Cambridge University ready for test of Oxford University at Twickenham in Varsity Match
Cambridge University will unleash a battalion of Blues on Twickenham in their bid for Varsity Match glory.
Captain Nick Koster has selected 10 returnees for the 147th Men’s Varsity Match, and skipper Kate Marks has gone two better in the landmark 30th Women’s Varsity Match on Thursday, December 6.
Koster, who is joined by Light Blues Andrew Hunter, Will Dean, Miles Huppatz and Stephen Leonard in the pack, admits that selection was a difficult call, with 38 players having been used this season.
“There were some very tough decisions,” said Koster.
“A lot of guys have worked exceptionally hard to be in the team, and for those guys to not make it at the last hurdle was heart-breaking for me to just make a decision to exclude them.
“I suppose that is the nature of sport and all of them have reacted as the people that we expect by showing their support for the team and offering to train against the squad in the warm-up to the Varsity Match to try to help us win.
“It’s been a very difficult, yet rewarding, process. The attitudes have made things a little bit easier.
“You always try to select a team that’s got good balance, but you don’t necessarily always pick the best XV to start, you pick the best team to start which means some guys compliment the team better and other guys we feel will make a huge impact off the bench for us.
“These days, it’s not about the starting XV, it’s about the 23. We have picked the team that we think is the best balanced side and we’ve got some guys coming off the bench who we know will add huge value to us in the last 20 minutes which, in most cases, is when the game is won or lost.”
Completing the list of returning Blues are Chris Bell, Mike Phillips, Jake Hennessey and Henry King, with Jonny Dixon named on the bench.
The new boys in the starting line-up are Charlie MacCallum, Jordan Eriksen, Sean McMahon, Joe Story, Elliott Baines and Joey Gatus.
Marks will be earning a third Blue in captaining Cambridge as they look to repeat last year’s 24-0 success over Oxford in a significant anniversary year.
“Selection was never going to be easy,” said Marks. “We were training with a really large squad up until about three weeks ago, when we did an initial cut.
“Obviously you have returning players, so this year 12 returning Blues, who have a bit of experience and that always does contribute to a decision.
“But credit to the girls themselves this season because they’ve made it incredibly tough for me and the coaching team to choose, and that 23 I’m incredibly proud of all of them and completely back every single one of them.
“It wasn’t an easy choice though, and there are girls that have missed out by an absolute hair’s width so it wasn’t easy; but now we have the 23 we will be working hard to gel as a squad and keep things nice, tight and consistent until the Varsity Match.”
Former skipper Lara Gibson returns at No 15, Sophie Farrant is on the wing and Blues Bluebell Nicholls and Mary Coleman join forces in the centres.
There is a wealth of returnees in the pack, with Jenny Orriss, Samantha Chan, Emma Pierce, Alice Elgar, Fiona Shuttleworth and Emily Pratt all earning another Blue. Charlotte Spruzen completes the Blues set on the bench.
Amelia Miller, Lucy Gimson, Jacqueline Bramley and Jenni Shuttleworth are the new Blues in the starting line-up.
Oxford captain Abby D’Cruz is one of seven returning Blues in the women’s team, while the Dark Blues’ men’s team is oozing with top-class experience led by Newcastle’s Dom Waldouck.
Former England and Harlequins lock George Robson is in the second row alongside former Perse School student Jasper Dix, ex-Saracens full-back Ben Ransom is at No 15, ex-Leicester Tiger George Tresidder is at scrum-half, Worcester Warriors’ Joe Morris is at prop and former Sale Shark Charlie Pozniak in the back row.
