exeter university v Bournemouth

Team Selection: There was just one change to the back line that started against Drybrook last week with Markus Burcham making his debut at fly-half instead of Alex Peel. In the forwards, Luca Firetto returned, having recovered from an Achilles injury, at tighthead prop instead of Henry Turner who was with the twos. Ciaran Smyth, swapping places with Ben Russell on the bench, was preferred at openside flanker. Ashley Taylor returned after recovering from injury and was on the bench.

It rained or drizzled throughout the match but, thankfully, with absolutely no wind. Underfoot, the pitch was in remarkably good condition considering the rubbish that had been thrown at it by the Weather Gods over the previous 24 hours.

Exeter University kicked off right to left and to their left.

Bournemouth applied early pressure, with good ball retention as the forwards threatened the Uni line but the students managed to ‘turn the ball over’ to clear up field. A good chase, a feature of their game all afternoon, induced the Bournemouth handling error inside their 22m and the Uni were over on the left. The kick at goal was ‘pushed’ past the far upright but the Uni led 5-nil after just eight minutes play.

The Uni were penalised as they ran the ball back at the restart and scrum-half Grant Hancox found touch to his left on the Uni 22m. Despite securing the throw-in and driving off the line-out, Bournemouth found it difficult to make progress in the face of a determined, robust Uni defence as they moved each way across the pitch through their three-quarters. A chip through in behind the defence did not gain enough advantage and referee Max Weston pulled play back to an earlier Uni infringement. From inside the Uni 10m, Hancox pulled his kick at goal to the right of the near post.

Showing some enterprise, the Uni ran the ball back but only got the reward of the put-in at a scrum inside their own 22m. Going right they dropped the ball in the difficult handling conditions and Bournemouth had the put-in at their own scrum. Initially, coming right through a strong run by fly-half Markus Burcham, Bournemouth again found progress, whether to the right or left, difficult in the face of the aforesaid robust defence. A half break by the forwards almost punctured the defensive line before Bournemouth were awarded a scrum. First going right and then back left, left wing Oli Grainger-Williams had a run but the ball was lost forward just 10 metres out from the Uni line. The Uni scrum was forced to concede penalty under the Bournemouth forward pressure and Hancox kicked the goal to make the score 3-5, 22 minutes into the game.

The Uni restarted left, kicking the ball into the Bournemouth 22m, chased hard by the Uni left-wing. Good Bournemouth defence made sure they retained the ball and were rewarded by being awarded a penalty against the Uni. Hancox found touch to his right. From the line-out, the Bournemouth forwards initially drove the ball but when the ball was released to Hancox, the scrum-half kicked the ball ‘straight out’ for a Uni line-out outside the Bournemouth 22m. The Uni went right from the line-out but the Bournemouth defence, who prevented any progress from being made, were penalised. From outside the Bournemouth 10m, the Uni fly-half restored the Uni’s five-point lead at 8-3, after 27 minutes play.

The Uni kicked the restart back into the Bournemouth half and were awarded a penalty for the Uni fly-half to repeat his effort of just a couple or so minutes earlier, but this time from inside the Bournemouth 10m, to stretch his side’s lead out to 11-3, after 30 minutes play. Bournemouth restarted left and, when the Uni knocked the ball on had the put-in at a scrum inside the Uni 22m. No 8 Joe Rees broke off the back of the pack going right. Again showing good ball retention in the face of the home side’s defence at first, it all came to nought when the Uni managed to ‘turn the ball over’ and clear right to find the safety of touch on their own 10m. Bournemouth’s line-out was untidy and the ball went into touch for a Uni throw-in. Bournemouth managed to knock the ball back. Tidying the ball up, Bournemouth attacked left but losing the ball out wide, the Uni punished the visitors by running the ball back left where there was no organised defence, and it was all too easy for the threes to run the ball in. The Uni fly-half again pushed his kick at goal beyond the far post, but the Uni led 16-3, after 34 minutes play.

Bournemouth restarted left and did well to recover the ball and attacked right. Openside Ciaran Smyth took the ball into contact and the Uni were penalised for being offside. From just 10 metres out and in front of the posts, Hancox reduced the deficit by three points with his second goal of the afternoon to leave the score at 6-16, after 37 minutes play. The Uni restarted left, and Bournemouth secured the ball under pressure from the chasers before releasing the ball to Hancox for the left-footed scrum-half to kick to his left for a Uni line-out on the half-way line. They attacked right but on losing the ball out wide, referee Weston brought play back to an earlier Bournemouth infringement for a Uni scrum on the half-way line. That set up a beautiful running attack going right to which Bournemouth had no answer and the move was finished off by the Uni left-wing who scored in the corner. Uni kicked the goal and led 23-6, after 40 minutes play.

Burcham restarted left and the Uni made a dent in the defensive wall before releasing right. A kick was run back by Bournemouth, but the wet ball was proving difficult to handle and the Uni had a scrum on the half-way line. They went right and, breaking a tackle, made good ground into the Bournemouth 22m where the defence eventually brought them to a halt for the referee to blow for an infringement which signalled the end of the first half, four minutes of injury time having been played.

