Losers become Winners
In 2015, Oxford had a record sixth win over Cambridge in the men's Varsity Cup, but this year Cambridge won.
In 2015, Cambridge had a record win over Oxfords in the women's Varsity Cup, but this year Oxford won.
Both matches were at Twickenham, the women's a one-score match, the men's a 41-point, four-try thriller.
After last year's record win and with eight players back this year, Oxford were favourites and at the start of the match it seemed that they deserved their status and were well on the way to victory as the Dark Blues attacked with energy and came close to scoring on two occasions but their only score was a penalty goal by tall flyhalf Basil Strang, and then Cambridge worked their way into the match. They attacked the line but their wobbly scrum brought penalties to relieve pressure.
At this stage Oxford were winning the scrummaging and the penalty count while Cambridge won the line-outs.
Just before half Oxford had a scrum on their left, just inside the Cambridge half. From the scrum they went 8-9-10 and then Strang passed back to Henry de Berker as he came on a runaround. De Berker then passed a long pass further out but Cambridge inside centre Michael Phillips easily intercepted the pass and strode the 42 metres for a try under the Oxford posts. Cambridge led 7-3, the half-time score.
Two minutes into the second half, Strang kicked a long, angled penalty goal to make the score 7-6 but two penalty gaols, kicked by Fraser Gillies, gave Cambridge a 13-6 lead after 52 minutes.
Oxford came back. They nearly scored when Henry Hughes broke down the blindside on their right. He drew his man and gave to fullback Matt Geiger on his right. Geiger was dipping to dive for the corner when Charlie Amesbury and Phillips combined to tackle him into touch.
Oxford turned a penalty into a five-metre line-out on their left. They mauled and then bashed moving towards the right. Then they freed up the ball and went left where Hughes had no difficulty in running in for a try, which Strang converted. 13-13 after 61 minutes.
Substitutions were made and Cambridge introduced twins into the match – Lola Erogbogbo and Lare Erogbogbo. The latter would play an important part in the Cambridge victory.
Twice Strang was penalised for holding on when tackled. The first time Gillies missed but the second time he gave the Light Blues back their lead with 12 exciting minutes to play.
When Cambridge were penalised left wing Tom Stileman tapped and raced ahead. Cambridge were again penalised but Strang missed a kick which was well within his ability.
Cambridge forced a scrum from a maul and Simon Davies ran down the wing. The ball came back to Gillies and he kicked a perfect diagonal towards the left wing. Lare Erogbogbo caught the ball on the full, and as he was being tackled he got a pass inside to Rory Triniman who ran for the line. Strang brought off a great tackle but in the tackle Triniman managed to swivel and touchdown in the corner. Gillies kicked a magnificent conversion. 23-13 with six minutes to play.
Oxford moved the ball wide left. Right wing Ed David gave to flank Nic Roberts-Huntley, just in from touch. Roberts-Huntley returned the ball inside to David who raced for the line and scored in the corner. 23-18 with some three minutes to play.
Cambridge got through the remaining time, keeping a tight grip on Oxford in Oxford territory till they knocked on and the final whistle sounded, a signal for an outburst of Cambridge glee.
Scorers:
For Cambridge:
Tries: Phillips, Triniman
Cons: Gillies 2
Pens: Gillies 3
For Oxford:
Tries: Hughes, David
Con: Strang
Pens: Strang 2
Teams
Oxford: 15 Matt Geiger, 14 Ed David, 13 Henry Hughes, 12 Alex Hogg, 11 Tom Stileman, 10 Basil Strang, 9 Henry de Berker, 8 Will Wilson, 7 George Blomfield, 6 Nic Roberts-Huntley, 5 Andrew Grant, 4 Fergus Taylor, 3 Joe Morris, 2 Ed Hart, 1 Kieran Ball
Replacements: 16 Will Thornton, 17 James Scaife, 18 Hugo Lu, 19 Jonathan Marsden, 20 Graeme MacGilchrist, 21 James Beaufils, 22 Tom Kershaw, 23 Conor Kearns
Cambridge: 15 Charlie Amesbury, 14 Simon Davies,13 Rory Triniman, 12 Michael Phillips,11 Henry King, 10 Fraser Gillies,9 Sebastian Tullie,8 Daniel Dass (captain),7 Brian du Toit, 6 Tom Stanley, 5 Tim Bond, 4 Andrew Hunter, 3 Jonathan Dixon, 2 Andrew Burnett, 1 William Briggs
Replacements: 16 Simon Hugkulstone, 17 Henry Somers, 18 Demitri Moros, 19 Lola Erogbogbo, 20 Richard Bartholomew, 21 Chris Bell, 22 Lare Erogbogbo, 23 George Griffiths
Referee: Tim Wigglesworth
Assistant referees: Paul Burton, Darryl Chapman
Television match official: Stuart Terheege
Timekeeper: John Burtenshaw
Assessor: Chris White
In the first half of the women's Varsity Match, Oxford's flyhalf and captain, Catherine Wilcock kicked a penalty goal – the only score of a match which Cambridge could well have won for they had more scoring opportunities. In Oxford's courageous defence, fullback Sophie Trott stood out. Three times Cambridge seemed about to score and three times her tackling stopped them.
