It was all set for a classic at Topsham Sports Ground where purple met green once again, as Exeter welcomed long-time rivals Loughborough in Round 3 of BUCS Super Rugby — a fixture steeped in intensity, history, and pride. With both sides unbeaten heading into the clash, it was always going to be a test of nerve – and more importantly – execution. What followed was a breathless, bruising encounter that saw Exeter roar back from a cagey first half to dismantle Loughborough 52–28, fuelled by a ruthless second-half surge to extend their unbeaten run and cement their place among the league’s early pacesetters.

The energy at Topsham was unmistakable — the kind of crackle only Exeter-Loughborough games seem to summon. From the kick-off, both teams looked intent on imposing themselves physically, each collision echoing around the ground.

It was Exeter who landed the first blow. Inside centre Nic Allison ignited proceedings by picking a sharp line, slicing through midfield traffic after spotting a sliver of space. With defenders sprawling, he powered over for the opening try. Freddie Hirst converted with ease, giving Exeter a 7–0 advantage and sending the home supporters into full voice.
Loughborough were never going to be docile opponents, however, and less than 10 minutes later the ball found Loughborough openside Denman on the edge, who had an unopposed path to the try line and levelled the ledger. It wasn’t long until Loughborough had found their confidence on the back of that, and thanks to a floated wide pass from full-back Gourlay, Loughborough’s speedster Rowe was invited to take a crack at the Exeter defence. With space ahead of him, it seemed all too easy for the winger to cross the white line and dot down to put Loughborough ahead. At 14–10 to the visitors, momentum was shifting, and tensions thickening. The prospect of another defeat at the hands of their bitter rivals was appearing to be more and more of a sickening possibility for Exeter.

They simply could not yield. The collisions grew heavier, the chants louder, the carries more desperate. Near halftime, it finally paid. Exeter’s forwards suffocated Loughborough inside their own 22. A series of brutal pick-and-goes battered the purple wall until Tom Gulley finally smashed over, bouncing off contact and restoring Exeter’s edge. Hirst’s conversion was the final punctuation of a bruising half.

HALF TIME – EXETER 17 – 14 LOUGHBOROUGH

On the verge of starting the second half, Exeter saw fit to make a double swap on the front row, bringing on fresh, destructive legs in the form of Jamie Miller and Isaac Godfrey. This decision served to be a turning point in the match, as their arrival changed the pulse of the match entirely.

Off the back of a scrum staring down the Loughborough try line, a series of hard crash ball carries set up the perfect opportunity for replacement prop Isaac Godfrey to make his mark. From within reaching distance of the try line and with the Loughborough defence scattered and weak, Godfrey bowled over to extend the gap to 10. But Loughborough, obstinate as ever, clawed one back almost instantly. Following an offside penalty against a driving Exeter pack, it was Loughborough’s own substitute backrower Adegbemile who took the quick tap-and-go to rumble over, using his pure size and aggression to dot down. Suddenly it was 24–21 — a reminder that this rivalry rarely grants comfort.

Exeter responded not with panic but precision. Their next try was pure opportunism: Noah Fenton reading the game like a thief in the night, snatching an interception off a poorly judged pass and sprinting clear, untouched. Hirst split the uprights once more. 31–21. The tide, undoubtedly now, was turning green.

With the lead in hand, it was time for the men in green to turn to attrition. Exeter’s pack, freshly reinforced, began to dominate contact. Godfrey struck again, his second try a mirror of the first — low body position, brute strength, total commitment. Loughborough’s resistance began to wane. Still, a glimmer of hope came for Loughborough in the form of two yellow cards for Exeter – however the boys in green held firm and saw to it that they covered every blade of grass and more to make up for the loss of two men.

The visitors camped briefly inside Exeter’s 22, but the home defence was obstinate, relentless and unyielding, earning themselves a scrum deep within their own territory. When the ball spilled loose, Exeter countered with venom. A thunderous boot from Nic Allison cast a certain spell of uncertainty over the Loughborough back three, who failed to judge the bounce of the ball and fumbled it back into green hands. It was a sloppy mishap which allowed Allison - who had just previously hared after his own kick from the five-metre channel – to reclaim possession. After busting a lung to get within enemy territory, Inside centre Allison still held the presence of mind to flick the ball out-the-back to Noah Fenton, who grabbed his second try of the day to a deafening reception from the home crowd. It seemed to be the perfect seal to an otherwise open and nail-biting encounter, with the Exeter supporters and players unified in harmonious celebration.

And yet, Exeter were not done. As the clock bled toward red, who else but Isaac Godfrey steamrolled over his opposite man under the posts to round off his hat-trick — a front-rower’s finishing symphony of brutality and brilliance.

There was poetry in the way it ended. The substitutes had altered the tone, the tempo, the very texture of the match. Godfrey, the destroyer; Allison, the instigator; Fenton, the finisher — each a vital verse in Exeter’s second-half sonnet.

Topsham pulsed with pride as the final whistle blew. Exeter, unbeaten still, had faced their fiercest rivals and not just survived — they had flourished. Both sides left with bruises, yet it was Exeter who left with certainty: this is a side built not just to compete, but to conquer.

FULL TIME – EXETER 52 – 28 LOUGHBOROUGH