Varsity match: Light Blues’ mighty duo may be godsend or curse

To have one world class veteran lock available for the Varsity match is either fortunate or extremely good planning, but to have two packing down alongside each other is each other is nigh on miraculous. So the presence of both James Horwill and Flip van der Merwe in the Cambridge boilerhouse next Thursday is an occasion worth noting.

Horwill hung up his professional boots in May after four, often injury plagued, years with Harlequins where he moved after stepping down from the Australia side where he won 62 caps.

Meanwhile Van der Merwe, the son of a Springbok prop Flippie van der Merwe, won 37  South Africa caps before seeing out his professional career with Clermont over the past four years.

Having two such big hitters – courtesy of the popular 20 month EMBA Business course at Cambridge which is beginning to attract those of more advanced years – doesn’t come without its dangers though.

There can be a subconscious tendency for some overawed colleagues, perhaps 15 years younger than the gnarled duo, to expect them to take the lead constantly when as everybody knows Varsity matches are the ultimate team test. Everybody must do their job or else nothing works.

Even bigger names than Horwill and van der Merwe – one thinks of David Kirk arriving fresh from captaining New Zealand to a World Cup victory in 1987 – have been plunged into the Varsity match and for various reasons failed to make the expected impact. In fairness a determined Kirk stayed on to boss the 1988 encounter for Oxford.

There is also the danger, especially for veteran forwards retiring from the coal face, that having taken a huge life decision and immersed themselves in one of the most demanding courses at Cambridge that fitness and motivation might prove a challenge. Are they belatedly ticking a box or do they really want it?

All this will be part of the fascination as events unfold on Thursday, the 138th occasion the sides have met, but on paper the sheer power and line-out potential of Horwill and Van der Merwe should at least put Cambridge in the box seat.

Whether they are then good enough to cash in is another thing altogether.

“A lot of it is just experience of being in big occasions,” says their skipper Steve Leonard. “In the changing room before matches they just tell us to do what we’ve always done, don’t worry about the crowd and just treat it as another game.

“Every year we and the other place pick up a superstar or two and a lot gets pinned on them in terms of hopes and expectations. In reality, the best thing they can do is raise the standard in training in the build-up to the big day.

“Then the dream is they have a solid match, they don’t have to do anything ground-breaking, but the guys around them also do their jobs. It’s pretty straightforward, rather than hoping we’ve got two internationals, we’ll give them the ball every phase and see if they can win it for us.”

Horwill is by nature a captain and leader, he skippered the Australians on 14 occasions most notably during the 2013 Lions series, but he sees his current role as more holistic.

“If I can help any of the younger guys with their rugby then I am more than happy to do so, but it’s not about me, it is all about the team getting ready to function and to perform to the right level to win.

“To be part of a club that has got such deep roots and history is a real honour. There have been a lot of well known Australians playing in the Varsity match down the years and if I can put my name on that list then I will be very proud.

“I watched last year’s game, and the one in which Jamie Roberts was involved, and I spoke at length to Dan Vickerman about his experience here. He spoke very highly of his time at Cambridge and he obviously had a huge impact on the club – if I can follow in his footsteps then I’ll be very happy.”

In any other year Oxford, with 12 Blues in their matchday 23 and with the memories of a crushing 38-16 win last season so fresh, would probably be favourites, but the presence of

Horwill and van der Merwe alters that and, to a degree, has also shaped their preparation.

Oxford’s six matches in ten days at the World Students tournament in Japan was a good shake-down and a chance to identify incoming talent and on arrival back home there were big encouraging wins over Croatia and the Army.

Then, however, Oxford endured an extremely rough ride with three big defeats on the bounce in midweek against pretty strong Bristol, Northampton and Gloucester XVs.

Only time will tell if there was much gain from all that pain but the theory is that such preparation against senior Premiership A teams was necessary when preparing to tackle a much bigger than usual Cambridge pack. Perhaps now it won’t come as quite such a shock when JP Doyle blows his whistle to start the game on Thursday.

Having recovered from that bruising series of games Oxford have regained a little of their mojo with wins over Trinity College, Dublin and Richmond and a high-scoring draw against the Stanley’s XV last month.

