BUCS Super Rugby: Late drama at Hollow Drift and Bath bruise Brunel
Cardiff and Durham played out an absorbing 38-38 draw at Hollow Drift
©BUCS Super Rugby / Ben Lumley
With Bath leading the way, Loughborough bouncing back and Durham faltering, what did we learn from this week’s action at the top of the university game?
Cardiff leave it late at Hollow Drift
Two teams coming off losses in Round One came into this one with plenty to prove, and Durham came out fast in front of their 3,500-strong crowd.
After an early siege on the Cardiff line, it was big number eight Julius Timmermans who crashed over for the game's first try after 10 minutes.
But Cardiff, as they did last week, were not deterred by the early setback and responded through Isaac Buck, who got over for a maul try to add to his two from Round One. Llew O'Brian levelled the scores with the conversion.
Failure to receive kick-offs would prove to be the story of the first half, with both teams culpable. Cardiff saw Felix Godet sent to the bin and a penalty try was conceded minutes after levelling.
But the visitors, on the whole, managed that period fairly well, with a penalty from O'Brian taking the score to 14-10 after 23 minutes.
Then the last 10 minutes of the opening 40 saw two tries apiece. A great transition score for Will Windows and a mazy run and finish from winger Rory Telfer put Durham in control, but Cardiff responded through forwards Angus Munro and Godet, the latter making up for his yellow card to leave the score at 28-24 to the hosts.
Whatever Chris Davies said to his Cardiff team at half-time had the desired effect.
The physicality they showed in the first half began to bring territorial ascendancy in the second, as they dominated possession in the first 20 minutes after the restart.
With multiple entries into the 22, their pressure told with a try from flying winger Jack Thomas, put through a gap by O'Brian with a lovely short ball coming around the corner. O'Brian converted to make it 31-28 to the visitors.
As the match entered its final quarter, the Palatinate started to up the ante with pressure in the opposition half.
Eventually that pressure told, with the impressive Dom Wade picking a smart carry back towards the wing from three metres out to score. It was 33-31 after the missed conversion.
Going for the jugular, the Durham power game came to the fore. A maul try scored by Wade seemed to wrap up a home win. Billy Pasco was unable to convert again, and that would prove crucial, with the score at 38-31.
Like in the first half, Durham were unable to deal with the restart and Cardiff won the ball back. They then went multi-phase with the clock in the red.
Eventually, as the play tightened up, outside centre Lloyd McEwan-Peters spun and scored from a couple of metres out to take the game to 38-36, with a conversion to level.
Up stepped O'Brian, who slotted the extras from a difficult angle to salvage a 38-38 draw for the men from the Welsh capital. O'Brian, who had a great game, was 100 per cent from the tee and marshalled the backfield well.
A great result for Davies' men. For Durham, their start might be seen as disappointing - a loss and a draw - against two teams they would have targeted wins against.
Loughborough bounce back in style in the East Midlands derby
After a reality check last week for Martin Webdale's team, losing 50-33 to Bath, it was always going to be interesting to see how they would respond against Midlands rivals Nottingham.
But against a dangerous Nottingham team, in front of a packed 'freshers' week home crowd, the African Violet put on a show.
It did not take long for the game to burst into life, with Man of the Match Ben Roberts scoring after three minutes.
Will Darbyshire hit back for the away side before Loughborough turned on the power, scoring two tries to take a 21-5 lead after 20 minutes.
But Darbyshire would score again, with an early try of the season contender. Tom Cunningham, who dictated the play superbly from inside centre, put the wing through a hole from a lineout strike.
The long-legged back burst through over the halfway line and accelerated between two players to score a wonder try and make it 21-12.
Loughborough would score through Roberts again before another strike from Nottingham. From the lineout, Ediz Karsak finished a flowing move to reduce the arrears to 28-19 at half-time.
That momentum was stamped out in the second half by a Loughborough blitz in the third quarter. Will Nancekivell, Ralfie Willott and Seva Bakitora scored three tries, with three conversions from Ben Webb giving the home side a 49-19 lead after 57 minutes.
A period of ill-discipline, with two Loughborough players sin-binned, let Nottingham in for a try through Julian Nunn on 68 minutes. A Zac Finch score for the African Violet, however, reaffirmed their ascendancy.
Two late tries from Jonty Nickols and Will Tinley put more sheen on the scoreline for the away side, but it ultimately wasn't enough, with Loughborough winning 56-38.
A confidence builder for Loughborough. Nottingham will lick their wounds after a tough start, with Brunel visiting them next week.
Hartpury hold on to make it two from two
A tale of two halves in Gloucestershire, with a try-scoring fest in the first and a cagey affair in the second.
