Truro College 15 Exeter College 35
Truro College 15
Exeter College 35
Alfie Martin at Sandy Park.
A dormant Sandy Park erupted back into action on Wednesday night as Exeter College saw off their fellow AASE academy side Truro College in a seven-try thriller.
Yet, while battle commenced in Exeter’s territory, on the biggest stage of Devonian rugby, Truro were classed as the home side for the evening.And with both teams boasting a wealth of young, fresh talent, they were keen to stake their claim in this hotly-anticipated rivalry.
Exeter stuck gold first, claiming their first try at the hands of Jamie Moore after the inside-centre made a darting break along the East terrace- a score that turned into 7 points through Gareth Roebuck’s conversion.
But it didn’t take long for Truro to dig their way back from behind; fly-half Sam Walker found his way to the whitewash before Frankie Nowell, brother of Exeter Chiefs’ Jack Nowell, dissected the posts to even the scores. This, followed by a second effort from Charlie Levick, saw the hosts gain a narrow lead heading into the second quarter.
Jake Bond’s close range effort bagged his side their second try, the Chiefs Under-18 openside flanker burrowing his way onto the scoreboard. This offered Roebuck an easy platform to convert, the full-back doing so with ease to keep the visiting side ahead at the closing of the first half.
HALF TIME TRURO COLLEGE 12 EXETER COLLEGE 14
Having surrendered the lead up the cusp of half time, Truro were more than determined to stake their claim and keep the scoreboard ticking over.
But the home side suffered a blow when replacement scrum-half Ali Stacey was forced to leave the field with a blood injury. Exeter seized the opportunity to strike, trundling upfield into the red zone.
A somewhat stagnant start to the second half ensued, both teams showing intent but failing to convert their efforts into points. It was following a breakdown infringement that Nowell took to the tee once more, edging his side ahead by just the single point.
With such talent on the field, the game seemed undeservingly starved of tries in the second half. This all changed as Exeter’s backs fired into top gear.
Smelling blood, Jack Carden shifted the ball wide to Brendan Cherry, who dived just inside the corner flag for a sliding finish. Roebuck obliged from a tough angle, keeping the Devonians ahead by a mere scores-worth.
At the flick of a switch, Truro found themselves upfield and knocking on the door, scoping an opportunity to score from close range. A held-up effort from Ben Grubb denied their chance, affording Exeter the opportunity to turn attack into defence and make their exit.
And that’s exactly what they did. Archie Hill made the break down the East touchline, offloading to Cherry for the winger to fashion a second try. Roebuck sealed the deal with a fourth conversion, leaving the visitors just short of touching distance as the clock wound down.
And yet they still wanted more for their efforts. A charged Exeter maul headed straight for the goal line was all Bond needed to secure his second crossing, a platform which Roebuck converted with ease, bringing the game to a close and securing Exeter as the victors.
Truro College: C Levick, J Armytage, F Nowell, B Hammersley, G Brooks, S Walker, W Becconsall. C Leigh, M Pritchard, B Williams, T Osborne, M Hallam, J King, T Dixon, B Grubb. Replacements: E Pearce-Cowley, J Ellis, E Baldry, A Stacey, H Andrewartha
Tries: S Walker, C Levick; Conversion: F Nowell; Penalty: F Nowell
Exeter College: G Roebuck, A Flemming, A Hill, J Moore, B Cherry, J Carden, T Cairns, E Stephen, O Jeffry, H Wilkinson, A Sheridan, S Lewarthy, J Elsworth, J Bond, L Bralsford. Replacements: M Hicks, H Davies, T Woodward, F McClenaghan, J Pilkington, A Bryan
Tries: J Moore, J Bond (2), B Cherry (2); Conversions: G Roebuck (5)
Referee: Max Weston