Speed, power and precision were the hallmark of Cambridge University’s 61-19 victory over Trinity Western University.
In their final warm-up match before the Varsity Match at Saracens’ StoneX Stadium on Saturday, March 2, the Light Blues were keen to put the finishing touches to their ‘public’ preparations.
The Canadian tourists are having a double-header in the UK, with a stop at the University of Bristol following their trip to Grange Road, and they ran into an in-form Cambridge on the night.
There were barely three minutes on the clock when scrum-half Charles Favell picked up on the blind side of a scrum and passed to Tim Andrew, who muscled his way over the line.
Six minutes later, a catch and drive at a line-out led to crisp, quick ball from the breakdown and Jamie Farndale burst through at pace to touch down, with Jamie Benson adding the extras.
Cambridge were awarded a penalty under the posts in the 17th minute and opted to take a scrum, with Makoto Tosa picking up at the base to charge over the line. Benson’s conversion made it 19-0.
Quick ball along the line in the 22nd minute found Loveridge hitting an incisive attacking line and powering through to touch down. Benson’s kick made it 26-0.
A yellow card for captain Ben Gompels did not put the Light Blues off their stride, and Loveridge was alert to make an intercept in the 22 to score the hosts’ fifth try. Benson landed the extras.
Trinity Western were eager to keep the ball alive in hand, and some neat off-loading from a penalty created the chance for Fynn Murray to arrive with a powerful charge to score, and Matthew Wilemse converted.
However, the final say of the half went to Gompels, who finished off a catch and drive from a line-out, with Benson booting the conversion to make it 40-7.
A flowing move two minutes after half time saw play quickly switched between Charlie Hancock and Benson to reach Jack Allinson, who dived over to score. Benson made it six conversions out of seven.
Trinity Western were consistent with their approach in keeping play alive and, following a tap penalty on 5m, Ethan Jurgeneit crashed over the line for the visitors’ second try.
Connor Collins grabbed a brace of tries, the first through some neat work at close range and the second from a catch and drive at a line-out, which made the score 61-12.
Allinson was shown a yellow card, and the final try of the game was scored by Trinity Western, who went through a series of pick and go’s at the breakdown for Jurgeneit to touch down and Willemse to kick the extras.
Next stop for the Light Blues is a clash with their old rivals at Saracens on March 2.
Cambridge University: Farndale; Andrew, Loveridge, Riddington, Mere; Benson, Favell; Wyse, Gompels, Collins, Kantolinna, Hodge, Joesn, Hughes, Tosa.
Replacements: Collins, Nixon, Petty, Hancock, Holdroyd, Day, Allinson, Miller.
Trinity Western: Levale; Duggan, Murray, Drayton, Gibbons; Willemse, Lourens; Graci, Goroza, Hardie, Zubiri, Halladay, Van Til, Tsoi, Gandolfo.
Replacements: Olafsen, Olaniyan, Jurgeneit, Wegert, Finan, Howlett, Bernardin, Paul, Dayton.
Scorers: 3min Andrew try (5-0), 9 Farndale try – Benson con (12-0), 17 Tosa try – Benson con (19-0), 22 Loveridge try – Benson con (26-0), 35 Loveridge try – Benson con (33-0), 39 Murray try – Willemse con (33-7), 40+3 Gompels try – Benson con (40-7), 42 Allinson try – Benson con (47-7), 49 Jurgeneit try (47-12), 57 Collins try – Benson con (54-12), 71 Collins try – Benson con (61-12), 80+3 Jurgeneit try – Willemse con (61-19).
