Fergus Taylor’s Dark Blues picked up their best result against an Aviva Premiership side since they beat Wasps two years ago as they ran in two tries in a 14-24 defeat to Gloucester United at Iffley Road.
It was a vast improvement on last week’s disappointing home defeat to the British Police and will have given head coach James Wade good cause to feel things are finally coming together ahead of the 135th Varsity Match at Twickenham on Thursday, 8 November.
Oxford are targeting a seventh successive triumph over arch-rivals Cambridge next month and the form of the back division in particular against a strong Gloucester outfit was good to see. Centre Alex Hogg cut straight through to score a fifth minute try to respond to an earlier push over try by the visitors and then full back Daniel Barley raced over for a second.
Those two tries enabled the Dark Blues to level the scores at 7-7 and then 14-14 in a highly competitive contest, but a third Gloucester try in the second half, allied to a 76th minute penalty, enabled them to escape with the victory.
Basil Strang, who is playing with such poise at outside half, converted both Oxford tries and the performance was a real step up from the defeats against Bristol United (35-7) and Northampton Wanderers (50-0) this season.
Taylor’s team have three games to go before they head to Twickenham to try to extend their record winning streak. They host the Major Stanley’s XV on Wednesday, 16 November, Worcester Cavaliers five days later and then Richmond on Sunday, 27 November.
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.
The £10 early bird student tickets offer finishes today (Wednesday 9 November), with tickets £15 thereafter. 2 for 1 adult tickets are now available online on all £28 ticket categories.
Oxford Scorers: Tries: Alex Hogg, Daniel Barley; Cons: Basil Strang 2.
Oxford University: Daniel Barley; Tom Stileman, Alex Hogg, Henry Hughes, Ed David; Basil Strang, Dylan McGagh; Kieran Ball, Noah Miller, Joseph Morris, Fergus Taylor, (captain), Andrew Grant, George Blomfield, Jonathan Marsden, William Wilson
Reps: William Thornton, James Scaife, Hugo Lu, Graeme MacGilchrist, James Beaufils, Jacob Goss, Sebastian Haddock, Tom Dyer
Gloucester United: Dom Biss; James Davies, Tom Seabrook, Tom Hudson, Harry Robinson; Carwyn Penny, Harry Randall; Cameron Orr, Will Haly, Josh McNulty, Charlie Beckett, Harry Wilson, Aiden Burnett, Aaron Hinkley, Will Safe
Reps: Greg Jackson, Henry Walker, Ciaran Knight, Seb Mummery, Chris Gould, Ben Vellacott, Ellis Abrahams, Luke Forsyth
Picture courtesy of Steve Wheeler