With five returning Blues in the back division, including free-scoring wing Tom Stileman, and the arrival of Northampton centre Nick Greenhalgh, Oxford have the potential to do some damage if their forwards can pilfer enough possession.

Cambridge, meanwhile, have largely steered clear from the big professional clubs and after early season defeats against Loughborough Students and Durham university when they were assessing the talent available, the Light Blues have enjoyed encouraging wins over Welsh Academicals, Crawshays, British Police, the Steele Bodger’s XV and a Pacific Islanders XV.

However the game that perhaps offers some sort of form line could be their narrow defeat against Trinity College, the team that Oxford squeezed past and a side that always go full out against both Universities wanting to secure bragging rights for another year.

That suggests this Thursday could go down to the wire after last year’s one-sided affair.

Oxford, who are celebrating their 150th anniversary,  might also take some inspiration from 50 years ago when they were even bigger underdogs against a highly-rated start-studded Cambridge side that had impressed massively in the build-up.

That day, although the narrow 9-6 score line might suggest otherwise, fans were treated to one of the best post war Varsity matches, a game still spoke about for the quality of play. Perhaps a similar treat is in store this time.

BRENDAN GALLAGHER

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Oxford v Cambridge, Twickenham Stadium (3.00pm kick-off)

Oxford: Dan Stoller (Wellington College & Queen’s); Ed David* (Harrow School & St Hilda’s, capt), Nick Greenhalgh (Uppingham & Keble), Louis Jackson* (King Edward VI School, Stratford & Oriel), Tom Stileman* (Cranleigh School & Christ Church); Tom Humberstone* (Peter Symonds College & Jesus), George Tressider* (Queen Elizabeth GS, Ashbourne & Harris Manchester); Euan Friend (Blundell’s School & University), John Henry* (Cambridge House GS & Brasenose), Ben Parker* (RGS Newcastle & Brasenose), Jasper Dix* (The Perse School & Oriel), Charlie Pozniak* (Manchester GS & St Benet’s Hall), Ryan Jones* (Ibstock Place School & St Edmund Hall), Sam Miller* (Harrow School & St Edmund Hall), George Messum* (Aylesbury GS & Kellogg)

Replacements: Louis Wright (Dulwich College & Trinity), Abhijeet Oswal (The Grammar School, Leeds & St Edmund Hall), Barnaby Vaughan (Bradford GS & Corpus Christi), George Warr* (Eton College & New), Herbert Watson (Latymer Upper School & St Edmund Hall), Jack Dalton (Bedford School & Keble), Seb Haddock (Cranleigh School & St Edmund Hall) or Henry Hackett (The Perse School & Christ Church), Henry Martin* (Marlborough College & St Benet’s Hall)

Cambridge: Joey Gatus* (QEGS Wakefield & Corpus Christi); Tom Lovelace (Hurstpierpoint College & Hughes Hall), Rory Triniman* (Canford School & Hughes Hall), Charlie Watson (The King’s School, Canterbury & Selwyn), Fergus Jemphrey (Sullivan Upper School & Homerton); Mike Phillips* (Bedford Modern School & Emmanuel), Chris Bell*(St Paul’s School & Emmanuel), Charlie MacCallum*(Magdalen Collge School & Downing), Miles Huppatz*(Sir Joseph Williamson’s Mathematical School & Downing), Ed Harborne (Lawrence Sheriff School & Clare), James Horwill (Brisbane Boys College & Queens’), Flip Van Der Merwe (Grey College & Queens’), Tom Walton (Nottingham HS & St John’s), Sean McMahon* (Clongowes Wood College & Gonville & Caius), Stephen Leonard* (Llandovery College & Emmanuel, capt)

Replacements: Sam Schusman* (Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School & Magdalene), Daniel Collins (Maria Immaculata Community College, Dunmanway & Fitzwilliam), George Cook (Brighton College & Robinson), Rowan Beckett* (Bradford GS & Peterhouse), Oliver Smart* (Merchant Taylors’ School & Downing), Archie Smeaton (Hymers College & Queens’), Al Gliksten (Harrow School & Robinson), Dougal Russell (Havant & South Downs College & St John’s)

*Denotes Blue

Referee: JP Doyle (RFU)