By Tomos Smallwood
A stunning second half comeback gave Cardiff a season double over Exeter and confirmation of a place in this year’s BUCS Super Rugby play-offs.
Cardiff came into the final game needing a win to give themselves any hope of qualifying for the playoffs. The home side had already officially avoided relegation the previous week thanks to a dramatic 41-40 win over Leeds.
After a cagey opening 15 minutes in which neither team was able to stamp their authority on the match, it was the visitors who broke the deadlock. A driving maul from a line out saw Exeter crash over, the try converted by Benjamin Mills.
24 minutes in, the visitors extended their lead with a sustained period of pressure on the host’s tryline paying off with another converted try for Exeter.
Just four minutes later Cardiff’s task would be made even harder as Exeter would further extend their advantage with a carbon copy of their previous try, more relentless pressure within Cardiff’s five meter line. Another conversion followed and the sides went into the break with the score 0-21 to the visitors.
Just seven minutes into the second half, Cardiff would get their first score of the match, half time replacement Harrison James converting his own try to close the gap to 7-21.
In the 50th minute Exeter would score again, an unconverted try increasing the gap to 7-26. However, just two minutes later Cardiff would hit back, a fantastic move including a strong hand-off from Cardiff full back Charlie Brook who would go on to race over the tryline, another James conversion leaving the score at 14-26.
Cardiff would take full advantage of the momentum. Firstly, 57 minutes in, winger Mason Archer would score his first try of the contest and the following James conversion left Cardiff only trailing by 5 points. They would not trail for much longer, as Exeter’s kick off would go straight into touch, leading to another Cardiff try just three minutes later, Charlie Brook crashing over for his second of the evening, yet another successful conversion taking the score to 28-26.
Cardiff had the lead for the first time in the contest and would go on to extend it 74 minutes in. Centre, Lloyd McEwan-Peters scoring the try and James converting to put Cardiff two scores ahead, 35-26.
Exeter were not done yet however, piling the pressure back on the hosts just two minutes later with second-half substitute George Newman’s try converted to close the gap back to just two points.
But a brilliant piece of play from Cardiff would take the game out of the visitors reach. A perfectly weighted cross field kick from Harrison James was taken by winger Jack Thomas who sprinted away to extend Cardiff’s lead to 40-26. Harrison James would cap off an unbelievable goal kicking display, converting once more to leave him 6/6 for the evening, 42-33.
The extra two points would prove vital, as with the clock in the red at the end of the second half Exeter would score yet another converted try to leave the final score 42-40 to Cardiff. Leeds’ 19-28 defeat to Nottingham means Cardiff will play in the play-off quarter finals away at league winners Bath.
CARDIFF UNIVERSITY RUGBY 