Keble clinched the Rugby Cuppers trophy last week, in an exciting triumph for this powerhouse of Oxford’s college rugby.
After many rounds of fixtures spanning Michaelmas and Hilary, the three Rugby Cuppers competitions reached their dramatic conclusions on the eve of the city’s May Day celebrations at the Iffley Road Stadium. Six squads had earned the right to battle it out on ‘Super Finals’ day in what proved to be a fantastic spectacle and also a testament to the quality of rugby being played across the university.
First up, at 3.30pm St. Peter’s took on Pembroke in the Bowl Final. On the day, St. Peter’s were the much better side in what was certainly the most one-sided contest of the ‘Super Finals’. They ran riot and dominated all phases of the game from the first whistle to the last, running away to a convincing 78-10 victory.
A highlight for St. Peter’s was a spectacular try from fullback Matthew Brady that left their opposition’s spirits truly (Pem)broken. In spite of this hefty defeat, the Pembroke players deserve credit for a gutsy performance in which they did not give up and kept playing hard until the full-time whistle to ensure that the post-match touchline beers were well-earned on both sides.
Topically, seeing as it is election season, the second game of the day gave the baying student public exactly what they wanted: a masterclass in harmonious coalitions, as St. Anne’s/St. John’s took on Corpus Christi/Somerville in the Plate final. As the winners of the 2014 Cup competition St. Anne’s/St. John’s went in to the clash as favourites on paper, with current OURFC captain George Messum anchoring the back line from outside centre and fellow Blue Tom Reeson-Price providing them with a strong presence in the back row.
Ultimately, it was Reeson-Price, switching to No. 8 from his usual second row position, who proved the difference. Thanks to his powerful hat-trick of tries, ‘the Saints’ eventually ran out 39-17 winners over Corpus Christi/Somerville.
Then came the showpiece event that everyone at Iffley had been waiting for, the Cup final between Keble and Teddy Hall. Both colleges have dominated the rugby scene in recent years sparking a fierce rivalry on and off the field, with reports of Keble fans behind enemy lines in Teddy Hall with “SHOE” banners really taking the pre-match mind games up a level.
The atmosphere at Iffley was similarly electric as the teams took to the pitch, Teddy Hall with two Blues giving presence to their back row and Keble’s dynamic back line featuring former Varsity Man of the Match Sam Egerton at scrum-half and 2014 OURFC captain Jacob Taylor at fullback. For the expectant crowd, it was clear an enticing clash lay ahead.
The first half was very evenly contested thanks to scores by Keble captain Jonathan Mitchell and his teammate, left winger Sam Steinert, with full-back Jacob Taylor knocking over one conversion from two. As to not lose touch, Teddy Hall hit back through fly-half Tom Dyer, who slotted a penalty through the uprights, and centre Jack Calvert, who snatched an interception and raced in to score. Consequently, there was very little in it at the break, with Keble marginally ahead 12 – 8.
As the lights came on for the second half, it was suddenly a different story, as Keble began to find their stride, building phase after phase leading them to eventually dominating large swathes of both possession and territory.
Whether this was due to inspiration from Keble alumnus Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls, who tweeted in support of his former college, we’ll never know, but whatever was said at half time certainly helped change the tide of the match. Inevitably, Keble were clinical with their second half dominance and as they gradually pulled away from Teddy Hall, who were only able to notch a solitary penalty through Dyer in the second half. By contrast, Keble ran in a further three tries through winger David Peberdy, scrum-half Sam Egerton and centre Oakley Cox. Taylor chipped in further with the boot, converting two of the second half tries and adding two penalties for 12 total points on the day.
Keble’s victory was certainly deserved as they once again reasserted their dominance at the top of college rugby’s totem pole, claiming their 11th Cuppers title. Having fallen at the final hurdle, the Teddy Hall XV and their loyal supporters will have to wait until next year for another shot at their 33rd Cuppers crown.
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A combination of outstanding strength in depth, some crafty tactical play and well-taken kicks ensured victory was never out of Keble’s grasp. Teddy Hall were left exposed in the second half, run ragged by a suddenly emboldened Keble side, hungry to take the trophy.
Congratulations to the victors, commiserations to those who fell short, but most importantly: see you next year to do it all over again.
