Away win keeps Exeter at summit

EXETER University continue to lead the way at the top of the table, but they had to work hard for their 35-13 bonus-point win at Bournemouth.

The visitors scored five tries through Kofi Barton-Byfield, Niall Armstrong, Cam Bullard, Tom Addison and Ed Thomas, while fly-half Alec Lloyd Seed added all five conversions.

Second-top Old Redcliffians saw off thirdplaced Hornets 33-23 for their 12th win in a row. Tries by Sam Rees, Chris Pursall, Daniel Fry, Tom Williams and Dominic Sprague secured the bonus-point win.

Weston-Super-Mare made it four wins in a row with a 31-15 home victory against Camborne to cement fourth place. Winger Joe Burgess was the star with a brilliant brace, while Ben Tothill, Ben Cox and Cameron Maslem also touched down.

Fifth-placed Exmouth ended a run of three losses with a 29-13 win at Royal Wootton Bassett. Lewis Geran, Dave Barthe gent, Ollie Cave and Toby Papp scored tries in the bonus-point win.

Launceston romped to a fifth straight victory with a 34-22 triumph against Okehampton. The hosts’ only score of the first half was a penalty try as they trailed 15-7 at the break, before tries from Ryan Westren, Brandon Rowley and Dan Pearce completed the turnaround in the second half.

Drybrook, who had been rock bottom at Christmas, continued their uplift in form with an impressive 21-19 away win against Brixham. The visitors are now up to a season-high 11th place in the table, while the hosts remain in eighth.

The shock of the day came as Ivybridge, who had lost their last five on the bounce, came out huge 50-24 winners on their travels against Old Centralians. The visitors, who sit ninth, are currently the fourthtop scorers in the league, but often come unstuck with their awful defence, which is the division’s second-worst.