The Hartpury pack made their mark, with two tries from flanker Jack Gilbert sandwiched between a charge-down and kick-and-chase from lock Lewis Golding.
For Cardiff Met, it was a couple of scintillating back-line scores, with Toby Lock, Elis Thomas and Archie Lloyd all crossing. Three converted tries apiece placed the score at 21-21 at the break.
For Met, like last week, it was a story of unconverted pressure in the opposition half. The second 40 was not as free-flowing as the first, but the Archers did have the better of it.
They got over in the 68th minute through replacement Cerith Davies, with a Thomas conversion giving Met a 28-21 lead.
But that sparked the home side into life, with penalty pressure and a sin-bin for Met giving Hartpury a platform.
Eventually, it was replacement back Haydn Lewis who scored out wide after red-zone pressure. A Math Jones conversion levelled the score with minutes to go.
Then Jones looked to all but win the game as Hartpury found themselves in Met territory after a line break. A penalty for offside in front of the posts was slotted by the replacement to put the score at 31-28.
It was not done there, though.
Met would have time for one last onslaught. Number eight Rhys Spavins made a break in the opposition half, getting his side 12 metres from glory.
They went through the phases, trying to burrow their way over. Eventually, it was Spavins who took a leap of faith over a ruck.
Bated breath as the referee went to his touch judge, but the call was that the ball had been knocked on and Hartpury survived for a 31-28 victory.
For them, it is two from two and 10 points - the perfect start, with the champions Bath visiting next week.
For Met, it is on to the 'Cardiff Clash' against Cardiff University as they still look for their first win of the season.
Bath batter Brunel in impressive showing
A potential banana skin awaited Bath as they travelled to London to face new boys Brunel, fresh off a huge Round One win over Cardiff Met.
It was a long-awaited home game in the top division for Brunel in front of a great crowd at Vallis Way Stadium.
But reality would bite early on. Three tries from the champions, through Enoch Opoku-Gyamfi (2) and Alex Yeabsley, put Bath in control at 21-0 after the half-hour mark.
Brunel would strike back, with a Leo Elder break and Samuel Rockley on his shoulder, but that momentum was halted by Bath winger Harry Walker, who scored from outside the opposition 22 after a lovely pass from James Linegar.
The away side led 28-7 and were in control at half-time.
Brunel would strike first through Joe Baccarini four minutes after the restart, but Bath scored a fifth not long after through Rocky Prowse.
Last week's hero for Brunel, Joe Smart, scored a third for the home side, which was not converted, making it 33-17 to Bath after 51 minutes.
But Bath would slip away within 10 minutes, with tries through Linegar, Prowse and two from the sensational Jack Woods.
Brunel would secure a bonus point through prop Israel Suleman, before two more tries for Bath brought up a 68-24 victory.
Bath look unstoppable at the minute, but Hartpury next week will be a different challenge.
For Brunel, it is a small setback, but they will want to get back on the horse.
Exeter secure a tough win away at Leeds Beckett
Exeter's tour of the north ended in another away bonus-point triumph following a hard-fought 52-36 victory.
An impressive opening half saw the Devonshire side combine quick ball with brute physicality. Tries from Harrison Hall, Ollie Batson, Dewi Thomas, Dexter Randle and Jamie Miller, with three conversions, put them in control, with two tries from Leeds seeing the half-time score at 31-12.
Leeds, as they did last week against Durham, came out fast in the second half. Three tries from Toby Morley and two monster mauls finished off by Freddie Kenyon, along with two conversions from Louie Heard, had the scores level at 31-31 after the hour mark.
The wind, which Exeter played into, was used superbly by the away side. Harry Woodman won the ball back as they put the pressure on once more, and Harry Westlake scored from a maul after a period of ascendancy.
But Leeds would strike back. A lovely snipe and grubber kick from Morley was finished off by Diederik Verdassdonk to bring it to a two-point deficit with 10 minutes to go.
But it was the kick-off again which Leeds were unable to deal with, and Exeter ended up on the green side, with the ball appearing to hold up in the wind.
George Newman, bringing speed from the base of the attacking rucks, gave Exeter impetus, with a breakthrough from Woodman and Batson getting them close.
Blindside flanker Elijah Taylor found a lovely line on the outside to score. A Freddie Hirst conversion took the score to 45-36 with seven minutes to go.
With the wind taken out of Beckett sails, Exeter saw out the win, with Thomas scoring again to wrap up the win.
For Gareth Elliott's side, it is the perfect start to an ambitious campaign as they head back down south.
Leeds will be pleased with their start. A bonus-point win against Durham and running Exeter close gives Kerry Wood plenty to be positive about.
Next up...
Hartpury v Bath, Nottingham v Brunel, Cardiff v Cardiff Met, Exeter v Durham, Loughborough v Leeds Beckett.
