Set-piece domination was the foundation for Cambridge University’s 39-20 win over the RAF at Grange Road on Wednesday night.
It is the time of the season where preparations ramp up ahead of the showdown with Oxford at Saracens’ StoneX Stadium on Saturday, March 2 and the triple header against the sides from the Armed Forces are the perfect tests.
First up were the RAF, and there was a sense that patience was one of the key virtues that the students had to demonstrate, particularly in the first half.
A squally wind could and probably should have been reflected on the scoreboard by half time, and with it going against the hosts in the opening period, they perhaps would have been content to remain within three scores of their opponents.
But it proved to be far better than that as the hosts had established a 13-6 lead by the break, and a large part of that was down to their display at the set-piece.
Reading the throw at a line-out in such conditions is always difficult and yet, Cambridge by and large managed their own throw extremely well, while there was solid defensive pressure on the RAF throw.
This was allied to a strong scrum, which was more than holding its own against the head, and providing a platform to attack when the put-in was in Cambridge’s favour.
It was from a scrum that the opening try arrived in the eighth minute.
Field position had been set and full-back George Bland skidded through a kick which Tim Andrew chased and, under pressure, there was a mis-field which allowed the Cambridge right wing to seize to touch down.
The RAF responded through a penalty from Cpl Mark Williams, and the two sides had a spell of trading kicks, with Jack Allinson slotting one over for the hosts before Williams added another for the RAF, all of which was no mean feat given the wind.
Anything that was being kicked by hand was riddled with unpredictability, and why patience was so important for the University, they could not kick to clear their lines, and so they had to make sure they maintained their concentration and patience in defence.
The half ended on a high when another strong scrum was picked up at the base by Makoto Tosa, who popped a pass back up to scrum-half Charles Favell, and he cut a superb line to scythe through to make it 13-6.
The RAF made a bright start to the second period, and levelled matters in the 43rd minute.
Good work off the top of the line-out saw play moved along the line for Williams to show a clean pair of heels to touch down, and Williams’ conversion made it 13-13.
Allinson was sin-binned for Cambridge, but they withstood the period without conceding any points, and towards the end of the 10 minutes, added to their own score.
Early in the match, they had been a bit too eager to go wide when a catch and drive came up just short, but in the 60th minute, they were more patient and another powerful maul was recycled for James Pratt to go over from close range.
The RAF had AS1 Harry Davies sin-binned in the 62nd minute, and the University made them pay as another driving maul made up valuable ground, and when it was stopped, play was spread to the backs to Max Loveridge, whose strength and a hand-off saw him touch down. Allinson’s extras made it 25-13.
There was a breakaway take two for Ikechi Mere in the 70th minute. The outside centre had burst clear minutes earlier only to be stopped just short of the line, but a catch off the top of the line-out ended up with Mere being freed again and this time he made no mistake, using his pace and power to get over the line, with Allinson’s conversion making it 32-13.
Cambridge’s scoring was completed nine minutes later when a line-out just inside the RAF half was fed through the backs for Andrew, who hit a smart line to break clear to touch down. Allinson landed the kick to make it 39-13.
The RAF had been kept out of the hosts’ 22 since their try at the start of the second half, but they returned again in the final play of the game, which saw Prescott get his second score of the game with a show of quick feet to dance his way through the hosts’ defence. Cpl Daniel Pennington kicked the conversion, which made the score 39-20.
Next up for the Cambridge men are the Army on Wednesday, February 7 at 7.30pm.
Cambridge University: Bland; Andrew, Mere, Loveridge, Miller; Allinson, Favell; Wyse, Gompels, Petty, Hancock, Kantolinna, Pratt, Hughes, Tosa.
Replacements: C Collins, D Collins, Nixon, North, Evans, Holdroyd, Day, Andrews.
RAF RU: Cpl Evans; AS1 Prescott, Cpl Williams, Cpl Riddell, Cpl Crowley; Cpl Pugh, AS1 Davies; AS1 Martin, AS1 Peacock, Cpl Challenor, Cpl Hayton, AS1 Bond, LCpl Morris, AS1 Shepphard, Cpl Breeze.
Replacements: Shpylka, Bald, Young, Jones, Howard, Pennington, Bedford, Powell, Oatley, Bowling.
Scorers: 8min Andrew try (5-0), 12 Williams pen (5-3), 18 Allinson pen (8-3), 32 Williams pen (8-6), 40+2 Favell try (13-6), 43 Prescott try – Williams con (13-13), 60 Pratt try (18-13), 65 Loveridge try – Allinson con (25-13), 74 Mere try – Allinson con (32-13), 80+3 Andrew try – Allinson con (39-13), 80+6 Prescott try – Pennington con (39-20).
Sin-bin: Cambridge University – Allinson, 50; RAF – Davies, 62.
