It may not have been the prettiest performance, but EURFC returned to winning ways on Wednesday evening, as they secured a league double over Cardiff in a 19-7 victory.

First half tries from captain Olly White and wing James Botterill, were added to in the second half by prop Fin Richardson, with Cardiff’s score coming from Marcus Ramage.

In truth, the stop-start nature of the contest made it difficult for the match to ever truly spark into life. However, bouncing back from defeat to Loughborough last week, was by far the most important job of the night.

Despite sitting in ninth place in the table, this Cardiff side have been a challenging proposition this season, particularly at home.

In the opening exchanges, Exeter looked to build possession and phases, in the face of some resolute home defence, with a breakdown penalty eventually halting their charge.

With little under ten minutes on the clock, Exeter pounced for the first time, and in some style too. Fly half Alec Lloyd-Seed, on his first BUCS Super Rugby start, burst through a gap in the Cardiff defence, feeding Archie Hosking who bludgeoned through a tackle. He then offloaded to centre Tom Eelman, who produced a nonchalant pass out the back of the hands to captain Olly White, who was able to hand off the final defender and dot down in the corner.

Lloyd-Seed was unable to add the conversion, but Exeter’s industrious start had the reward it deserved.

Shortly after, the hosts were reduced to 14 men, with Marcus Ramage sent to the sin-bin for taking Dan John off the ball.

An initial floated pass from James Botterill had sent Arthur Relton free down the wing, linking up with Dafydd Jenkins and Max Bliss to take play deep inside the Cardiff half. As the Exeter fullback looked to release John for a near-certain score, the Cardiff captain hauled him back, seeing yellow but having stopped his side staring down the barrel of a two-try deficit.

Cardiff could only hold Exeter out for so long though, as EURFC scored their second try just before the 20-minute mark, as Botterill scored his second BUCS Super Rugby try in two games.

Exeter had begun to turn the screw at the scrum and, after Lloyd-Seed had positioned his side in the Cardiff 22, an initial bust from Eelman left Cardiff struggling to realign. From there, Exeter’s passing was crisp and accurate, Dan John setting Botterill free down the right to dive over, Lloyd-Seed adding the touchline conversion.

Back up to a full compliment of players, Cardiff began to ask some questions themselves in attack, utilising the pace of winger Jake Thomas, as he looked to latch onto a kick through from fly half George Finney.

With time ticking away at the end of the first half, the hosts looked to build a sustained period of possession in the Exeter 22, as indiscipline from EURFC removed the opportunity for any respite.

Fortunately though, the scrum was continuing to show its strength, with the front row coming up trumps, to secure a crucial penalty and relieve the pressure.

There was to be one last half-opportunity for Exeter at the end of the half, as Jenkins stretched his legs into the Cardiff 22, but the breakdown was proving something of a conundrum for Exeter, as Cardiff secured the penalty, snuffing out the potential danger.

HALF-TIME SCORE: CARDIFF UINVERSITY 0-12 EXETER UNIVERSITY

Cardiff made wholesale changes at the break in the hope of reversing their fortunes. However, it was Exeter who continued to apply the pressure.

After a Cardiff scrum saw the ball pop out of the back, Will Yarnell grubber kicked through, latching onto the bouncing ball a metre out from the try line, only for a last-ditch covering tackle to strip the ball from the scrum half’s grasp.

A third score would eventually arrive, after another scrum penalty for Exeter had allowed Josh Barton to put the side 5m out.

After a successful lineout, there was only ever going to be one outcome once Exeter’s pack started rumbling forwards, with Fin Richardson dotting down, Barton adding the extras.

Cardiff were quickly back into the match though, as they charged down a clearing box kick from Exeter and set up camp in the Exeter 22. Wing Jake Thomas was able to stretch his legs, before Exeter’s defence eventually halted the hosts’ march.

Tempers were beginning to flare a little, with both sides frustrated at how the game was going.

As Cardiff successfully held Dan John up in contact to force a turnover, second-row Ben Roberts took issue with Eelman clearing the ruck as the referee’s whistle blew.

Both players would see yellow as the referee finally lost his patience at the breakdown.

With Cardiff beginning to probe, replacement Cameron Scott broke free down the wing, feeding inside for Josh Oakley. The scrum-half looked to be hurtling in for Cardiff’s opening score of the night, only for Luke Bralsford to come out of nowhere with a superb covering tackle.

Cardiff were in the ascendency though, with Ed Dunford almost finding Felix Gilbert with a cross field kick.

Eventually, they breached the Exeter defensive line, with captain Marcus Ramage pinning his ears back and ghosting through a gap in the Exeter defence to score under the posts, Ed Dunford converting.

The final ten minutes of the game belonged to Cardiff, as they continued their assault on the Exeter line in hope of a second score of the evening.

Whilst parts of the EURFC performance will have no doubt been frustrating, the defensive effort was a real highlight, Tom Addison securing a crucial turnover for his side in the shadow of the posts.

With five minutes left on the clock, Dan John saw yellow as Exeter’s breakdown infringements continued to ramp up.

For all their determination to get over the line though, Cardiff’s efforts were ultimately unrewarded, as the Exeter defence stood firm to force a turnover, allowing Barton to boot the ball off the field to see out the game.

Whilst not pretty by any means, the result keeps Exeter firmly in the hunt at the top of the table with Durham and Loughborough.

Next week, the side will return to home surroundings, as they take on Swansea University, in what is sure to be another physical encounter.