Oxford University head coach James wade welcomes back Matt Geiger to the side for the penultimate game before the 135th Varsity Match when the Dark Blues host Worcester Cavaliers at Iffley Road on Monday, 21 October (kick-off 7.15pm).
Last season’s Varsity Match full back has missed recent matches with a hamstring strain, but Wade is happy to have him back in time for the final two games before heading to Twickenham to chase a seventh straight win over arch-rivals Cambridge next month.
Worcester will be the fourth Aviva Premiership side the Dark Blues have faced this season and Wade has been delighted with the pressure his players have been forced to play under as they aim for a further slice of Varsity match history following their record breaking sixth win in a row last year. They complete their build-up against Richmond Vikings on Sunday.
“We know what Matt can do and we left him out just a precaution with his hamstring strain. It’s good to have him back for this final push before Twickenham,” said Wade.
“We were a bit disappointed with our accuracy against Stanley’s last week and we left 20-30 points out there. We still need a lot of fine tuning before the big day at Twickenham.
“We have played some very strong opposition this season, teams who are working us hard in defence and providing us with big physical challenges. But that’s what we are looking for and that’s why we asked the Stanley’s selectors to bring a strong team as well.
“They had a lot of professional players in their ranks including four from Northampton, and it was a much better test for us than last year. Now we’ve got another massive challenge to face against Worcester.”
The visitors won 36-17 last year and will provide Oxford skipper Fergus Taylor and his team. Wade has made only two changes to the starting XV from the 39-5 win over Stanley’s last week with George replacing Dan Barley at full back and Nic Roberts-Huntley replacing Jon Marsden in the back row.
It means that Wade has eight of last season’s winning team at Twickenham – Geiger, Henry Hughes, Tom Stileman, Henry de Berker, Taylor, Andrew Grant, Roberts-Huntley and Will Wilson – taking the field against Worcester, with two more of last season’s replacements – Kieran Ball and Ed David – joining them.
“At this stage of the season we’d like to think we’ve got a settled feel about things. It is a phoney war right up until the Varsity Match itself and we are merely worrying about ourselves,” said Wade.
“We are going to go and have a look at Cambridge in the flesh on Wednesday when they play the Steele-Bodger’s XV. It will be nice to see how some of their new players, like Charlie Amesbury and Brian du Toit have settled in, and to see if Ollie Phillips is going to play.
“They have worked hard to get some big names in, by hook or by crook. But we will turn up and play whoever is there – it doesn’t matter who is on the team sheet.
“All the Bristol coaching staff made Cambridge favourites after playing us both in 2014 and I note that Tom Collins, from Northampton, has done the same this season. But the favourites tag simply doesn’t matter in this game.
“The only reason we could be made favourites is because we have won for the last six years. Cambridge have been playing well and winning, but we don’t concern ourselves with the issue of who will be favourites, or with them.”
Cambridge have won their last three games in a row, against Crawshay’s Welsh, Coventry and Durham University, and will complete their Varsity Match build-up on Wednesday at Grange Road when they face the Steele-Bodger’s XV.
The 135th Varsity Match and the 30th Women’s Varsity Match between Oxford and Cambridge will return to Twickenham on Thursday 8th December, with tickets on sale now. 2 for 1 adult tickets are now available online on all £28 ticket categories.
Oxford University: Matt Geiger*; Ed David*, Henry Hughes*, Alex Hogg, Tom Stileman*; Basil Strang*, Henry de Berker*; Kieran Ball*, Edward Hart, Joe Morris, Fergus Taylor* (captain), Andrew Grant*, Nic Roberts-Huntley*, George Blomfield, Will Wilson*
Reps: William Thornton, James Scaife*, Hugo Lu, Jonathan Marsden, Graeme MacGilchrist*, James Beaufils, Dylan McGagh, Jack Holmes
