With the regular season over for another year, every match could now be your last, as the pressure ramps up for the BUCS Super Rugby Championship. After finishing second in the league, Exeter University must now prepare for the sizeable task of taking on Hartpury in the quarterfinals at Topsham this afternoon. (2pm)

Exeter have never failed to reach the semi-finals in the National Championship and Hartpury yet to lose a knockout match since the inception of BUCS Super Rugby. Something has got to give in this clash of the titans.

EURFC rounded off the regular season with a disappointing 36-14 defeat away to Cardiff Met, in a result that abruptly brought a record-breaking ten-match unbeaten run to an end.

Hooker Chris Moore admitted that the result had been a “big wake-up call for a lot of the boys,” but explained how the side will be better for that defeat heading into the knockouts.

“Cardiff Met two weeks ago was a huge challenge. We’ve had two wins over Hartpury already but we’re not underestimating them at all,” he explained. “We know what challenge they will bring. They are a good set of players and a good set of boys, so we’ve got to be on our A-game.”

The last time EURFC were able to play a knockout match in BUCS Super Rugby was in 2019, in a heart-breaking home semi-final defeat to Leeds Beckett.

Since then, the side are yet to lose a home game in two seasons, with Moore admitting that keeping the aura around playing at Topsham was a key motivator for the side.

“It’s really important to keep Topsham as that fortress for us. Hopefully we can keep that up on Wednesday.”

Coming into this match, EURFC are bolstered by the return of Fin Richardson and Will Yarnell, whilst Archie Hosking makes his first BUCS start since picking up an injury against Durham before Christmas.

Elsewhere, Arthur Thomas is promoted to a starting jersey, with Matt Cook reverting to the bench, whilst there is also a first start in BUCS Super Rugby for flanker Sam Higginson.

Higginson made his debut off the bench against Leeds Beckett at Topsham earlier in the season and has been a key component of the Saturday XV side that currently leads the South West Premier standings.

On the bench, there is also a potential return to BUCS Super Rugby action for centre Tom Eelman, after recovering from a jaw injury that has ruled him out for several months.

Playing knockout rugby adds a certain amount of jeopardy for all involved, but Moore insists that his side still want to keep playing an entertaining brand of rugby that has seen them score 90 tries in 18 league games.

“The mindset doesn’t change to be honest. We just want to play quick rugby and good rugby. There’s no boring stuff in the knockouts! We want to play some champagne stuff,” he chuckled.

A potential return to the BUCS Championship final for the first time since 2017 is tantalisingly close for Keith Fleming’s side, but their path is fraught with challenges. As Moore was quick to highlight, “every team is dangerous in the knockouts.”

Hartpury, whilst perhaps disappointed with a league campaign that saw them finish seventh overall, are the masters of knockout rugby, having won the BUCS Championship for three consecutive seasons.

On both occasions this season, whilst EURFC have ultimately come away with the victory, the side have had to work hard to wear down a dogged Hartpury side.

Moore acknowledges that if his side are to advance to the semi-finals, then they will have to be on their guard for the full 80 minutes. Whilst that fear of losing is one that will undoubtedly crop up, Moore has challenged his side to play positively in search of victory at Topsham.

“There’s obviously that element of being scared to lose but we don’t want that. We want to go out and win these games. We just need to make sure we are concentrating in all moments of the game.”

Today’s match will kick off at 2pm, with live updates on the EURFC Twitter account.