HT: 6-23

Bournemouth started the second half by kicking left and the Uni returned the compliment. Attacking first left, Bournemouth showed good ball retention as they came back right before an exchange of kicks saw the Uni with the throw-in on the half-way line on their left. Attacking right they kicked and recovered the ball when Bournemouth hesitated and continued by attacking left before coming back right. They contrived to drop the ball and Bournemouth kicked the loose ball. A good chase saw them earn the put-in at a scrum inside the Uni 10m. A dominant Bournemouth pack pushed their opposite numbers back as the scrum ‘crabbed’ right before the ball was released left. Grainger-Williams had a run, but the left-winger was forced into touch inside the Uni 22m. Off the line-out, the Uni tried to break out going left but the Bournemouth defence forced them to kick and a Uni knock-on in the contact gave Bournemouth the put-in at a scrum on the half-way line. Bournemouth went left but, when the Uni were penalised, Hancox found touch further to his left inside the Uni 22m. Bournemouth went right but kept it tight with Rees to the fore. The ball was released before coming back left where Grainger-Williams had another run but, as before, was bundled into the touch for a Uni line-out on their own 5m line. Bournemouth ‘nicked’ the throw-in and went right. Despite their efforts and they seemed to be over under the posts the Uni came up with the ball and they had one of these new-fangled try-line drop-outs. They went left and Bournemouth ran the ball back right but lost it. The Uni kicked it left for a Bournemouth line-out outside their own 10m. Attacking left off the line-out, the ball got ‘lost’ but was recovered by Grainger-Williams only for the Uni to be awarded a scrum on the half-way line. Despite being under pressure from the Bournemouth drive, the Uni got the ball away left where Bournemouth were awarded a scrum midfield. Bournemouth went left and kicked but Weston brought play back to an earlier Uni infringement for Hancox to find touch to his right on the Uni 22m. The throw-in was ‘not straight’ which was not in the script. The Uni went right from the resultant scum before kicking. The ball fielded by full-back Ben Meaden under some pressure from the eager chasers, but he got his clearance kick away. The full-back was called on to do much the same as before as the Uni at first ran the ball back before kicking it but this time the Uni were given the put-in at a scrum. On winning the ball, the Uni kicked, and Grainger-Williams did well to field the ball on his own line before releasing it to Hancox who cleared the immediate danger by finding touch to his left for a Uni line-out on the Bournemouth 22m.

The ball was overthrown but the Uni’s blushes were saved when Bournemouth were penalised. The Uni kicked right but not finding touch, Bournemouth kicked the ball back only for the Uni to run it back going left and Bournemouth found themselves defending a line-out on their own 5m line. The Uni drive had a certain inevitability about it as their forwards weren’t going to give on this golden opportunity to secure a bonus-point try and extend their own fast-becoming formidable lead. Who scored? I have no idea but someone clearly did and the Uni kicker did the seemingly impossible by hitting the near upright for the ball to bounce clear and leave the score at 28-6, 24 minutes into this second period.

Bournemouth restarted left and the Uni kicked back, the ball fielded by Rees. The No 8 went right and Bournemouth kicked only for Weston to bring the ball back to an earlier Uni infringement. Hancox found touch to his left for a Bournemouth line-out inside the Uni 22m. Bournemouth’s initial drive almost saw them in but patiently they kept at it and eventually they crossed the line. The scorer turned out to be blindside flanker Ben Kimber but who can tell from the touchline? What one could tell was Hancox kicking the goal to make the score 13-28 after 27 minutes play in the second half. Slightly less formidable would you agree?

The Uni restarted left, and Bournemouth attacked down their left before being awarded the throw-in at a line-out on their own 22m. Hancox kicked high from the line-out and a good chase resulted in the chasers winning the ball back. The ball was worked left and fly-half Burcham found himself in space and had the ‘legs’ to outstrip the defence to go over for his debut try. Hancox also did the seemingly impossible and hit the near upright with his conversion attempt to leave the score at 18-28, 32 minutes into the half. The upright hit twice in one match. Come on you statos, when did that last happen?

The Uni restarted left and landed up having the throw-in at a line-out on the Bournemouth 22m. ‘Not straight’ meant Bournemouth had a scrum. The Bournemouth drive earned themselves a penalty and Hancox duly dispatched the ball into the touch on the Uni 10m. The forwards secured the throw-in, driving deep into the Uni 22m but the Uni ‘turned the ball over’ and kicked clear. In trying to recover the ball, the Uni knocked it on for a Bournemouth scrum on the half-way line. Attacking down the right, the Bournemouth forwards were there in support, their drive for the line was irresistible and the ball-carrier, apparently one Kimber, was over for his second score of the afternoon. Hancox kicked his fourth goal of the afternoon to make the score 25-28 after 40 minutes and Bournemouth had, at least, earned themselves a losing bonus point on an afternoon when after more than hour they were facing a heavy defeat. There was barely time to restart the match before referee Weston blew for ‘no time.

One can only be disappointed at a defeat, but, nonetheless, one can take heart at the team’s come-back in that last quarter. Handling errors in that first half, especially ‘giving away’ that first score after promising early Bournemouth pressure proved to be crucial. Oh what might have been.

The loss means we drop to third in the table with 20 points, with Hornets, winning at home against Old Redcliffians, leap-frogging Bournemouth on 23 points. With top-placed Exeter University on 25 points, they are the only two undefeated sides. Exmouth’s win against Royal Wootton Bassett means they regain fourth place on 17 points at the expense of Old Redcliffians. It sets up an intriguing match against Exmouth next week. Make sure you’re there. KO 3PM.

Doug Warren