Loughborough lead Bath by just a point in BUCS Super Rugby, with both sides having played 11 games.
Exeter sit just two points behind Bath in third, meaning only three points separate the top three.
All three teams have seven games left to play in BUCS Super Rugby, meaning there still is plenty of time for twists and turns in this title race.
Difficult to separate top three teams
The individual records of Loughborough, Bath, and Exeter all read in a very similar way. Although sitting in second place, it is Bath who have the most wins out of the three, having picked up eight victories from 11 games.
Loughborough and Exeter both have seven wins to this point, but Loughborough, like Bath, have been defeated only three times. Exeter have lost four games.
Loughborough’s record also includes a draw, in a game that is arguably the standout fixture of the season to this point. In late November, both Hartpury and Loughborough were able to score 35 points, a total usually worthy of a victory. .
Although Bath the most wins, it is Loughborough who sit top of BUCS Super Rugby as a result of the bonus point system.
Bonus points make prizes in BUCS Super Rugby
In BUCS Super Rugby, teams are awarded four points for a victory, two points for a draw, and no points for a loss.
However, winning or tieing is not the only way a team can earn some vital points. A bonus point is awarded to a team who scores four or more tries in a match, as well as if a match is lost by seven points or less.
Loughborough have earned 11 bonus points this season, compared to Bath’s eight, and Exeter’s ten. They also have scored the most points in the league, with 385 in just 11 matches.
Therefore, despite Bath having more victories, it is hard to argue that Loughborough are not deserving of their place at the top of the league.
Good, but not great: The mid-table teams
There is a distinct set of mid-table teams in this season’s edition. These teams have performed admirably, but require an extremely impressive surge in the remainder of the season to make a title charge.
Cardiff Met will feel hard done by to be included in this list, with a record identical to Exeter, and as many wins as top-of-the-table Loughborough. However, their inability to pick up bonus points means a season condemned to being the leading team in the middle of the pack.
Hartpury, Cardiff, and Durham follow in fifth, sixth and seventh respectively, with just two points separating the teams in these three positions.
Durham have the most wins out of these three teams, with six. Hartpury and Cardiff each have five, but once again demonstrate the importance of bonus points, as these are the reason they sit above Durham.
Leeds Beckett bring up the BUCS Super Rugby rear
Down at the bottom of the league, things are not looking great for Leeds Beckett. They are six points adrift in the tenth and final place, with just one win to their name throughout the season.
The team from the North have managed to tie a game, but the fact they have only picked up two bonus points shows they are not managing to keep themselves in the game within the required seven points. It also points to a lack of attacking threat- their 182 points is the lowest in BUCS Super Rugby.
A play-off against either the top team in North 1 or South 1 for a place at university rugby’s top table seems something of an inevitability.
Swansea and Nottingham, despite losing seven and eight games respectively, can be secure in their place in BUCS Super Rugby, due to their ability to keep their losing margin down. They have picked up seven and six bonus points respectively, allowing some distance between them, and the dreaded relegation play-off.
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