Match Preview

Back-to-back wins and a record-breaking unbeaten run on the line. It has been an exciting start to the season for Exeter as they look to go for a three-peat of BUCS Super Rugby titles.

Last week saw us travel away from Topsham for the first time this year. Nottingham is never an easy place to go but the boys put on a show to come away with all three points. Despite going behind just 2 minutes in, tries from Vajner, Driscoll, Joseland, and Owlett wrapped up the bonus point inside half an hour.

Joseland and Vajner doubled their try count and with late scores from Forsythe and Mignot, the rout was completed. With 2 wins from 2, Exeter has left no time to get up to speed, running in tries for fun as the league’s top scorers.

Looking back on last week club captain Chris Freeman enjoying our “first proper away day” of the season.

“I thought the boys travelled really well, staying overnight and we were then relentless right up till the final whistle”.

Now in his 3rd and final year in Exeter, Freeman has taken over the captaincy reigns from Matt Cook, and his looking forward to getting stuck in.

His lofty ambitions for this season include “looking to drive the team to win that third title in a row” and doing something no previous Exeter side have done:

“Winning the league and the cup double would be great and is the main aim this season and is something we haven’t achieved as a club before”.

This week we have arch-rivals Loughborough coming to Topsham. Not only is it a derby, but last year’s epic finale at the StoneX adds yet another storyline to an already eventful match. It ended 41-41 at the end of 80 minutes that day, but a 95th-minute try from now-alumni Tom Cairns won it for the boys in green.

Exeter will be looking for more of the same this week, and with a packed crowd behind them, it is going to be hard to stop them achieving a record equalling 10th consecutive win.

Freeman is certain the boys are fully prepared and “firing coming into the game tomorrow”.

TEAM NEWS

After such an emphatic victory last week, Gareth Elliot has not made any changes to the starting XV from the Nottingham game. Williams, Vajner, and Owlett are in the front row. Chiefs’ Alfie Bell and Joe Bailey are in the second row, with Cunningham, Forsythe, and Driscoll completing the pack.

Orson James and Luca Mignot have struck up an excellent partnership already in the halfbacks, as have Ribbons and McCaig in the centres. Wimbush continues on the wing, along with Gentry on the other and this season’s top scorer Benjy Joseland at fullback.

There are 2 potential debuts on the bench, Charlie Woodfine and Jack Park both preparing to make their BUCS Super Rugby bows.

So much to be excited about around Exeter at the moment and with another chapter to be written in this incredible rivalry, it is impossible to miss.