BUCS ROUND-UP
LEADERS Bath were toppled at home by Cardiff Met 26-29, allowing Hartpury to move top of the table.
Met flew into a 0-13 lead in a first 40 that saw a double sin-binning to props Kieran Verden (Bath) and Harry Seward (Cardiff Met).
Harvey Scott scored the opener and Russell Bennett added a conversion and two penalties before Bath responded with a Jack Kenningham try converted by Hugo Stiles.
Tom Benjamin stretched the lead two minutes later but Bath crossed for another try theorugh Chris Barry to make it 14-18 at half-time.
A Bennett penalty puffed Met's cushion, however, when Alex Nisbett's try, converted by Stiles, levelled the score. Bath Captain Tom Doughty and Chris Lewis traded tries before Harry Johnston stepped up to kick The Archers to victory with a late penalty.
Nottingham Trent are back to winning ways after seeing off Cardiff 38-19 at Lady Bay.
Trent were 19-0 up within 10 minutes through tries to Alex Crocker, Harry Graham and David Williams. But Cardiff battled back and trailed by only one score after 50 minutes thanks to George Thomas, Owen Williams and Marcus Ramage's boot.
The next try would be pivotal and Trent got two in quick succession to kill the game. Williams and Cecil MacCarthay did the damage with Ed Morgan adding two conversions just like Max Craven before him.
Cardiff put themselves in BP contention with a Huw Roberts score but Williams completed his hat-trick as Trent finished with a flourish.
Durham were on the receiving end of another drubbing at the hands of Hartpury, losing 41-10 at Gillman's Ground.
Toby Venner continued his hot scoring streak with a double supported by Dwayne Burrows, Alex Forrester and Nathan Chamberlain who all crossed.
Chamberlain also added three conversions and two penalties before Paul Morgan came on to kick two conversions himself.
Myles Rawstron Rudd chipped in with a penalty in the first half for The Palatinate but by the time he converted Tom Lewis' try, Hartpury were out of sight.
Loughborough snatched a 31-28 victory from Leeds Beckett in a classic. The turning point was Tom Williams' red card for stamping on 57 minutes with the game poised at 26-all. The lead changed hands four times as Beckett's tries by Charlie Venables,
Jonny Teague and a John Okafor brace were cancelled out by Sam Ripper-Smith and a Harrison King hat-trick.
Both Conor Lloyd and Josh Lewis were three from four in conversions before Lloyd edged Beckett ahead with a penalty on 71 minutes, despite being reduced to 13 with an additional yellow.
James Spencer sealed the Loughborough win with a try in the corner, however, Steff James saw a drop-goal to win it at the death sail wide.
Exeter claimed an impressive bonus point 22-31 win over Northumbria at Kingston Park.
They powered to a 21-0 lead with a brace from Josh Pieterse and a Paul Schroter effort. Sam Morley converted all.
Northumbria responded through George Williams and a searing Josh Hodge try, who matched Morely's precision to trail 14-21 at the break. Hodge reduced arrears with a penalty but Yarree Fantini and Ed Bloodworth saw yellow ahead of a penalty try for the Exeter.
Hodge missed his first kick of the campaign when James Elliot took Northumbria to within six points until Morley closed it out with a killer penalty.
