Rampant Pury put Trent to the sword

A FINAL bit of league action was completed on Wednesday with two rearranged games confirming the cup quarter-finals.

Hartpury’s 22-49 victory at Lady Bay made it back to back wins over Nottingham Trent to ensure they pipped Bath into second.

Pury blew Trent away in a powerful first half that saw them score seven tries but unfathomably miss every conversion.

It was a half of doubles as Elias Caven and Alex Forrester scored braces with Toby Venner, Will Hopwood Robbie Smith chipping in with one a piece. Tommie Collingwood’s touchdown was the only ray of light for Trent.

Returning Toby Venner completed his double after the break. The impact of Trent’s Scott Hall’s retort was diminished by Caetano Branco’s yellow card that prompted a penalty try for Pury, but they kept battling and ended the game with a try BP after Jake Farnworht and Alex Crocker crossed, with Max Craven converting one.

Hartpury host Northumbria in the last eight, while Trent must await the winner of Swansea v Newcastle on April 3 to discover who they’ll fight in the relegation playoff.

Leeds Beckett are virtually unstoppable at the moment and nine games without defeat following a ding dong 26-14 win over Durham at Headingly.

Smart finishes in opposing corners from wingers Chester Duff and Will Lewis gave Beckett a 12-0 half-time lead. Durham hit back through tries from Adam Mallinson and Jack Conteh and dead-eye Myles Rawstron-Rudd’s kicking but Beckett have resolve in spades and a penalty try was followed by a John Okafor try to seal the game, fourth place and a home quarter-final against Cardiff Met.

Durham will travel to Bath who they’ve already beaten twice this season. March 20: QF1 Exeter v Cardiff QF2 Hartpury v Northumbria QF3 Bath v Durham QF4 Leeds Beckett v Cardiff Met