Eighty minutes of nail biting action at Twickenham, and it wasn’t until the final ten that the result was swung in Oxford’s favour via a brace of George Cullen penalties. With captain Henry Lamont sidelined within the first five minutes after clashing heads with Jamie Roberts, and Jamie following suit at half time with a dead leg from the same carry, nothing was certain in a game that spanned both ends of the pitch and showcased the best of what University rugby has to offer. But, at the end of the day, the dark blues came away victorious in Varsity 2015, with a record breaking sixth consecutive win.
In the post match press conference, we first met with Cambridge captain Don Stevens and coach James Shanahan. Downhearted, they took to their seats.
Don opened, saying he was “incredibly proud of the boys”, and highlighting their strong defence during the first game since 2001 in which neither side scored a try. He said: “we wanted to spoil the ball, make it slow… From the scrums we did particularly well”, and he laughed that “one mimicked what they did to us in 2013”. He gushed about how his boys “stole ball” and “took their set piece away from [Oxford]”.
The Cambridge coach was quick to echo this, saying he was “disappointed but very proud of the boys”. He was full of praise for the team, who “defended, defended, defended”, which he believed “paid its toll”. Coupled with the fact they had “no patience to be clinical in the 22”, he wished they had instead “taken better advantage of early pressure” — citing how disappointing it was to “dominate the first twenty and still be 3 – 0 down”. But he said that the “defensive wall was outstanding” and the “first 20 showed what we are about as an attacking team”.
When asked about the difference that losing Jamie Roberts at half time made to the Cambridge side, Shanahan highlighted that “they played the first 7 games without Jamie”, so they were not dependent on him. But it’s “huge to lose him at half time”, when he’s 110 kilos, took someone off the pitch with his first carry, and is a British and Welsh legend. “We came out after half time very positive, but it would have been nice having that 110 kilos in the midfield to break the gain line”.
Later, discussing Simon Davis’ yellow card in the final five minutes of the game, Don brushed off any reference to malicious intentions. He said “it’s his first Varsity. Now he knows how it feels”, and was confident that he’d “pick himself up and will be back next year, stronger”. Turning the conversation to his own career, he downplayed his role humbly, saying “a captain is just an individual… I’m fortunate to have leaders in the team”. He then turned his thoughts to the future: “I’m 28. I’ve got my whole life in front of me. Some of these guys are 19, 20”.
When asked about how they will move on from defeat, Shanahan referenced how hard the last couple of years have been. “We’re definitely competitive” and we have “lots of boys who are going to be back next year”. He said the important thing was they they “didn’t dwell on the past… didn’t focus on the last 5 years. All we’ve talked about is the present and the future and how we can control that”.
Don credited the new coach as the biggest difference from last year. “We needed change.. he brought it”. “We needed to create an environment where we could be ourselves”. He was full of praise for the ethos Shanahan has created at the club: “We support each other when it goes well… We support each other when it goes badly”, and said there was a real sense of “family culture” which ensures the boys “don’t quit on each other”. He said: “I hope the next captain will build on that. It works well”, and that “40 years down the line, what I’ll remember is all of the memories I’ve built with my brothers… with my teammates”.
Next out came OURFC Club captain George Messum, and today’s captain Henry Lamont. George started by declaring how proud he is of the boys, calling it “a day that I’ll never forget” and “an expression of a journey that we’ve come on from Day 1”. He highlighted how difficult the match was for the boys with “adversity and challenges thrown at them” throughout. “All Credit to Cambridge, we knew they were going to come out [in the first 20 minutes]… they’ve a team we massively respect… There were some tough, pressure situations and for them to plough through that is the biggest satisfaction”.
Lamont summed up his time on the bench in one word: “stressful”. “I’ve been off before with fifteen to go, but seventy eight is tough”. He echoed his club captain, declaring that he was “so proud of the boys and to see them dog it out”. When asked about that clash with Jamie Roberts, he said “I was relatively non-cognitive”. Although he does remember the moment, he cites his “unorthodox tackling technique” as the reason for his concussion, as he “got a bit excited”. He laughed at a fellow reporter’s joke that the tradeoff was putting Jamie out, but concluded he’d “much rather be on the pitch”. George was equally proud of Henry, for “growing into that leadership role”, and he quipped that the result of the SCAT test which Lamont will now sit will not affect how much he drinks in celebration tonight.
He was “disappointed for Henry” to be sidelined so early on in the game “but knew there were leaders that were able to step up”. Summing that “i’m just glad we’re able to express us as a team”, he said the victory had “not sunk in yet”. He referenced the heritage sessions that OURFC undertake and hoped “we’ve added a little bit of history to that”.
Lamont agreed with his captain, saying he “thought the boys always had it”. He referenced the strong period of play after half time, saying “in that first 10, we just lifted it a gear”. When questioned about the heartbreaking drop on the line for fullback Matt Geiger, he was quick to lift spirits. “Geigs had a stormer… he’s young… he probably just got a bit excited”.
Following that, a visibly distraught Jamie Roberts limped onto the press stand. Addressing his injury, he said “I came in at half time and the medics made a call. It just got worse and worse. Some you can run off and some you can’t”. “It was so disappointing no to be there in the second 40 when it was tight…. the boys are devastated… some had tears in their eyes… and you appreciate how much it means to us” — “It’s amazing. I bought into it all and became such good friends with these guys”
When asked about his Cambridge experience, he labelled the University an “incredible place”. He called the team “such a special group of lads”, and said he thoroughly enjoyed the few months first and foremost studying there”, and secondly “to play a match of this calibre was a huge, huge honor”. Although, he was quick to assure that he won’t be making a second Varsity appearance. “There are strict rules.. you have to spend michaelmas at Cambridge” which is “not something I envisage doing”. He says that there have been “the perfect ingredients over the last few months” to allow him to execute something he “had as a plan in my head quite a while back”, which may not have worked at any other point in his career. But for Roberts, it seems like Varsity was definitely a once in a lifetime experience.
Looking forwards to his upcoming time with Premiership side Harlequins, he says he “feels like he’s starting school again”. He’s “been down there [the Stoop] a few times… I get the impression it’s a great vibe”, and he commented on their impressive performance so far in the league. On Monday, providing the dead leg is shaken off, “that journey begins, and hopefully it will be a very special one”.
I asked Jamie, as a fellow Oxbridge student and Quins fan, how he managed to find the time to do it all. “I’m driven” he replied. “And very fortunate… a lot of people have helped me on my path, and I’m eternally grateful for that.. I keep my head down and keep working hard”. He says his academic commitments help him “switch off from rugby”, which “works really well when I can go and work my mind and develop myself off the field”. In terms of holding other commitments than professional sport, he said “it’s whatever makes you tick. Each person has to find their own way. This is what makes me tick”.
Like his Oxford counterparts, he turned his thoughts to tonight, saying he will “enjoy the evening and the traditions”. His lasting memories? “The buzz of the last few days… being a part of the biggest moment in the boys’ careers” and the “lifelong friends” he’s made at CURUFC.
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