Exeter power pack on top in eight-try rout of Trent

LEADERS Exeter crushed rock bottom

Nottingham Trent 50-7. Any hope the visitors had of avenging their first round defeat were mercilessly extinguished by Exeter’s all action pack.

The Devonians made their intentions clear early, declining a penalty in front and plumping for the corner. Their ambition was justified as George Gosling rumbled over from the resulting lineout.

Luc-Pierre Riou then struck with Gosling in hot pursuit registering his second. Scrum-half Aaron Bagwell scored, before intelligent support play allowed Felix Madison to make it five first-half tries.

Trent’s sole response was Ted Landray’s uncharacteristically errant boot, meaning they trailed just 29-0 at the break.

The Green Machine lacked the same fluidity in the second but they still plundered three more tries. Gosling completed his hat-trick, Mike Haines scored and Callum Young flopped over. Landray rediscovered his touch, converting all three.

Injury ravaged Trent did register a penalty try late in the day. At Cyncoed, Cardiff Met turned the tables on

Northumbria in their return fixture.

The Archers notched up their try bonus in the first 40 through Max Llewelyn, Tom Benjamin, Luke Northmore and Harry Johnston. Tom Morgan added two conversions while Northumbria could only muster a penalty try to trail 26-7 at the break.

The men in black returned with purpose. Josh Bragman got the scoreboard ticking with a penalty, before converting tries from Ralph Johnston and George Wacokecoke. In a blink

it was 26-24. Momentum was with the North East outfit as so often this season, Met found a second wind.

Tom Morgan kicked a penalty, but the killer blow was inflicted with a converted try from Wales U20s Alex Dombrandt. Llewelyn bagged another and with the last kick of the game Morgan consigned Northumbria to their second successive league loss, 44-24.

Leeds Beckett and Bath served up a tense 22-22 affair at West Park.

Beckett led 5-0 at the break thanks to Zach Scott-Grey in an otherwise forgettable first half. A converted James Elliot try stretched the home side’s advantage to 12-0 but Bath remained in touch with an unconverted Charlie Dunbar effort.

Kieran Davies landed a penalty for the hosts and when he added priceless extras to Harry Robinson’s score looked to have clinched it.

But Chris Barry and Levi Davis crossed and in the final play Finn Murphy gave Will Flinn a shot to win the game. Flinn missed, and the spoils were shared albeit with Bath departing with an attacking bonus point.

Durham lost a seesaw match 23-25 to visitors Hartpury.

Rhys Tudor scored for Hartpury before Ben Fowles converted response made it 7-5.

Three further Tom Catterick kicks increased the home side’s advantage but a Nick Carpenter try with extras from Elias Caven saw the half end 16-12.

Caven scored quickly after the restart to take the lead, but missed his kick. In the 50th minute Durham lurched back ahead through Charlie Norman and with Catterick again on target a precious win was in sight.

Luke Stratford had other notions, though, and Caven added a penalty to take four points to the south west.