman provides some key playmaking ability, and in general Lindenwood is a versatile team that can beat you with pace, or with physicality.

“What we wanted is a mix,” said Wyper. “Hopefully it will come together.”

Lindenwood is in a hugely intriguing pool, with Arkansas, Central Florida, and Stony Brook. The Razorbacks play a very snappy team game, while UCF have some powerful, fit forwards, and if they can unleash athletic big men like Christian Rossi and James Boozer, they can hurt teams. Stony Brook plays a very strong team game. They aren’t known for being massive, although they can take and dish out a hit, and they aren’t known for being supremely fast, but they can use space and have been playing 7s more than anyone in this pool.