Cambridge captain Charlie Watson was able to watch his side end their Lent Term fixtures with a morale boosting 31-10 home win over a Coventry Development side before going away to ponder on his team selection for the 150th anniversary Varsity Match at Twickenham on 2 April
Having fallen 10 points behind, the Light Blues picked up the pace to notch 31 of their own without reply to do Watson plenty of things to think about. England outside half Toby Flood didn’t play, but is expected to be fit in two weeks time, while England U20 No 10 Jamie Benson is away on Six Nations duty until next week
Meanwhile, the Dark Blues end their pre-Twickenham fixtures with a trip to Richmond this weekend. The pack they have picked for the game includes three USA Eagles players boasting 101 caps between them, a Hong Kong international and two more Blues.
Skipper Louis Jackson has led his side to some impressive wins this season and will no doubt be seeking another won to put the final seal on his selection thoughts ahead of Sunday’s Varsity Match announcement.
Their last two outings have seen them beat a Coventry XV 54-12 and the Penguins 57-0. Prior to that they beat a young Ealing Trailfinders team 31-21 and the Army 20-0. Their only two defeats so far this season have come against national league 1 outfit the Rams, 45-36, in their opening game and Trinity College in Dublin, 46-12.
Wing Arthur Friend is hoping to follow in the footsteps of his brother, Euan, in winning a Blue to make it a Blundell’s double act in the Oxford ranks. Tom Humberstone and Callum Grant are back to play at half-back and the international quartet up front have made a huge impact.
Tight head prop Eric Fry has 48 American caps to his name, lock Nick Civetta 31 and last year’s Varsity Match man of the match, Andrew Durutalo a further 22. Hooker Alex Post has played seven times for Hong Kong.
Oxford: Sam Reynolds (University); Arthur Friend (St Anne’s), Liam Furniss (Kellogg), Louis Jackson * (Oriel), Henry Hackett * (Christ Church); Tom Humberstone * (Jesus), Callum Grant * (St Anne’s); Tom Osborne (Trinity), Alex Post (St Cross), Eric Fry (Keble), Piers Von Dadelszen * (St Edmund Hall), Nick Civetta (Wolfson), Euan Friend * (St Cross), Mungo Mason (St Cross), Andrew Durutalo * (Green Templeton)
Reps: Louis Wright * (Trinity), Tom Auckland (New), Barnaby Vaughan * (Corpus Christi), Ed Blake (St Hilda’s), Charlie Papworth * (Jesus), Joe McDermott (Lincoln), David Wilkinson (St Edmund Hall), Oscar Marriott Clarke (Magdalen), Arron Shaw (Corpus Christi)
