Oxford 12-6 Cambridge

On some days, it just isn’t meant to be. Cambridge fell agonisingly short in this year’s Varsity Match, handing arch rivals Oxford a sixth consecutive victory in this famous fixture.

It was meant to be the day when Cambridge turned around the downward spiral of the past half-decade, but, although they worked hard and defended valiantly throughout, they succumbed to a six point defeat, in the first Varsity Match since 2001 to be played out without a try.

Much of the build-up and increased media interest in the game had centred on the inclusion for the Light Blues of centre Jamie Roberts, playing for Cambridge as a result of his part-time medical MPhil at Queen’s College, who brought his seventy-four Welsh caps to the party. Sadly, his impact was rather limited. On two minutes, Oxford skipper Henry Lamont got his head on the wrong side of a challenge, the result being the end of Lamont’s game, yet also, crucially, a slow-burning dead leg which also prevented Roberts from featuring in the second half.

After a first period dominated by Cambridge for the opening half hour, then Oxford in a ten minute burst just before the break, in which Don Stevens and George Cullen traded penalties for the half’s only scores, the loss of Roberts was vital.

Captain Don Stevens, sitting alongside his coach, admitted the loss of Roberts was pivotal, although not ultimately destructive.

“Losing Roberts, with all the experience he brings, was a big blow…I’m not going to deny that. He’s a British and Irish Lions’ legend, 110 kgs but, like I said to the boys at half-time, we played the first seven games [of the season] without Jamie and that’s kind of where we have to go back to.”

Roberts himself, limping into the press room after the game in obvious discomfort, was gutted that on such a special occasion he couldn’t have made more of an impact.

“I’m absolutely gutted and so are the lads…the boys are devastated and some of them have tears in their eyes, you can see how much it means to them.”

Roberts’ absence in the second half failed to reduce the determination and desire of the Cambridge side, however. First, Simon Davies, who was later sin-binned for a careless challenge of the man in the air, almost reached the line before being bundled into touch, then George Williams went close to crossing the whitewash, choosing just the wrong time to offload.

Indeed, Cambridge’s pressure resulted in a penalty which Stevens duly converted, giving the Light Blues belief of victory for the first time since 2009. A try for either side at that point would clearly have been decisive.

Stevens, who hails from the town of Bethlehem in South Africa, near the border with Lesotho, later reflected upon the game with pride, rather than excessive disappointment.

“The boys showed tremendous character,” he said, “we knew after last year [a record 43-6 defeat] that we had to change and we did that. We created an environment in which we could be ourselves and feel like we were part of something greater than ourselves. We support each other when it goes well, when it goes badly. We’ve got a family culture, I’ve said that many times, but because it’s true.”

Heading into the last quarter of the game, that character appeared to be working for Cambridge, so much so that it forced Oxford into an uncharacteristic mistake. Matt Geiger, excellent at fullback for the Dark Blues, was released on the overlap, only to spill the ball in excitement as he attempted to dive over. Suddenly, there was a feeling that this might just be Cambridge’s day after all.

Oxford were soon back on terms, however, George Cullen slotting calmly after Cambridge infringed at the breakdown. By this point the running of Man of the Match Tom Stileman, as well as Geiger, was becoming an increasing danger to Cambridge’s line.

Just three minutes later, Oxford retook the lead on 72 minutes; Stileman’s break was halted, but the resulting ruck saw referee Greg Garner, highly experienced at Aviva Premiership level, penalise Cambridge. Cullen added another and suddenly it was the Light Blues in need of a response.

A little like Samuel Beckett’s Godot, that comeback sadly never arrived. The yellow card for Davies ended any realistic hopes, and when Cullen converted another three-pointer a minute later, the uphill task for the Light Blues had just become too steep.

Although a record-breaking defeat will undoubtedly be a bitter pill to swallow for Cambridge, both captain Stevens and Jamie Roberts look back on their latest chapter with fondness.

Stevens told Varsity: “What I’ll remember in forty years are the relationships and memories I’ve gained with all of my brothers. That’s what sport’s about…it’s not just all about victories, but the losses too and the relationships you’ve gained along the way.”

Roberts too spoke fondly of his memories of Cambridge, the city in which he has spent the past eight weeks.

“This was probably a one off in my career, and it’s been amazing,” said the Welshman who next week returns to the professional rugby arena with Harlequins, “I am very, very grateful for this opportunity and it’s a shame I couldn’t repay it.”

“My lasting memory would be the buzz of the last few days, seeing what it means to these guys, the emotional tension. I’ve enjoyed trying to pass on my experience and being a part of it.”

So, whilst Cambridge miss out on glory for the sixth straight season, the future is bright for the Light Blues and their squad, who can only have benefitted from the quality of such an international superstar such as Roberts.

Teams:

Cambridge: Davies; Cherezov, Clough, Roberts, Rees; Gillies, Stevens; Briggs, Montgomery, Spelman, Hall, Nagle, Kilroe, Dass, Farmer.

Replacements: Calvert, Poulton, Moros, Erogbogbo, Leonard, Tullie, Phillips, Williams.

Oxford: Geiger; Hughes, Janney, Lamont, Stileman; Cullen, De Berker; Anderson, Halpin, Williams, Taylor, Grant, Roberts-Huntley, Will Wilson, Heathcote.

Replacements: Thornton, Lu, Ball, MacGilchrist, Thomas, Faktor, Abraham, David.

Ref: Greg Garner (RFU)

Attendance: 25,013