Both Oxford and Cambridge Blues teams are in action tonight as the march towards The Varsity Match at Twickenham Stadium on Thursday 8 December picks up pace.
Oxford University follow up their game against Bristol United last week with another outing against Aviva Premiership opposition at Iffley Road when they entertain Northampton Wanderers (kick-off 7.15pm).
Back in the Dark Blues side is the most successful player in Varsity Match history, Lewis Anderson, who appears among the replacements. The Trinity College loose head won five times at Twickenham, but doesn’t qualify to feature in this year’s fixture.
Skipper Fergus Taylor, who scored a last minute try in the 35-7 defeat to Bristol last week will no doubt be conscious of the severity of his side’s latest task. Northampton will arrive with a side containing seven players registered to play in the Champions Cup and with an all international centre pairing in Tongan Nafi Tuitavake and Argentinian Juan Pablo Estelles.
They will also have to keep a keen eye on wing Howard Packman, who scored four tries in the Wanderers’ last outing when they beat Wasps 45-10 in the Aviva Premiership A League.
Meanwhile, at Grange Road the Light Blues will be led by their recent England Sevens international recruit Charlie Amesbury for their clash with Trinity College, Dublin (kick-off 7.30pm). Club captain Daniel Dass is sitting out this game and will be hoping to watch his side repeat their victory over Cambridge RFC in the ‘Town v Gown’ match in their last home outing.
Cambridge were pipped at Richmond last week when Bristol professional Amesbury showed off his attacking flair with a brilliant 40 metre try on his debut.
Oxford University: Matt Geiger*; Dan Barley, Henry Hughes*, Alex Hogg, Tom Stileman*; Basil Strang*, Henry de Berker*; Kieran Ball*, William Thornton, Hugo Lu, Fergus Taylor* (captain), Andrew Grant, George Blomfield, Nic Roberts-Huntley*, James Beaufils
Reps: Noah Miller, James Scaife, Lewis Anderson*, Jonathan Marsden, Ollie Adams, Hugo McPherson, Tom Kershaw, Dylan McGagh, Tom Dyer (* Blue)
Northampton Wanderers: George Furbank; Howard Packman, Nafi Tuitavake, Juan Pablo Estelles, Tom Collins; Sam Olver, Tom Kessell; Ethan Waller, Reece Marshall, Gareth Denman, Jordan Onojaife, Alex Moon, Sion Bennett, Lewis Ludlam, Devante Onojaife
Reps: James Fish, Toby Trinder, Matt Beesley, Ehren Painter, Tom Brown, Alex Rayment, Tom Emery, James Grayson, Fraser Strachan, Joe Green
Cambridge University: Charile Ambesbury (captain); Henry King, Rory Triniman, Mike Phillips*, Simon Davies*; Fraser Gillies*, Seb Tullie*; Will Briggs*, Fionn Dillon Kelly, Jonny Dixon, Andrew Hunter, Lola Erogbogbo*, Henry Rose, Paddy Harlow, Richard Bartholomew*
Reps: Simon Hugkulstone, William Dean, Demitri Moros, Rowan Beckett, Jono Gould, Chris Bell, Ed Clough, Lare Erogbogbo, George Griffiths (* Blue)
Trinity College, Dublin: Colm Hogan; Bryan Mollen, Michael Courtney, Kyle Dixon, Evan Dixon, Jack McDermott, Dan Joyce; James Bollard, Liam Cronin, Fintan Murphy, Pierce Dargan, Jack Burke (captain), Sam Pim, Dermot O’Flynn, Tom Ryan
Reps: Jack Boland, Eric O’Sullivan, Shane Byrne, Adrien Charbonnier, Ross Todd, Jesse Milne, Dominque Marcelessi
