Cardiff Met’s flourish takes title race to final round
THE penultimate round ensured a fiercely contested finale to the season.
The staggered kick offs in Cardiff and Durham on Wednesday served to heighten the Championship drama to stratospheric levels.
Jack Rouse got Exeter off to a dream start at Cyncoed with Ted Landray converting, but they were pegged back by Luke Northmore and the boot of Tom Morgan as Cardiff Met made it 7-7.
Exeter reopened the lead with interest, when Landray kicked five points after Felix Maddison crossed, but once again Met responded. Northmore scythed through the Devonian defence and fed Ben Williams who sold an outrageous dummy to coast over. Morgan added the extras and a penalty, and when Aled Evans romped over they led 22-17.
Exeter looked to have stolen it when Landray converted after the Exeter pack rumbled over, but in a final twist, Morgan stepped up to boot The Archers into delirium; 25-24 victors.
That result meant a bonus point win would crown Northumbria champions. They had one hand on the trophy until a late blistering Chris Johnston brace clinched victory for Durham 30-29.
Yaree Fantini and an Oli Robinson double put Northumbria in control, but Durham limited the damage through a Ben Stevenson try and kicks from Elliot Manley, to trail 10-19 at the break. It was all the more impressive considering their two yellow cards for deliberate knockdowns.
The first act was a mere sparkler compared to the fireworks that would follow in the second. The Palatinate emerged oozing confidence with
Stevenson leading the charge with some classy touches.
Two home penalties from Charlie Norman and one for the visitors by Edward Coulson took the score to 16-22, but when Johnston burst through the Northumbria midfield to race under the posts from 40 metres, Durham were ahead.
Will Muir settled any nerves with his 13th try of the season to take the lead, bag the bonus and put the men in black three minutes away from glory, but Johnston broke black hearts with Norman nervelessly converting to send the home crowd wild.
Leeds Beckett and Hartpury are out of the title race, but valuable seeding points were up for grabs at West Park, which will determine opposition and home advantage for the knockouts.
Ill-discipline proved costly for the home side who offered up a penalty try and penalty for Hartpury in the first quarter. Kieran Davies got Beckett on the board with a kick but continued indiscretions allowed Sam Leemings to add another penalty and Robbie Faulkner to touch down taking the score to 3-18.
A stale second half followed with Beckett scoring a converted Sam Theron try in the 76th minute, but it was too little, too late, going down 10-18. Loughborough cemented their mid table status with an edgy 7-10 win versus Nottingham Trent who are getting closer to that elusive win.
Cecil McCarthy’s try converted by Will Sutton cancelled out Loughborough’s sevenpointer, but it was the boot of Matt Travers that would prove decisive with a 75th minute penalty.
Trent had chances to win but the wait goes on for what feels like an imminent scalp.