Exeter get off to a flyer to down big rivals

BUCS RUGBY

■ By Tom Jeffreys

Exeter men avenged their championship final heartbreak with an opening round victory over Loughborough, as Super BUCS returned with a bang as all 10 teams earned bonus points.

In seven seasons of BSR the Exeter-Loughborough rivalry has become a fierce one, with both winning the championship final in the last two years to deny the other a league-championship double.

This week, Exeter’s 4131 victory will start their healing process having lost the final after finishing 15 points clear at the top of the league table.

It was a nervy first half, Ben Coen’s penalty proving the difference between Exeter tries from Tom Gulley, Lucas Dorrell and Lucas Brooke (Zinzan’s son) and Loughborough tries from Joe Plunkett and a double from Elliot Gorlay. Exeter established a second half lead through another Gulley effort as well as a score from Isaac Godfrey, but a fine counter-attacking try from Ed Harvey and a tap and go from flanker Dan Eckersley set up a tense finish. It was last season’s top scorer, Louie Gulley, who sealed the deal for Exeter.

Nottingham staged a dramatic fightback to beat Leeds Beckett 28-24. Beckett’s Alex Davies and Notts’ Will Derbyshire traded early tries before Beckett stretched clear with a try from Matt Gribbon and kicks from Ben Parkin. Will Ramply began the Notts comeback with a nicely timed line, followed by Fred Maa’s pick and go, and Jamie Annand’s cut inside on 78 minutes secured all five points.

Top half finishers last season Bath and Hartpury won their openers against Durham (40-27) and Cardiff (50-33), Hartpury’s Crobin Smith scoring a hat-trick, while Cardiff Met beat Swansea 34-24.