Spirited Oxford are overpowered

New Zealander Paul Sur ridge scored 14 points as Cambridge triumphed in the Varsity Match against Oxford for the fourth consecutive season. Cambridge built up a 19-3 lead by the 50th minute, but Oxford hit back with a couple of belated tries in the middle of a second half that dragged them back first to 1910 and then to 26-17.

But the key moment came just after the hour when Cambridge needed a score to confirm they always had the greater potential to score a try, and full back Surridge supplied it in front of 70,000-plus spectators - a figure which decreased by one when a woman streaker was removed from the premises by reluctant stewards.

Cambridge's line-out was unproductive for most of the match, but when they won a line-out near Oxford's line the forwards mauled and ground ever nearer and Surridge abruptly joined them and was driven over.

As soon as he converted, the female entertainer took over and Oxford's second try was irrelevant.

Oxford had plenty of possession and 24 penalties. But they mostly operated behind the gain line.

By the 18th minute Cambridge were 14-0 up. Lock Richard Bramley scored a more orthodox maul-over try from a line-out in the sixth minute.

Another penalty allowed Richard Elliott and Bramley to send Nick Walne in for the second score.

Surridge converted both tries, but Oxford might have been in the hunt but for an attack of the hooks by their kicker, the normally reliable flanker David Kelaher. He missed three shots and managed only one.

In the 50th minute Bristol's Mark Denney was given a gap by his midfield colleagues for Cambridge's third try, a prelude to Surridge's only miss of the match - and that hit the post.

Around the hour Oxford created their two scores. Ireland's Kevin Spicer, at number eight, shot over from a scrum and wing Nick Booth sprinted 45 yards for a try that lit up Oxford's day.

Kelaher converted both, but Surridge ensured that the come back made no further progress with a late penalty.

Oxford Univ: Maher; Booth, Larsen, Rudge, Pollock; Jensen, Hogan; Lehner, Collard, Reuben, Eisenhauer, Roberts, Orsler, Kelaher, Spicer. Replacements: Sharples, Parker, van Reenen, Lavin, Ure, Lewis.

Cambridge Univ: Surridge; Walne, Robinson, Denny, Hill; Ashforth, Elliott; Reynolds, Murphy, Foulds, Bramley, Craig, Hyde, Whitford, Cocks. Replacements: Williams, Moran, Goldsmith, Sugden, Godfrey, Bullock.

Referee: B Campsell (Yorkshire).