On Saturday 4th March Grange Road, Cambridge will host the final two Varsity Matches of the 2016/17 season when the Men’s Under 20’s and Women’s 2nd XV’s face each other to bring down the curtain on another exciting Oxbridge Varsity campaign. OURFC currently lead the way with three wins to one, the Colleges XV, Greyhounds and Women’s Blues all being victorious back in November/December with the Men’s Blues narrow losers for the first time in seven years. Last March saw the first such ‘Double Header’ at Iffley Road when the Under 20’s won convincingly 27 points to 3, however the Panthers came off second best to the Cambridge Tigers, losing 24 points to 10. Both OURFC squads travel to the Fens in good heart, the Panthers having enjoyed a strong Hilary Term playing more fixtures then ever before and with more strength in depth then previous years, indeed Captain Gwen Cartwright had some difficult selection decisions to make, an enviable position compared to most previous Panthers Captains! Whilst the Under 20’s have not played any fixtures as a squad, all those selected bar a few have experienced senior rugby this term within the Blues or Greyhounds squads, which the coaching team believe will stand them in good stead come Saturday. The team is once again Captained by back-row forward Will Wilson and his Vice-Captain is fellow Blue Alex Hogg playing in the pivotal position of fly-half. Unfortunately due to his commitments with the England Under 20’s, as they seek the Grand Slam, tight head prop Joe Morris is unavailable for selection and back row forward Jacob Goss is also ruled out after sustaining a concussion in the Blues game against the Penguins last week.
Under 20’s, KO 1.00pm
Starting XV:
1 James Somerville (Oriel) 2 John Aaron Henry (Somerville) 3 Ben Parker (Brasenose) 4 Joe Murphy (Lady Margaret Hall) 5 Hugo McPherson (Lady Margaret Hall) 6 Ollie Adams (Lady Margaret Hall) 7 Tristan Louveaux (St Peter’s) 8 Will Wilson * (Keble) 9 Charles Guthrie (Christ Church) 10 Alex Hogg * (Keble) 11 Joe Miller (St Hugh’s) 12 Scott Geelan (Keble) 13 Dan Barley (St Edmund Hall) 14 Angus Livingstone (Worcester) 15 Robbie Fraser (Corpus Christi)
Replacements:
16 Josh Navarajasegaran (Merton) 17 Isaac Uwins (St Hilda’s) 18 Wilfred Sandwell (Queen’s) 19 George Warr (New) 20 Alexander Agureev (Oriel) 21 Ross Toward (St Anne’s) 22 Josh Stickland (St Hugh’s) 23 Josh Southworth (Pembroke) Travelling reserve Ryan Power (St Hugh’s)
* Denotes Blue
Panthers, KO 4.00pm
Starting XV:
1 Carolina Matté-Gregory (Mansfield College) 2 Solène Klein (Lady Margaret Hall) 3. Gwen Cartwright, New College 4. Katie Barbour-Smith, Lincoln College 5. Katie Collis, Lincoln College 6. Syrie Byfield, St John’s College 7. Susannah Redmayne, St Hilda’s College * 8. Holly Gibbons, Lincoln College 9. Iona Harrap, Green Templeton College 10. Imogen Duffy, Oriel College * 11. Gemma Robson, St Benet’s Hall 12. Megan Wellens, Christ Church College 13. Katarina Martinovic, St Catherine’s College 14. Emily Bamber, St Peter’s College 15. Helen Ryan, Somerville College
Replacements:
16. Susy Rees, Keble College 17. Jo Male, St Edmund Hall 18. Lucy Miles, Keble College 19. Maria Lamont, St Anne’s College * 20. Georgia Ling, St John’s College 21. Tegan Gears, St Edmund Hall 22. Lucy Fenwick, Exeter College 23. Lucy Ward, Christ Church College
* Denotes Blue