Oxford Univ 19, Leicester 10

By RICHARD TILLEY OXFORD have timed their build-up to next month's Varsity Match just right judging by last night's victory over a Leicester second string at Iffley Road.

In their penultimate game before facing Cambridge on Tuesday, December 7, the Dark Blues weathered an early storm and then went on to control the game with excellent performances from their forwards and at half-back.

Oxford's win brought to an end a run of straight losses, but all three defeats had come against quality opposition, and the most recent - against Racing Club Paris last Wednesday - was widely regarded as the students' best display of the season.

And after last night, Dark Blues' director of rugby, Steve Hill, will be satisfied that his team are peaking at just the right time for Twickenham.

Oxford led 6-5 at the break courtesy of 26th and 37th-minute penalties from fly half Seb Fitz-Gerald. But such a scoreline had looked unlikely early on as Leicester, fielding just one international in the shape of Scotland's Craig Joiner, dominated the opening quarter.

The visitors' side contained nine men who have appeared in the Premiership this season - most playing when the club's big stars were away on World Cup duty - and it looked like the game would be one-way traffic as they camped on the Oxford line for the first 20 minutes.

Burly centre Mitche Read ploughed through the Oxford defence to set up openside Lewis Moody for a try in the right-hand corner.

Fly half Mark Meenan was off target with the conversion, just as he was with two penalties before the break.

Immediately after the interval, Leicester regained the lead when winger Nnamdi Ezulike shrugged off three or four tackles to crash over wide out on the left. But the students hit back and enjoyed their best spell of the game, forcing Leicester to give away a succession of penalties close to their line during a ten-minute spell of intense pressure. Twice Oxford put the ball in the corner instead of kicking at goal, but Leicester's tigerish defence kept them out.

Then, just when it looked like they would never score, Fitz-Gerald turned the game with a moment of magic, dancing through completely untouched from 30 yards out to go over by the posts in the 60th minute.

Fitz-Gerald's conversion was his last contribution, but his replacement, Scott Weenink, made an immediate impact.

Weenink's first touch of the ball was the 66th-minute penalty which stretched his side's lead to 16-10, and six minutes from time he put Oxford out of sight with a wobbly drop goal.

Oxford's one concern will have been the throwing-in of hooker Matt Parker at line-outs.

"Sure Matt didn't missed his jumpers a few times," said Hill afterwards. "But with these things it is never just one man, it can be the guys around him. "Matt was also under pressure in the scrums, but that had as much to do with the pressure they were putting us under at tight-head as anything else."

Hill said he had almost decided on his team for Twickenham.

"There are still one or two areas I'll have to look at," he added. "But it is going to mean some very tough decisions."

Oxford finish their preparations away to Durham University on Saturday.

Oxford Univ: Graham; Platt, Shuman, Kinninburgh, Danielli; Fitz-Gerald (Weenink 64), Weston; Lehner (Jeffreys 72), Parker (Nicholas 75), Collins, Russell, Miall, Sherriff, Kelaher (Hallett 72), Celliers. Reps not used: Thomas, Beer, Marsh.

Leicester: Joiner; Critchley (Boden 66), S Read, M Read, Ezulike; Meenan, Hamilton (Becconsall h-t); Fourie, Nunns, Greenbury (Ricketts 77), Fletcher, Deacon, Johnson (Smith 66), Moody, Balding (Short 64). Reps not used: Robertson, Ellis.

Referee: S Harland (RFU and Devon).

Story date: Thursday 25 November

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