Blues overcome Seamen
Oxford spectacularly torpedoed the challenge of the Royal Navy in a weather-afflicted game at Iffley Road. By the time the match was abandoned after an hour the Blues had waltzed into a 50-8 lead.
The star of the show was undoubtedly debutante Ryan O'Mahoney who secured an impressive hat-trick in his first fifteen minutes in a Dark Blue shirt. The Navy looked absolutely outclassed as Oxford simply destroyed the visitor's defence with a powerful performance of fluent, running rugby. The passing was exquisite at times with every player looking sprightly and motivated after their away defeat at Rosslyn Park last week.
The piece de resistance again came from the ubiquitous Will Rubie who grabbed the ball on the half way line with twenty-seven minutes gone, chipped the defence and out-sprinted three Navy players to dive in and score. The Navy tried to mount counter-attacks but were continually let down by their own mistakes. Knock-ons and forward passes combined with good Oxford defence limited the sailors to just one try. It came on fifty minutes at the end of a good drive and rolling maul. That was just about it though; this game was all about Oxford.
The team performance was rounded off with a superb move that led to a try after half an hour. Winning the ball in their own twenty-two a superb passing move ensued in which nearly every player touched the ball. The Navy were hopelessly outflanked and Honeyben did the honours to score. The abandonment of the game on account of a frozen pitch only served to save the Navy's blushes. Oxford were simply mesmeric. The Army who visit Iffley next week had better come prepared with some heavy artillery otherwise another stuffing for the Forces surely beckons.
Photo: Andrew Kirton Vaughan
6th Feb 2003