Scoring:
For Oxford:
Pen: Catherine Wilcock
Teams
Oxford: 15 Sophie Trott, 14 Affi Bunting, 13 Princess Ashilokun, 12 Heli Copley, 11 Millie Rose, 10 Catherine Wilcock (captain),), 9 Carly Bliss, 8 Sophie Behan, 7 Caitlin McArdle, 6 Hester Odgers, 5 Elmarie van Heerden, 4 Leanne Robinson, 3 Cecilia Peker, 2 Pat Metcalfe-Jones, 1 Jenny Smith
Replacements: 16 Gwen Cartwright, 17 Carolina Matté-Gregory (Mansfield), 18 Harriet McCay, 19 Sophie Taylor, 20 Mollie MacGinty, 21 Imogen Duffy (Oriel), 22 Gemma Robson, 23 Katarina Martinovic, Travelling Reserve: Susannah Rees
Cambridge: 15 Alice Middleton (captain), 14 Laura Suggitt, 13 Mary Coleman, 12 Jessica Charlton, 11 Lara Gibson, 10 Kate Marks, 9 Lydie Thorn, 8 Emily Pratt, 7 Chloe Withers, 6 Molly Byrne, 5 Livvy Probert, 4 Nikki Weckman, 3 Laura Nunez-Mulder, 2 Emma Pierce, 1 Alice Elgar
Replacements: 16 Katerina Sanchez-Schilling, 17 Gabriella Johansson, 18 Jacqueline Bramley, 19 Tabitha Burgess, 20 Sophie Farrant, 21 Sophie Evans, 22 Katherine Monks
Referee: Claire Hodnett
Assistant referees: Sara Cox, Laura Pettingale
Timekeeper: John Burtenshaw
Assessor: Chris White
Men's Winners Down the Years
1872: Oxford
1873: Cambridge
1873: Draw
1874: Draw
1875: Oxford
1876: Cambridge
1877: Oxford
1879: Draw
1880: Cambridge
1880: Draw
1881: Oxford
1882: Oxford
1883: Oxford
1884: Oxford
1885: Cambridge
1886: Cambridge
1887: Cambridge
1888: Cambridge
1889: Oxford
1890: Draw
1891: Cambridge
1892: Draw
1893: Oxford
1894: Draw
1895: Cambridge
1896: Oxford
1897: Oxford
1898: Cambridge
1899: Cambridge
1900: Oxford
1901: Oxford
1902: Draw
1903: Oxford
1904: Cambridge
1905: Cambridge
1906: Oxford
1907: Oxford
1908: Draw
1909: Oxford
1910: Oxford
1911: Oxford
1912: Cambridge
1913: Cambridge
1914-18: No matches
1919: Cambridge
1920: Oxford
1921: Oxford
1922: Cambridge
1923: Oxford
1924: Oxford
1925: Cambridge
1926: Cambridge
1927: Cambridge
1928: Cambridge
1929: Oxford
1930: Draw
1931: Oxford
1932: Oxford
1933: Oxford
1934: Cambridge
1935: Draw
1936: Cambridge
1937: Oxford
1938: Cambridge
1939-45: No matches
1946: Oxford
1947: Cambridge
1948: Oxford
1949: Oxford
1950: Oxford
1951: Oxford
1952: Cambridge
1953: Draw
1954: Cambridge
1955: Oxford
1956: Cambridge
1957: Oxford
1958: Cambridge
1959: Oxford
1960: Cambridge
1961: Cambridge
1962: Cambridge
1963: Cambridge
1964: Oxford
1965: Draw
1966: Oxford
1967: Cambridge
1968: Cambridge
1969: Oxford
1970: Oxford
1971: Oxford
1972: Cambridge
1973: Cambridge
1974: Cambridge
1975: Cambridge
1976: Cambridge
1977: Oxford
1978: Cambridge
1979: Oxford
1980: Cambridge
1981: Cambridge
1982: Cambridge
1983: Cambridge
1984: Cambridge
1985: Oxford
1986: Oxford
1987: Cambridge
1988: Oxford
1989: Cambridge
1990: Oxford
1991: Cambridge
1992: Cambridge
1993: Oxford
1994: Cambridge
1995: Cambridge
1996: Cambridge
1997: Cambridge
1998: Cambridge
1999: Oxford
2000: Oxford
2001: Oxford
2002: Cambridge
2003: Draw
2004: Oxford
2005: Cambridge
2006: Cambridge
2007: Cambridge
2008: Oxford
2009: Cambridge
2010: Oxford
2011: Oxford
2012: Oxford
2013: Oxford
2014: Oxford
2015: Oxford
2016: Cambridge
