O/T Exeter fall at the Semis.. and thanks, Mr Chairman! : Wed Mar 04, 2009 11:05 pm
Leeds Met 34, Exeter University 18.
My lads gave Leeds Met their closest run in all competitions so far (though Rochdale Hornets might make that a short-held record on Sunday in the Cup).
We were a little overawed at first, and shipped 2 tries early, but then dug in with increasing self-belief, and turned around 18-12 down. Second half we held them, though their well-drilled defence kicked and boxed us in. Their experience showed on the two occasions we had players down injured, and both times they were able to read and exploit the brief advantage to create overlaps for tries in the corner. As the game closed out we again had the ascendency, and scored under the sticks from a great kick from the scrumbase, but we'd run out of time.
Leeds Met haven't lost a student game for 4 years, and they are coached by Paul Fletcher and Clive Griffiths. They beat Easts in the Challenge Cup last year, and have already beaten Thornhill and Warrington Wizards in the cup this season. We were excluded from the 'Super Six' top division on the basis of non-rugby criteria (sound familiar?), but we've scored more points, and got closer, than any of the other so-called elite sides.
Oh, and they also get around £40k (we think) in funding from the Talented Athlete Support Scheme, directed to them via the RFL. We don't even get to use the Uni physio because we're not a priority sport.
Many thanks to Mr Chairman for his assistance in our pre-match prep (and to Warren Ayres senior at Warrington Wizards, and Dom Swann at Bristol Sonics).
I'm still hoping we may get Exeter Uni vs Leigh A as a curtain-raiser at LSV....
Cheers
W71
