Preview - Oxford v Cambridge

Oxford muscle and Cambridge speed

Oxford University are determined to finally justify the favourites tag they will carry into Tuesday's Varsity match against Cambridge University for the third time in as many years.

The Dark Blues were favourites ahead of a narrow 15-13 defeat in 2002 and last year's 11-11 draw but are confident they have the armour to beat Cambridge in the 123rd Varsity Match.

Oxford have already registered victories over sides from Harlequins, Bristol Shoguns and Leicester this season and boast seven returning blues in the starting XV.

So the Twickenham stage is set for what should be an enthralling battle between a powerful Oxford pack and some quicksilver Cambridge threequarters.

"The whole year, the last 364 days, have been about preparing for tomorrow," said Steve Hill, Oxford's director of rugby.

"If we play to our potential we will win. We are well equipped, we have a very solid forward pack, backs who can score tries, and a goal-kicker with an excellent percentage record all term.

"In any two-horse race, someone has to be given the favourites tag.

"The bottom line is this is third year where we have been favourites and we haven't won the last two.

"We have probably had stronger results during the term. This is a fantastic challenge the guys have the opportunity to meet tomorrow.

"Whether they have played school rugby, been in international schoolboys squads, every Varsity match is different."

The Varsity match no longer occupies the same esteemed position in the rugby calendar it once did and the crowd tomorrow is likely to be nearer the 40,000 than 60,000 mark.

But Hill insists the traditional fixture remains as relevant as ever and provides many with the ideal springboard to the professional game.

"The Varsity Match has changed, as the whole game has changed with professional rugby, but over the last five years Oxford has produced players who have gone on to play professional rugby.

"Simon Danielli, the Scotland international at Bath and now with the Borders, spent three years at Oxford.

"Simon came to Oxford and now he is keeping two international locks out of the Harlequins team.

"For the majority of young players, to be involved with clubs is a good route but it's not an exclusive route.

"A terrific route for an intelligent rugby player is to combine their rugby with an academic background."

Oxford are captained by Australian lock David Lubans, who played against the British & Irish Lions for NSW Country in 2001 and will be winning his third blue.

Hill is particularly excited by the prospect of watching 19-year-old undergraduate winger Jolen Boto, already an athletics blue.

"This is his first Varsity game of any sort. He had only played school first team rugby and was injured last year but he is an outstanding talent," he said.

"He has played so well he has kept a returning blue out of the team all term."

Oxford are confident they boast the more powerful pack and may be favourites on paper, but in Tony Rogers, Cambridge boast an innovative coach heading into his 25th Varsity Match.

"You find some things that work and they tend to remain but I am also keen to bring in new ideas," he said.

Cambridge had to turn down the chance to train with England in the build-up to the Test against South Africa, but enjoyed a session with England forwards coach Phil Keith-Roach, a Light Blues captain from 1971.

Rogers has also brought Wasps coach and former Great Britain rugby league ace Shaun Edwards to work on the Cambridge defence and they have trained with Zurich Premiership side Leicester.

"This sort of thing gives the players a real lift in what is a pretty intense part of our Varsity Match preparations," said Rogers.

Cambridge are confident that, should their work with Keith-Roach pay off and they can compete up front and secure some quick ball, they will boast a potent threat through the backs.

The Light Blues have a flying winger of their own in Akinola Abiola, who can run the 100metres in 10.5 seconds and will win his third blue having set up crucial tries in 2002, on his debut, and when coming off the bench a year ago.

Cambridge will be captained by former South Africa Under-21 centre Simon Frost, who will start in midfield alongside Ed Carter, formerly of the NSW Waratahs and an Australia Sevens international.

Jon Ufton, who made 32 Premiership appearances for Wasps, starts at fullback while blindside flanker Ben Wheeler is the son of former British Lion Peter Wheeler, now chief executive of Leicester.

The teams:

Oxford: 15 A Knox (St Andrew's, Grahamstown & Keble), 14 J Boto (Ipswich & University), 13 A James (King Alfred's, Wantage & Wolfson), 12 J Whittingham (King Henry VIII, Coventry & St Cross), 11 J Bradshaw* (Rondebosch HS & Exeter), 10 J Fennell* (Dublin HS & Pembroke), 9 C Mezger (Radley & Wycliffe Hall), 8 T Hayman* (Mount St Mary's & St Cross), 7 R Woods* (Blackrock Coll & St Anne's), 6 B Durham* (Pate's GS & Keble), 5 A Van Zyl* (Rondebosch HS & Templeton), 4 D Lubans* (Warner's Bay HS, NSW & St Anne's, capt), 3 S Brophy (Belvedere Coll & St Catherine's), 2 A Dalgleish (Bedford & St Anne's), 1 P Laffin (Wallace HS, Lisburn & St Cross).
Replacements: 16 D Rosen (Brighton Coll & Worcester), 17 M Street* (The Ridgeway & Kellogg), 18 A Harris (Hayle Community & St Cross), 19 P Raftery* (Bedford Modern & University), 20 J Gaunt* (Monmouth & Worcester), 21 D Abbott (Bournemouth & Somerville), 22 R Lavery (Oundle & St John's).

Cambridge: 15 J Ufton* (Whitgift & St Edmund's), 14 N Toy* (St Kentigern's, Auckland & St Edmund's), 13 S Frost* (Kingsway HS, Durban & Hughes Hall, capt), 12 E Carter (King's, Parramatta & St Edmund's), 11 A Abiola* (Wellington & St Catharine's), 10 D Lewis* (Millfield & Hughes Hall), 9 B Dormer* (Christ Coll, Christchurch & St Edmund's), 8 B Wheeler* (Oakham & St Edmund's), 7 N McGarry (Haberdashers' Aske's & Trinity Hall), 6 N Alberts (Afrikaanse HS, Pretoria & Hughes Hall), 5 A Gilbert (RGS, High Wycombe & Fitzwilliam), 4 P Robinson (Douai & Emmanuel), 3 T Kirkman* (Loughborough GS & St Edmund's), 2 F Gladstone* (Gordonstoun & St Edmund's), 1 J Cure (Denstone & St Edmund's).
Replacements: 16 J Greenblatt (Clifton & Corpus Christi), 17 T Martin (St Albans & Trinity), 18 A Clements (Ermysted's GS, Skipton & St Edmund's), 19 A Walters (Tadcaster GS & Hughes Hall), 20 C Worsley (Lord Wandsworth & Hughes Hall), 21 D Jenkins (Stanwell CS, Penarth & Hughes Hall), 22 C Desmond * (Haileybury & Girton).

* denotes previous Blue

Kick-off: 14.00 GMT

Referee: Steve Lander (Liverpool)