Despite being played on the usual Saturday afternoon, the floodlights were on in Bedford due to the hovering clouds above the ground, which blocked the natural light.
The hosts started the better of the two sides, converting early pressure in the ninth minute as fly-half Ben Dufficy took advantage of a stretched Hartpury line following an up-and-under, as he dived in under the posts.
The converted try was then matched five minutes later by Pury, with fly-half Harry Bazalgette showing all of his skill in quick succession, and outside of the boot chip to left wing Josiah Edwards-Giraud was followed by a pinpoint long-range effort over the top of the Bedford defence for opposite wing Charlie Powell to run onto and score.
The visitors followed up by taking the lead midway through the first half with a lineout drive on the far side of the ground, flanker Harry Short being the beneficiary. The try was once again converted by Bazalgette.
A fantastic defensive display followed from Pury for the next 10 minutes before they were breached by a quickly taken penalty five metres out, a try scored by hooker Craig Wright. The conversion was missed, meaning Hartpury still led by two.
Bedford took the lead moments before the break through wing Dean Adamson, who received the ball after Hartpury lost their third put-in scrum of the half; the ball was flung wide, and Adamson sprinted through tackles to score. The conversion was missed again, giving the Blues a 17-14 lead at half-time.
The first ten minutes of the second half were point-less until Adamson received the ball from his opposite wing, Marcus Kershaw, and dotted down for his second of the afternoon. The Blues changed kicker in the second half, with replacement fly half Will Maisey converting the try.
Shortly afterwards, replacement wing (who came on for Kershaw) Louis James scrambled over the line in the left corner following a line-break from Lucas Titherington. Maisey was perfect from the tee after entering the game.
Second row Rory Ward put the game to bed ten minutes from the end as the forwards took turns powering the Hartpury line backwards, with the lock picking up from the base of a ruck and diving over.
Adamson finished the scoring for the hosts five minutes later with an outstanding solo try. He chipped a kick over the covering defender before chasing it down, collecting and rounding his run off by finishing off under the posts.
Replacement wing Keir Clark managed to score a consolation try in the final minutes after Bazalgette’s looped pass found him on the left.
Hartpury fall to bottom of the Elior Champ with that result, before returning to the 4ED Stadium to face Chinnor.
Bedford: George Worth, Marcus Kershaw (Louis James 52), Lucas Titherington, Michael Le Bourgeios, Dean Adamson, Ben Dufficy (Will Maisey 49), Alex Day (C) (James Lennon 71); Joey Conway (Ollie Scola 57), Craig Wright (Tommy Herman 57), Will Davies-King (Oisin Heffernan 49), James Bennett (Fred Tuilagi 49), Rory Ward, Archie Benson, Dan Eckersley (Kayde Sylvester 65), Tui Uru.
Hartpury: Brad Denty (Harrison James 64), Charlie Powell (Keir Clark 76), Robbie Smith, Ollie Allsopp, Josiah Edwards-Giraud, Harry Bazalgette, Cai Gealy (Sam Allford 76); Harry Edwards (Henry Feeney 51), Will Crane (CC) (Casey Williams 64), Alex Gibson (Ollie Minnis 52), Jack Davies (CC), Dale Lemon, Peter Paramore (Cam Cobbett 64), Harry Short (Jack Gilbert 65), Noah Williams.
Referee: Jamie Parr
Attendance: 2,491
Half-Time: Bedford 17-14 Hartpury
Star Players: Dean Adamson (Bedford) & Harry Bazalgette (Hartpury)
Stats:
Bedford |
| Hartpury |
9 | Penalties conceded | 5 |
11 | Line-outs won | 12 |
0 | Line-outs lost | 1 |
4 | Scrums won | 4 |
0 | Scrums lost | 3 |
0 | Sin-bins | 0 |
