Match Preview

What a start to the season it has been, 7 wins from 7, and only 1 bonus point dropped. The boys will look to extend this incredible start when they face Bath tomorrow.

Coming off the back of a proper scarp at Cyncoed Campus, but eventually, Exeter came away with the victory over Cardiff Met. Things started poorly as just 30mins in the boys found themselves 10-0 down. However, a try from Louie Gulley just before halftime kept things close. The second half came around and Exeter ran riot, scoring 3 unanswered tries to secure victory.

Now back on the crumb for the first time this season, it is time to re-live some of those incredible matches there last season. We all remember Josh Barton’s brilliance in both the quarter and semi-finals.

This week we will welcome Bath, who are starting to find their feet this season and will be a tough opponent.

Coming into this season, the team lost all the first-team hookers from last year, with Burrows, Butterworth and Dunn all graduating. This left a spot open for 23-year-old fresher Joe Vajner to take the No. 2 shirt.

Having been released from London Irish when the club fell into administration, he arrives at Exeter Uni as a highly rated prospect and has hit the ground running.

To keep the unbeaten run going the hooker thinks “We need to keep focusing on ourselves and continue to pay respect to the other teams” as well as “making sure we always get our preparation right”.

A huge part of a successful rugby team is the dynamics, and coming from a completely different club and a relatively old age for a 1st year it could have been hard for Vajner to settle in. However, “everybody is a good bloke here and they have made it really easy to settle in”.

“I knew quite a few of the boys before coming here so that really helped, and I’ve got to pay credit to pre-season where we spend 8 weeks together working and grinding”.

His 8 tries in just 7 games at the club really highlight how enjoyable he is finding his new home in Devon already.

TEAM NEWS
Elliot and Hodges seemed to have settled on their first team, as not too many changes coming into Round 8. The return of Vajner is the only change in the pack as he comes in for Louie Gulley. Bell and Bailey are in the second row, with captain Dorrell having Forsythe and Dirscoll in the back row to keep him company.

Jake Murray is preferred at 9 this week to partner Luca Mignot who will face his former club for the first time. The rest of the back line is how it was against Met.

On the bench, there is a return for Milo Hallam who has been impressing in Nat 2 West recently, as well as plenty of other familiar faces.