EURL moved closer to the BUSA Cup quarter finals with a hard-worked, but deserved victory at Coombe Dingle. Despite losing inspirational centre Charlie Robin to a broken leg in the last game against UWIC, Exeter entered the Bristol match full of confidence and with destructive new Lukie prop Tom Winterton in the team for debut.

Bristol kicked off and after an Exeter fumble scored off their first set of attacking 6 to leave Exe trailing 4-0 after a minute. However, with coolness and determination, followed by some off loading in the tackle, Stand Off Ollie Francis galloped over for a try to even the scores. Captain Matt Wesley, fresh from his audition for ‘Riverdance’, then scored a masterful solo try, stepping the first line of defence then replicating the step around the full back. James Hunt’s conversion made it 10-4 Exe.

However, Bristol came back with powerful drives from their large forward pack, bundling over in the corner to garb a score back. On the stroke of half-time, however, 2nd Row Ali Taylor sold the defence with a beautiful dummy run to allow scrum half Jo Collins to canter through under the posts. Hunt’s conversion made the half time score 16-8 Exe.

Bristol scored, once again, with their first set after the resumption, Exe for the first time in the match falling off too many tackles. However, any hope of a revival was quickly stamped out. First a clever chip from Wesley sent gassy centre Rob Lunnun over, then Michael Flatley himself, in a déjà vu moment from his first half try, skipped past flailing Bristol tackles under the posts. 28-12.

Winger Rich ‘Tarzan’ Robinson then crashed over in the corner, followed by another from Francis. The rout was completed by opposite winger Hugo Fildes in a beautiful move combining back and forwards. Particular credit goes to Front Row Eddie Payne, who worked tirelessly and mercilessly all game, and man-of-the-match Dave Rydings, who controlled things from Hooker superbly, as well as working tirelessly in defence.

Despite a late Bristol score, these scores and some Sean Long inspired kicking from Hunt made the final score Bristol 18 Exeter 40. Exe face bottom of the table Swansea next, where a win will set them up with a winner-takes-all clash with Glamorgan on the 22nd February. The victor will take the runner up slot to UWIC in the table and a quarter final in the BUSA/SRL quarter finals.

Article by Exeter RL
8 Feb 2006