Match Preview

As time dwindled away at the StoneX Exeter seemed to have lost faith as the title looked like it would be heading the rivals Loughborough. Needing a miracle with 5 minutes to go, cometh the hour, cometh the man. Fresh off scoring in a Champions Cup Quarter-Final Tom Cairns produced a moment of magic to win the BUCS Super Rugby title, their second in a row.

A year on from that incredible moment in EURFC history, plenty of change has happened on and off the field for Exeter, however, one goal remains constant. The 2023/24 BUCS Super Rugby Cup. This year has the added incentive of a three-peat and even a double, both only every done once before.

Both teams saw off strong sides in the semi-finals with relative ease, teeing up what is bound to be one of the most hotly anticipated matches in university rugby history. For the regular season champions, it was Bath on the Rubber Crumb A tense first half saw the sides separated by just a Charlie McCaig penalty at the break, however Exeter turned on the style in the second half, running in a couple more tries to compete a confident victory.

Their opponents today, Loughborough, had a similar semi-final up against Hartpury. Behind at the break, the African Violet had to respond, and they did just that. 4 second half tries put to bead a strong Hartpury side, and set up a repeat of last year’s blockbuster.

Exeter firmly have the upper hand in the regular season, with a big win a Topsham in October really putting a marker down early in the season. 9 tries ran in that day, with the visitors just unable to match the intensity of EURFC.

The African Violet put up far more of a fight in the Midlands, however an early red card was always going to make things harder. On a cold January night, with the crowd all against them Exeter put in a composed performance, leading comfortably for most the match.

If previous fixtures are anything to go by this one cannot be missed, 2 massive teams going up against each other for the biggest prize in the ‘Best League in the Land’.

TEAM NEWS

DoR Gareth Elliot wants to keep the consistency going, and opts to change his team as little as possible coming into the final. The only change in the pack in Tom Gulley replacing Archie Owlett at tighthead prop, meaning club legend Jared Williams will start his 57th and final game for EURFC. The other player making a final appearance is second-row Milo Hallam, who after starting and scoring in last year’s final, will be looking to add to his StoneX tally.

Another man who is likely playing his last game in green and white is Benjy Joseland. The winger is just 1 try short of the club record, with there being no better place to break it than in a final. He is part of an unchanged backline alongside fellow graduate Charlie McCaig whose kicking off the tee will be crucial tomorrow.

A mix of youth and experience on the bench, with the likes of Freeman, Ribbons and Barton-Byfield all involved in last year’s title win. Whilst freshers MacAndrew and Beckerleg are joined by Jon Cunningham-Ash who could make a BUCS Super Rugby debut on the biggest stage of all.

Games like this don’t come around often and is the pinnacle of any University Rugby player's career and is set to be a spectacle for all to enjoy.

Live tweets will be available on the EURFC Twitter page as well as being live-streamed on BUCS TV and tickets are still available to go and watch at the Stone X.