Three teams separated by one point in BUCS thriller
The BUCS title race was blown wide open this week with victories for Cardiff Met, Leeds Beckett, Northumbria and Hartpury.
A low scoring affair at West Park saw Beckett come from behind to overcome a stubborn Loughborough 13-8.
Conor Lloyd opened the scoring for the home side with a penalty, but Loughborough soon took the lead when Max Hill crashed over for the first try of the match.
Defence was on top for large swathes of the game with both sides committed but Beckett edged in front when Dan Leake scored and Lloyd converted.
Tom Stapley made it a two-point game with a penalty heading into the close, however, a drop goal from the host’s Kieran Davies was enough to see Beckett home.
Durham again missed out on a home win by a whisker, this time at the hands of Cardiff Met 17-15.
Saul Melvin-Farr, who made it two tries in two weeks, opening the scoring for The Palatinate, but infuriatingly they allowed Eduardo Balocco to reply immediately from the restart. Tom Catterick and Tom Morgan’s kicks cancelled each other out.
George Simpson went under the posts to give The Archers a 14-7 lead and when Tom Morgan added a penalty Durham were ten points behind.
A Rory Hardman try and Catterick penalty clawed Durham back to within two but Met held out to take four points.
Old arch enemies of Premier South, Hartpury and Exeter wrote another famous chapter in their rivalry on Wednesday at Gillaman’s Ground.
The Devonians struck swiftly and clinically from the whistle, first through captain Simon Linsell, then try hungry hooker George Gosling to open a 0-12 advantage.
Hartpury fought back through a converted try from Barbarian locked Luke Stratford and with Sam Leeming contributing a penalty, the half closed 10-12.
The second 40 started in the same vein. Gullible eyes bought James McRae’s dummy in midfield and he broke three tackles on his way to the line. Star of the show Linsell promptly wrestled over for his brace and with Ted Landray kicking both, they were comfortable at 26-10.
Hartpury’s bench provided the impetus for Tom Everard to armchair ride across the line from a drive and when Aquile Smith acrobatically cartwheeled into the left corner, the win was in sight.
Hartpury’s scrum had been on top all night and they forced a penalty in Exeter’s 22 to allow Elias Caven to slot the winner, sparking raucous celebrations for the 27-26 win.
Exeter’s loss opened the window of opportunity for Northumbria to go top on Friday with a BP win against strugglers Bath at Kingston Park. They duly delivered though it was not plain sailing against an obdurate Bath who were pipped 37-33.
The Brothers stunned the would-be leaders, racing into a 3-14 lead courtesy of Will Partington and Luca Petrozzi tries with the former converting both.
However, the North Easterners inched back through tries from Will Muir, George Bordill and kicks from Josh Bragman to head to the sheds 20-14 up.
Powerful Levi Davis retook the lead for the visitors early in the second but Northumbria’s gas men put the contest to bed. Ruiari Howarth, Aedan Moloney and Will Muir; with a record breaking twelfth try of the season proved enough in spite of Mike Snook and impressive Will Partington’s scores.