Archie Griffin was on the scoresheet for the University side with Josh Dingley, Mackenzie Graham, Thompson Cowan and Ethan Staddon also in the starting pack.

Sam Harris started at fly-half while Max Pearce, Will Jeanes and Byron Lloyd-Gilmour were on the bench.

It was the first match of the year for both teams and came at the end of a busy exam period for the student rugby players, with Head of Rugby Aaron James saying: “There have been mixed numbers at training because of exams so to come through that and grind out this result is really good.

“It was a bit of a messy win but a win nonetheless. There were bits where we were off today but the defence was really solid, and the work and physicality really got us over the line.”

Hartpury got the first points on the board, Joe Winfield slotting over a fifth-minute penalty, but it was Team Bath who scored the opening try moments later, hooker Duncan Hood going over from a line-out drive. Harris added a fine conversion from the touchline.

The next 20 minutes set the tone for a scrappy contest, with both sides having sight of their opponents’ try line several times only to be frustrated by good defending or mistakes. The breakthrough finally came in the 33^rd minute when, after a sortie of attacks on the Hartpury line, scrum-half Elis Horgan found a gap to dive through and touch down, leaving captain Alfie Garside with a simple conversion to stretch Team Bath’s half-time lead to 14-3.

The second half began in stop-start fashion but finally sprung to life just before the hour mark with two tries in as many minutes. Hartpury got the first, winger Josiah Edwards-Giraud racing over in the corner, but Team Bath responded immediately as prop Griffin – who made his Premiership debut for Bath Rugby just before Christmas – burrowed over following a set-piece move. Garside’s impressive conversion put the home side 21-8 up.

Hartpury kept scrapping away and cut the gap once more with eight minutes to go when flanker Cameron Cobbett forced his way over from close range. Replacement Owen Randell added the extras but Team Bath held firm to see out the win.

They now face a tough run of away trips to Cardiff Met, Durham and Loughborough during February before returning to the Team Bath Sports Training Village on Wednesday 1 March to face Nottingham (kick-off 18:30, free to watch).

Team Bath defeat Hartpury on return to BUCS action

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