Where do you start with that one? Varsity nights are always huge in Exeter, but this one felt bigger. With two teams going hammer and tongs for 80 breathless, relentless minutes at Sandy Park it was EURFC who took the spoils, with a stunning 26-21 victory.

In a high-octane clash at Sandy Park, Exeter scored tries through Arthur Relton, Jordan Bond and Tom Addison, along with a penalty try, to secure a thrilling victory.

Loughborough responded with scores of their own through Ollie Ashworth, Dan Eckersley and Teddy Leatherbarrow, but Exeter's defence saw them over the line.

With 4000 fans in the stands, Sandy Park was rocking before kick-off. Exeter looked to start quickly, with Alec Lloyd-Seed sending Jordan Bond through a gap and into the Loughborough 22, only for a last-ditch tackle to stop the winger just as he looked to accelerate away.

Exeter were unable to make the opportunity count and it was now Loughborough’s turn to show what they could do in attack.

With little over five minutes on the clock, Josh Lewis’ chip through was collected by Ben Fitzgerald. The wing gathered the ball and then kicked through again, with Max Bliss body-checking the wing. Bliss would see yellow for that action, with Loughborough now piling on the pressure after Charlie Titcombe’s kick found touch in the Exeter 22.

The visitors continued to probe and press but each time they did, they were met with an immovable force, as Exeter’s defence held firm. After nearly three minutes of constant defence on their own try line, Man of the Match Fin Richardson secured a crucial penalty for his side to alleviate the pressure.

Still playing with a man down, Exeter were starting to build the phases in attack, with the mere sight of Arthur Relton getting his hands on the ball enough to get the crowd excited.

Whilst both sides were looking sharp and probing in attack, it was the defence that was dominating in this relentless opening period, as a huge shot from David Douglas Bridge forced a turnover, just as Exeter were beginning to make headway in attack.

The pressure was still on though and, when Loughborough conceded a penalty, Lloyd-Seed kicked his side into the corner. From the maul, Luke Bralsford was hauled down a metre short, as Exeter settled into their familiar pick and go game near the try line. With the advantage coming, EURFC would make no mistake, as Relton raced over for his fourteenth try of the season.

Playing with the advantage, Tom Hitchcock drew in defenders at first receiver, allowing Lloyd-Seed Dan John and Jordan Bond to combine quite beautifully, to send Relton over in the corner, Lloyd-Seed converting from the touchline.

One would quickly become two for Exeter, with Bliss now back on the field. From a midfield scrum, Will Yarnell attacked down the short side. Bliss was eager to atone for his yellow card and he cut his way through to the Loughborough 22, only to be stopped by a last gasp tap tackle. EURFC continued to build the phases though, with the tackles flying in.

Speed of ball though was the crucial factor here for Exeter, with Lloyd-Seed and John again combining to release Relton. The winger was fizzing with energy now and rounded Fitzgerald, feeding Bliss who then popped the ball out to Bond to cross for a quite magical score.

Lloyd-Seed was unable to convert but that score had given Exeter breathing space in the tie.

Loughborough though aren’t in the hunt for third place in the league by chance and they were always going to come back into this one.
With Exeter’s discipline again playing a part, Titcombe kicked his side back to within sight of the line. Despite more ferocious defence from Exeter, Loughborough’s relentless pressure finally told, Dan Ashworth crossing for his side’s first try of the match, Titcombe adding the conversion.

EURFC then suffered a further blow, as prop Jacob Morris was forced to leave the field with a hamstring injury. Morris has been an unshakeable presence for his side all season long and this was a cruel way for his night to end.

The visitors were beginning to threaten with ball in hand themselves now, with their tails up after that try. Centre pairing Josh Lewis and Nathan Pope have been a key axis for their side this season and they were starting to find space in the outside channels.

Exeter held firm though, with John showing his quality in defence to force a turnover, allowing Lloyd-Seed to release the pressure.

In attack, Bliss was continuing to carry a threat for his side, as was the industrious Tom Hitchcock, with a number of bulldozing carries. With time ticking away at the end of the half, Exeter were awarded a penalty which Yarnell took quickly.

Despite Loughborough’s defence seemingly failing to retreat the required ten metres and holding Yarnell back, the referee deemed that the scrum half had knocked the ball on. This was much to the bewilderment of the scrum half, but his side still went in at half-time in the lead.

HALF-TIME SCORE: EXETER UNIVERSITY 12-7 LOUGHBOROUGH UNIVERSITY

If there were any doubts as to whether the second half could match the intensity of the first, they were extinguished within the first few minutes.

