BUCS Rugby Preview - Week 5

After the thrills, spills, upsets and abundance of tries that last week's BUCS rugby fixtures brought around the country, it’s that time of the week again - BUCS Wednesday.

With many teams playing their fourth game of the season, and some their fifth, the BUCS competition is beginning to heat up.

Talking Rugby Union will be bringing you all the day’s scores from around the country, with a focused look at a number of games.

In the Northern Premier A Division table toppers Durham will be looking to keep their undefeated season alive when they make the short journey to Newcastle University for an enormous North Eastern clash.

Newcastle sit second in the league, joint on points with Durham, also undefeated with three wins from three.

The local derby could be the most important fixture of this week’s BUCS rugby calendar, as the winner will bring the other team’s perfect record to a resounding halt, and make some breathing room at the top of the table.

Durham have had the more convincing victories so far this season, recording comfortable victories over both Leeds sides and an impressive 44-13 drubbing of the winless Nottingham University.

However, from the other side of the North East, Newcastle have fought for their undefeated record, with close wins over Northumbria and Nottingham last week. The toughest test of the season came in their second game for Newcastle as the side travelled to the Midlands to face Loughborough on Epinal Way. The high-scoring battle between the two sides was arguably the game of the season as Newcastle managed to inch their way ahead to win 32-31.

Today’s game kicks off at 2pm at Cochrane Park.

Elsewhere in the Northern Premier A league we see the battle for Leeds, as both the University and Metropolitan sides lock horns once again in a repeat of their varsity.

Leeds Met. won the varsity game earlier this season with a convincing final score of 25-15.

However, both sides have had fairly similar seasons since that point, with just one win to their names from two attempts.

Leeds Met recorded a convincing 30-0 win over Loughborough two weeks ago, but lost last week away to Durham.

On the other side of the city Leeds University beat Northumbria away from home in a high scoring affair – 43-32 but similarly lost to league leaders Durham.

The sides kick off at 2pm today at the Carnegie rugby pitch on the Headingley Campus.

Finally, in the third game of the round, Loughborough make the short journey to local rivals Nottingham University.

Loughborough are currently third in the table, but have only recorded one win so far this season.

However, Nottingham are rooted to the bottom of the league with three losses from three attempts, so Loughborough will be out for an away scalp today as they try to challenge at the top of the table.

In the Northern B Premier division, undefeated league leaders Birmingham welcome sixth place Edinburgh to the Midlands.

Birmingham have won all three of their fixtures this season, beating Manchester University last week, in a top of the table clash.

Elsewhere, Nottingham Trent host Manchester University. Both sides are joined on eight points each, with two wins.

Loughborough travel to bottom place York and finally, seventh place Sheffield Hallam host second place Durham.

In the Southern half of the competition the pick of the round sees Bath University host Exeter at Claverton Down Road. This fixture is Talking Rugby Union’s focus game of the round, where we will bring you all the best University analysis and coverage.

Both sides are undefeated so far this season with two wins each. Exeter have recorded wins over Swansea University and a resounding 68-23 destruction of Cardiff Met.

On the other hand, the home side, Bath, have beaten Bristol at the start of the season and then a nail-biting 19-18 victory also over Cardiff Met.

The game is sure to be a close one and Talking Rugby Union are sure to be at the heart of the action.

League leaders Hartpury host fourth place Bristol. Hartpury are also undefeated with three wins from three and will be looking to keep their run alove this afternoon.

Finally, we see the battle for Cardiff as the University host the Metropolitan side in the Welsh capital.

Both sides have struggled this season as the Metropolitan side and University sit fifth and sixth in the league, respectively.

Cardiff Met have only recorded the one victory so far this season – a close 17-14 victory over Bristol. However, the University side are still without a victory to their name, after losses to Hartpury and Bristol.

In the second tier of Southern BUCS rugby, top of the table University of South Wales welcome Bath 2nds over the border.

The Welsh side are top with two wins from three attempts. They beat Reading University last week but tripped up against St Mary’s University 14-9 the week before.

Bath second team currently sit in the relegation zone with just one win and five points to their name.

St Mary’s college host Hartpury 2nds in Twickenham. The home side are third in the league with two victories and eight points, whilst Hartpury are a place below with just one win and six points.

Also, the University of Exeter second team welcome Cardiff University second team into England and finally, Reading University host Cardiff Met.

Talking Rugby Union will also be looking at local BUCS rugby as we will have cameras and analysis from the Northern 1A division, as top of the League Leeds Metropolitan University 2nds cross over the border to face the University of Central Lancashire in Preston.

We will bring you all the latest rugby news from the BUCS Championship as fixtures kick off all around the country this afternoon.

Stay tuned for more…