Oxford University 26, Worcester 25

By MICHAEL KNOX

INSPIRED by scrum half Shaun Barry, Oxford University RFC came from ten points down to beat Worcester by a single point in an exciting contest at Iffley Road last night.

When they trailed 13-3 after half an hour, the Dark Blues could have folded. Instead Barry, a Queenslander who narrow missed selection for the Super 12, scored a superb individual try, which turned the contest and enabled the students to record their fourth successive win.Missing at least four of their first choice side, Oxford showed they have got strength in depth to beat the second string of a club who should be playing in Premiership 1 next season.

After Richard Governey's early penalty had been answered by two in kind from Worcester fly half Lee Hinton, the visitors took a 13-3 lead when centre Ali McLaughlin scored a close-range try. Hinton added the conversion. The Oxford pack were not having things all their own way, but Andy Roberts' continuing dominance in the line-out kept them in the game. After the Oxford pack won good second phase ball on the 22, Barry accelerated through a gap to score a lovely try.

Governey landed the conversion and a penalty to level the scores only for Worcester to regain an 18-13 interval lead with a blindside try by winger Lee Feurer.

Just after the break, Governey departed with a head injury suffered in an off-the-ball incident. But his replacement, Kurt Shuman, took the opportunity to get the Oxford backs moving and they produced some exciting running.

Centre John Kinniburgh scored a try following a short penalty move. This was converted by the excellent Richie Woodfine, who then coolly added two penalties to put the Blues 26-18 ahead.

Worcester replied with a try by John Powell, converted by Hinton, but Oxford hung on. during seven tense minutes of added time.

Oxford Univ: R Woodfine, S Danielli, N Ashley, J Kinniburgh, N Humphries, R Governey (K Shuman 44), S Barry, A Collins, M Parker, J Bothwell (A Reuben 40), A Roberts, M Mills, N Celliers (capt), C Lavin, T Miuchi.

Worcester: T Smith (M Crisp 52), L Feuer, M Morgans (P Hassan 44), A McLaughlin, N Baxter, L Hiinton, B Harvey, J Broady (J Powell 56), T Beddoe (A Logan 58), P Mitchell, R Denhart, A Bailey, B Scriven (M Whiteley 30), S Hobson, J Jenner

Referee: A Parker (Cornwall).

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.