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Exeter 4 Glamorgan 14
In one of the most feisty performances ever by a University of Glamorgan side, the men from Trefforest qualified for the quarter-finals of the SRL BUSA Championship play-offs after beating Exeter 14-4 in the winner takes all final match of the season in the National League West and Wales writes Ian Golden.

“We were fired up by comments on their website about their win over us earlier in the season,” said coach Darren David. “They were saying things like we would get beaten easily and that was just the sort of tonic that we needed to spur us on to victory.”

Glamorgan, despite a scratch side that included having a prop playing at centre, played out of their skins for the majority of the match. However, mistakes were few on both sides, with Exeter and Glamorgan completing the majority of their sets of six ensuring that the defences ruled this match.

Glamorgan had the worst possible start, conceding a try and losing a man in the first ten minutes. Hugo Fildes gave Exeter an early lead with a try in the corner before a big hit put Andy Millar out of the game and into hospital with a broken jaw. He was expected to remain at Exeter Hospital for at least three days; such was the severity of his injury.

From the restart, Exeter were unlucky not to score again with Fildes and Rob Lunnon combining brilliantly with a series of passes that would have outfoxed the Glamorgan defence, save for


  Lunnon’s unfortunate knock-on as he neared the try-line.

Nick Dawson could have got a try back for Glamorgan on 17 minutes but was pushed into touched as he dived for the line. However, he made up for this eight minutes later as his break put Graham Hughes in for the equalising score. By half time Glamorgan had gained an 8-4 lead after clever work by Davies set up Tomlinson for a try in the corner.

In the second half, the intensity of the game increased with completed sets and big hits aplenty. The atmosphere around the pitch also intensified as the majority of the Exeter locals abandoned the dour rugby union game on the adjacent pitch to watch the far more exciting league tie.

Glamorgan’s Gareth Jones made a 50 metre run early in the second half, setting up Hughes but the big forward was held up as he crossed the line. Exeter also went close as Jack Seymour made a similar run and would have given his side a deserved equaliser but for a try saving tackle by Jones.

However Glamorgan, who had wasted a further two chances in the second half by kicking penalties that criminally hadn’t reached the touchline, finally made sure of the match on 76 minutes with a Nick Dawson try.

Glamorgan University now join fellow Welsh side UWIC in the final stages of the SRL BUSA Championship play-offs.

Article by Ian Golden
27 Feb 2006

 



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