As Exeter probed and carried hard up towards the Loughborough 22, Lloyd-Seed stepped inside the would-be tackle of Dan Eckersley and charged into space. With the Sandy Park crowd roaring him towards the line, the fly half looked to be in, only to stumble and lose his footing a metre out from the line.

In the panic as both sides looked to realign, Loughborough turned the ball over, before Ben Smith spilt the ball forward on his own line. Chris Moore, who the morning of the game was announced as a Munster player for next season, looked to have grounded the ball, but a last-ditch hand prevented him from getting the ball to the grass.

Exeter’s tails were up now though, and the pack was becoming dominant thanks to the work of the front row. It was from the next scrum that the third Exeter try of the night followed.

Whilst the first two tries of the night may have been things of beauty, this one was equally so in its own right, albeit for different reasons. As Exeter’s pack sent Loughborough in reverse, Addison controlled the ball exquisitely at the base, before powering over from close range. The crowd were now in raptures and the noise only grew as Lloyd-Seed extended the advantage from the conversion.

As in the first half though, Loughborough are too good a side to lie down easily. With the visitors freshening things up in the pack and making the most of the extra forward on their bench, they wore looked to wear down Exeter’s defence, drawing several penalties to allow Titcombe to build the territory.

After several phases hammering away at the Exeter line, Eckersley eventually spotted a gap and managed to ground the ball on the line, before an Exeter tackler was able to reach him.

Titcombe reduced the deficit to five points with a straightforward conversion and there was suddenly now apprehension in the crowd.

Eckersley was beginning to enjoy himself now, working in tandem with returning Loughborough skipper Teddy Leatherbarrow in the back row. His perfectly timed hit on Bond after an inch-perfect kick from scrum half Tom Miles looked to have left Exeter scrambling. Much to their relief though, Loughborough infringed at the breakdown, as their overexcitement perhaps got the better of them.

Whilst Leatherbarrow’s arrival on the field was bringing the best out of Eckersley, the back row was adding his own significant impact to the contest as well.

With brother Ollie named in the Scotland U20s side, we were denied the opportunity to see a sibling rivalry on the field.

That didn’t deter Teddy from his task though and his try saw Loughborough hit the front, to stun the Sandy Park crowd.

As Reece Malone began to search out space in the Exeter defensive line, Leatherbarrow took the task on himself, carrying right through the heart of the Exeter line and muscling his way over with a sea of defenders left in his wake.

Titcombe’s conversion saw his side take a two-point lead, as Exeter desperately searched for territory and possession.

After Hitchcock had been forced into touch near the Loughborough 22, the visitors looked to clear their lines, only for Eckersley to fumble a straightforward pass.

This was Exeter’s opportunity now to seize back momentum. After winning a scrum penalty, EURFC turned down the opportunity to slot a penalty to regain the lead, instead kicking to the corner in search of a fourth try.

EURFC were keeping something up their sleeves for this moment, and it worked a treat to steal back the lead. A clever switch drive at the lineout caught Loughborough napping and, as Tom Addison looked to ground for his second of the night, Loughborough’s Bryn Davies collapsed the maul, leaving the referee with little option but to award a penalty try and send the prop to the bin for ten minutes.

With the game heading for a nail-biting conclusion, Exeter looked to settle any nerves with a fifth score, only for a breakdown in communication to lead to an accidental obstruction.

Loughborough continued to bide their time and slowly built their way up to the Exeter 22, as George Barber spotted space on the shortside.

With the clock ticking closer to 80 with every second and Loughborough building the phases, EURFC’s defence had to be brutal, and it had to be clean.

With the likes of Milo Hallam putting his body on the line for his side, if any period of play in the whole match showed what the game meant to this Exeter side, this was it.

Relentlessly, ruthlessly, they forced Loughborough back nearly thirty metres in defence, refusing to give an inch.

Knowing they needed to go for broke, Loughborough looked to release Barber on the far wing, but again, it was Exeter’s defence that held firm, forcing him into touch.

There was still time for one final lineout though, before Addison booted the ball into touch, to spark huge celebrations in the stands and on the pitch.

Before this game, the conversations from within the Exeter camp were that they were still searching for that complete performance. After this Varsity victory, they will know that this was almost as good as it gets.

With two rounds of the BUCS Super Rugby season to go, this result guarantees Keith Fleming’s side a crucial top two finish, as the title chase with Durham continues to go to the wire.

Challenges lie ahead with Hartpury and a trip to Cardiff Met to round off the campaign, but for now though, this was a match and an occasion, that highlighted university rugby in Exeter, at its very best.