Cardiff Met’s Archers played host to Exeter under the lights on a wet and rain-soaked Wednesday night of BUCS Super Rugby. The Welsh side, who had fallen to defeat against the men in green in the opening game of the season, were determined to set the record straight on home soil in Cyncoed and disrupt Exeter’s push toward the summit of the league. Still, the question remained: could Exeter bounce back and overcome yet another hostile test away from home? Or would the Archers even the record against old foes and rise in the ranks of BUCS Super Rugby?

With the memory of the season opener's disappointment etched deep into the Archer's minds, it was the hosts who came out firing. On 12 minutes, outside centre Jack Walsh cut a sharp line off a lineout move to pierce the Exeter defence and open the scoring, sending a word of warning to anyone in the visitors' camp who wrote off this Cardiff Met side. Exeter did not hesitate to respond, however, as James Boylan powered his way over just five minutes later after sustained pressure on the Archers’ line, battering through a last-ditch defensive stand. This back-and-forth exchange would set the scene for the remainder of the show, laying the foundations early for a pure, old-fashioned shootout.

The game's momentum swung again when Exeter were reduced to fourteen men on 22 minutes, with full-back Jed Findlay shown a yellow card for a cynical - but cunning - trip which halted a try-scoring opportunity for Met. Cardiff Met still capitalised however, with fly-half Sam Berry converting a penalty shortly after to edge his side ahead. Exeter refused to fade, though, and on 27 minutes prop Tom Gulley showed remarkable control of body height and strength to get low and force his way over from close range. Scrum-half James Howard, who took over goal-kicking duties in Jed Findlay's stead, added the conversion to restore the visitors’ advantage.

The half closed as it had opened, with Cardiff Met striking once more through flanker Cerith Davies, driven over by his pack on 32 minutes to send the Archers into the break narrowly ahead. The drama was far from over as both sides were only beginning to settle into what would prove to be a thrilling affair.

HALF TIME – CARDIFF MET 15–14 EXETER

Exeter began the second half eager to gain an edge over the hosts and turned to the ever-prolific Tyler Bayley; the hooker continued his fine form by crashing over from close range shortly after the restart. As expected however, Cardiff responded immediately, moving the ball quickly across the width of the field before Sam Berry delivered a delicately weighted and perfectly executed cross-field kick for an opportunistic substitute, Theo Povey, to gather and score - leaving just a single point between the sides.

The game felt wide open for either side to take, and only minutes later, Tyler Bayley once more proved unstoppable at close quarters and gave Exeter a two-score cushion. Down, but far from out, Cardiff Met remained composed and squeezed their visitors and smothered them with relentless pressure, which eventually paid with full-back Vikas Meijer reducing the gap via a well-taken penalty on 53 minutes.

The contest tightened over the final quarter, with both sides unloading their respective benches. Exeter dominated territory and set-piece pressure while they continued to push their hosts back within their half for the majority of the half. On the 63rd minute, the men in green came within inches of putting the game to bed and could smell the try line as their replacement forwards hammered away at the last line of defence, but the Archer's stood tall this time and repelled the Exeter pack from delivering the final blow.

Exeter's failure to convert proved costly late on, as Cardiff Met dug deep into their repertoire of dramatic tricks and drove the final dagger deep into Green hearts in the 78th minute. As Cardiff picked away at Exeter’s try-line, the men in green sensed an opportunity to turn defence into deliverance. They committed bodies to the breakdown, arms raised, appealing to the referee for a turnover that would have snuffed out Cardiff Met’s final surge. But that desicive whistle never came. A perhaps controversial decision not to reward Exeter at the breakdown left the visitors scrambling - but still, play rolled on.

With momentum very much in their favour, the Archers struck home. The ball was swung wide at pace, stretching a scurrying Exeter defence until space finally opened for winger Ryan Williams to seize his moment beneath the Cyncoed floodlights. The conversion that followed held huge implications, yet full-back Vikas Meijer held his nerve under immense pressure to edge Cardiff Met ahead and seal the contest on home soil.

Under the lights in Cyncoed Exeter battled to the final moment, but on a night of fine margins, the decisive call never came their way. For Exeter, a bitter journey home filled with questions of what could, or perhaps, should have been as they continue to hunt for BUCS super rugby glory. For the Met however, a well-earned victory and celebration to follow; as on a stormy Cardiff night, the wind simply blew their way.

FULL TIME – CARDIFF MET 30–28 EXETER