Next Stop Baghdad!
As the majority of the British army are taking their jollies in the sunny Middle-East, fifteen members of our elite fighting force lined up against the Blues at Iffley Road in rather chillier surroundings.
The Army's first attack was more potent than Oxford's previous fifteen minutes of possession. Good flowing passing flushed the ball into the Oxford half, to be held just short when a try looked imminent. The Army lost the scrum against the head, but their attack had bite; four minutes later they proved it. A lineout deep in the Oxford half was elegantly taken and a rolling maul set-up, leaving Oxford little chance of impeding its inevitable progress to the try line.
A turnover from the kick-off started a disastrous five minutes for the Blues, which saw the Army go from a benign level of mediocrity to the dominant side. The Blues recovered admirably but they never really threatened the Army try line. They did, however, rattle volatile tempers, allowing Forth to grab himself a brace of penalties.
Steve Hill made several substitutions for the second half, but it failed to stop the penetrative nature of the Army attacks. Ed Smith squeezing into the corner extended the men in red's lead. The Army continued to look threatening producing moments of exquisite handling, the ball interchanging between forwards and backs sublimely, prompting spontaneous applause from all sections of the crowd.
Oxford got a try back in the 60th minute; an easy three points was turned down in favour of an attacking line-out that was well taken and driven over. The difficult touchline conversion was added by substitute Robinson to put Oxford within four points.
A minute later, they were not. The Army won the kick off; their stocky replacement winger strode through three potential Oxford defenders, he off loaded and it became thirteen points to twenty-two.
Oxford made the score more respectable in the closing stages. The Army defence went AWOL by their own line allowing Kevin Tkachuk, Oxford's Canadian prop to pounce on a quick tap penalty to score. The conversion under the posts was stupidly missed; with it, a penalty would have won the match. Oxford's performance wasn't diabolical, just disjointed, and hopefully fluidity will emerge, allowing the recapture of the MMC trophy for the Dark Blues.
13th Feb 2003