Makoto Tosa in action for Cambridge University. Picture: Chris Fell.
Cambridge University recorded the biggest victory in the history of the Men’s Varsity Match by beating Oxford University 56-11 at Saracens’ StoneX Stadium.
Eight tries helped the Light Blues secure the win with an impressive performance.
The forwards’ grit and the backs’ flair led to an irresistible display.
Oxford landed the first blow with a third minute penalty from Archie King, but the response was immediate, and a forerunner of what was to come, as two minutes later, scrum-half David Holdroyd went wide to Jamie Benson, who went wide again for Tim Andrew, and the play then switched through the same set of hands back inside for Holdroyd to finish off the move and touch down.
Benson landed two consecutive penalties inside a minute to put Cambridge 11-3 ahead, and it was a vantage point they never surrendered.
The forwards were rampant at the breakdown, giving Oxford absolutely no time or space, and they were also clean with it, keeping errors to an absolute premium therefore eliminating any threat from the Oxford scrum.
When they then had the set-piece in their favour, the Light Blues were also able to use it as a launchpad, scoring a couple of tries directly from the set piece.
In the 28th minute, a penalty was kicked to the corner, and a catch and drive set up captain Ben Gompels to touch down, and Benson landed the extras.
Six minutes later, a great break from halfway by Jamie Farndale saw the full-back stopped just short of the line, but play was recycled and Charles Kantolinna picked up to cross the line to make it 23-6.
The final play of the half saw more good work by the forwards rewarded, this time thanks to a period of hitting the line for Fergus Jones to eventually dot down from close range. Benson’s conversion made it 30-6 to Cambridge at half time.
The backs were primed to get in on the action and did so almost immediately as Farndale off-loaded in the tackle to free George Bland to race away and touch down. Benson landed the extras.
Harry Jones’ yellow card did not put Cambridge off their stride, and a dominant scrum saw Makoto Tosa pick up at the base to charge clear to score, and Benson put the two points on the board to make it 44-6.
Another break off the back of the scrum saw more points in the 57th minute, with Holdroyd picking up and passing to Bland on the 10-metre line and freeing Farndale, who skipped clear of a tackle to race away and touch down.
Oxford were rewarded for some good work at the line-out when scrum-half Jack Hamilton sniped over the line to touch down.
But the final say went to Benson, who had controlled the game in imperious fashion from fly-half.
He wriggled away from two attempted tackles outside the 22 and burst clear to touch down, and the conversion made it a record number of points from an individual in the Varsity Match since 1975.
Cambridge University: Farndale; Andrew, Loveridge, Riddington, Mere; Benson, Holdroyd; Wyse, Gompels, Collins, Kantolinna, Hodge, Jones, Hughes, Tosa.
Replacements: Collins, Nixon, Petty, Hancock, Pratt, Hide, Bland, Miller.
Oxford University: Reynolds; Mewes, Bridgewater, Wyllie, Skipworth; King, Hamilton; Robertson, Scoble, Fankah, Dockery, Cook, Blake, Rozenbroek, Glover.
Replacements: Anjorin, Zenios, Pratt, Walker, Fowler, Faria, Scher, Morn.
Scorers: 3min King pen (0-3), 5 Holdroyd try (5-3), 13 Benson pen (8-3), 14 Benson pen (11-3), 23 King pen (11-6), 28 Gompels try - Benson con (18-6), 34 Kantolinna try (23-6), 40 Hughes try - Benson con (30-6), 43 Bland try - Benson con (37-6), 50 Tosa try - Benson con (44-6), 57 Farndale try (49-6), 67 Hamilton try (49-11), 73 Benson try - Benson con (56-11).