Aussie Victory Over Tabs
The University Parks were given a taste of Down Under this Saturday as the annual Aussie Rules Varsity match was played with a skill and intensity that belied the difficult conditions. An amalgam of rugby and football, Aussie Rules involves 18 men a side on a huge playing area with the object being to score goals (worth six points) through two goal posts or 'behinds' (one point), which occur when the ball misses the goalposts but goes between two other posts to either side of the goal. The ball is carried up the field by a mixture of running and kicking, with the catching, or marking, of a kick being a crucial element to the play as it brings a free kick towards the opposition's goal.
The match itself began as a scrappy affair with neither side able to retain much possession or gain much territorial advantage over the vast pitch. However, with the first quarter heading for an even finish, Oxford applied some pressure with long punts up to full forward Clinton Freeman whose marking of successive high balls led to the opening two goals and enabled Oxford to establish a comfortable first quarter lead.
The second quarter saw the home side playing with the wind and here the difference in quality became immediately apparent. After one early miss, left front forward Luke McConnell found his touch, scoring several times and creating another for former New Zealand captain Tom Rutledge, whose hooked volley was probably the goal of the game. Freeman also added to his tally with one stunning finish and another that crept in at the far post. The heart seemed to go out of the Tabs' performance as half time approached, leaving the Dark Blues leading 50-2.
The third quarter displayed the importance of Oxford's Rover's (for Association football read Central Midfielders), who dominated Cambridge both in the tackle and in the punt with man of the match James Watson foraging for every ball and captain Phil Clarke performing one sequence of seemingly endless tackling that finally ended with him regaining the ball and launching an accurate punt up field that deserved better than the resulting single point for a behind.
The fourth quarter saw many of the second string players get a chance to experience the unique atmosphere of varsity sport, and they acquitted themselves superbly with little obvious reduction in quality as they piled on another 16 points, including a memorable mark and goal from Alex Wyatt that completed the rout and left the final score a convincing 77-5. The Australian Deputy High Commissioner was on hand to present Clarke with the Trophy, while the losing Tab captain, Jeff Davis, was subdued yet magnanimous in defeat. To the neutral and uninitiated, Aussie Rules can at first appear to be rather complex and haphazard but to anyone who enjoys the skill involved in either rugby or football, the sport can provide excellent entertainment, especially considering that the general lack of rules results in almost continuous play with little respite for the players. A comprehensive victory in this match gave the Dark Blues their third consecutive Varsity win, and with the nucleus of the squad set to remain together it seems unlikely that the trophy will be wrenched from their grasp anytime soon.
12th Feb 2004