Performance Not Results as Players Target Twickenham

For the Oxford University U21s, the LX Club from Cambridge University and also the RN and Army U23 sides the goal of playing at  Twickenham is both real and close at hand.

This Sunday sees the Oxford University U21s host the RN U23s at St Edwards School (KO 14:00) at the same time as Cambridge University LX Club host the Army U23 team at Grange Rd.  I’m sure they will be looking out for each other’s scores after the match.  For the two university sides, though there exists an outside possibility of a player making their Blues team, before the annual Varsity Match, the more likely scenario is to win a place in the U21 teams that play at Twickenham as the curtain raiser (KO 11:30).

For the Service players the scenario is not unfamiliar.  Some of the players on Sunday will harbour dreams that they will run out at Twickenham at 15:00 on Saturday 27th April for their respective Senior XV at the annual Army v Navy match.  Many more will have a realistic ambition of making the Combined Services U23 team that will play the Combined Varsity side at 12:00.  Last season saw Tom Davies start for CS U23 at fullback.  He will naturally be eyeing a later start time at Twickenham this season following his try scoring exploits in Sydney for the Senior XV.

Before then, of course, the Army, Navy and Air Force U23s have the small matter of an Inter Service championship; with the RN looking to put the disappointment of last season behind them.  Scott Ashley will welcome the Commonwealth Cup players who return to his squad, including Tom, but the team travelling to Oxford is unfortunately shorn of two of the props who both have a good chance of starting in the Inter Services.  Josh Terry and Chris Davies, had successful Commonwealth Cup campaigns, but have picked up minor knocks and are unable to travel.  Likewise lock forward Dan Richardson.  Apparently a novel work around solution has been found so that the Navy forwards will be able to provide a more solid platform for the backrow and backline to play off than was achieved at Chichester.

Naturally for the Navy it is a simply of matter of making progress with improved performances as they build to their opening IS encounter, home to the the RAF at Burnaby Road on Friday, 16th Nov (KO19:00).  The defence improved significantly in the second half against Chichester but will need to step up again as will the variety and creativity with ball in hand.  With real contest for places behind the scrum with last season’s CS U23 fly half Aaron Lewis coming under pressure from Nick Bell, with John Clay to pressure Klaphoff and with Josh Blackburn to bring his growing big match experience to the side the coaching team should be optimistic that they will see a marked improvement.  Though the front five will not benefit from it’s Sydney returnees, Tyler Smart should add some balance and experience to the back row.

The University team have also been on the wrong side of the score board this season, their only win being against Moseley Academy compared with losses to Southampton Medics, Bedford Academy and last time out against the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.  However with the four games under their belts and the lure of the 6th December getting ever closer they will no doubt be looking to up their performance in what promises to be a high tempo match.