Bristol Rugby full back Charlie Amesbury will make his Cambridge University debut tonight (Wednesday 12 October) when the Light Blues travel to Richmond Vikings.
The former England Sevens international is studying for a Mst in Social Innovation at Queen’s College and has been given two months off by the Aviva Premiership club to shoot for a Blue against Oxford at Twickenham Stadium on Thursday, 8 December.
The 30-year-old Amesbury has already played in the Premiership against Exeter Chiefs and Saracens this season and will be following in the illustrious footsteps of Jamie Roberts in chasing a Blue in a break from the professional game. He is due to return to Bristol at the end of this academic term.
Skipper Daniel Dass and coach James Shanahan continue to ring the changes as they assess their best combinations ahead of the 135th Varsity Match. He is one of five Blues in the starting XV and there are three more among the replacements.
“The nature of our season is all about 8 December. It’s a largely new team, which is great and really exciting,” Dass told the Cambridge News.
“We’re a good bit ahead of where we were this time last year in terms of how our preparations as a team have gone. The continuity in the coaching has helped and it has been good to have James (Shanahan) stay on.
“These games are all about preparing us for December. For many of the players, all of this is new, so it’s about preparing ourselves mentally and physically to be in the best shape we can be in come 8 December.”
Cambridge University vs Richmond Vikings: Charlie Amesbury; Henry King, Rory Triniman, Mike Phillips*, Ed Clough; Fraser Gillies*, Sebastian Tullie*; Will Dean, Andrew Burnett, Jonny Dixon, Tim Bond, Lola Erogbogbo*, Tom Stanley, Brian Du Toit, Daniel Dass* (captain)
Replacements: Fionn Dillon Kelly, Will Briggs*, Demitri Moros, Henry Rose, Andrew Hunter, Richard Bartholomew*, Dougal Balfour, Simon Davies*, Lare Erogbogbo, George Griffiths
(Pic: Bristol Rugby)
