Hornets RFC moved top of the South West Premier with a 22-17 victory over Exeter University on Saturday.

On a blustery day at the Nest, it was the hosts who opened the scoring through Hayden Tuttiett who spotted a gap and dived over.

Hornets got their second when a massive surge and strike by Kieran Ward and the ball was at the feet of Mathew Parker.

The number eight picked and charged over the line for a score.

Parker again to choose his moment to strike, he went blind and fed Tuttiett who found Charlie Carter who relished the opportunity to run at the students.

He broke through to face the full-back and was free to run to the line and Hornets were 15-up with the cheers led by the North Kewstoke clan.

Exeter, however, are not a team to roll over as they set about showing why they were top of the league and launched a series of attacks and eventually managed to squeeze over in the corner and the superb kick put them back in the game.

More pressure and the visitors were rewarded with a penalty on halfway and the kick sailed over to make it game on to make it 15-10 in favour of Hornets at half-time.

Exeter stepped up after the break and put the pressure on the hosts.

It was starting to look like they would score and eventually they did and went over near the posts as Hornets went behind for the first time in the match.

A high kick was fumbled by Exeter and the resultant scrum led to another surge by the pack and a penalty and Parker chose to kick for the corner and a lineout 10 metres out.

John Roberts took another clean catch in what was the flanker's best game for Hornets.

The pack just needed to keep their calm and work their way to the line and when Ross Cheeseborough stretched for the line and score.

The cheers rang round in all four corners of the ground and Carter’s conversion was the cherry on the cake with just a couple of minutes left.

This was by far the best game seen at the Nest for many years as the quality on show by both teams was outstanding.

It could quite easily have gone either way but the Hornets experienced pack were just too good for the visitors and the back line cancelled out the very talented Exeter three quarters.

Next week Hornets travel to Devon to take on Exmouth in another tough battle before the exciting prospect of Weston visiting the Nest the week after.