Oxford Town Hall will, once again, become a cauldron of noise and fanatical passion as the setting for the 105th Varsity Match tonight (7.30).

And Oxford University are looking to repeat their success of 12 months ago when they gained an emphatic 6-3 victory over their Cambridge rivals.

The Dark Blues have three returning Blues in action – including captain Ollie Harriman – from last year as they bid to retain the Truelove Bowl.

Harriman boxes at welterweight in a team that mixes youth with a degree of experience, with four post graduates in the line-up.

Some of the side have represented the Dark Blues in other sporting battles against the East Anglian foe.

Balliol’s Michael Davis captained Oxford to a 12-0 defeat of Cambridge at lacrosse and makes his Varsity debut at featherweight.

Light welterweight Tom Eliasz is hoping to feel as much at home in the ring as he has been on the ski slopes.

Lightweight James Watson’s speciality is biostatistics, and he is hoping the judges add up the points in his favour.

Fourth year medical student Ben Bussman is not expecting to offer any compassion in the ring when he competes at light middleweight.

The match has two middleweight contests with Tommy Williams – originally from Sierra Leone – and biology undergraduate Simon Lack carrying the hopes of the Dark Blues.

And Oxford have experience in the top two weight divisions.

Light heavyweight Ben Morris makes his third appearance in the Varsity showdown with two previous stoppages to his name.

And heavyweight Andrei Akhlediani collects his second successive Blue.

BICESTER light welterweight Daza Usher will face Birmingham veteran Jason Nesbitt in his second professional fight at the Oasis Leisure Centre, Swindon, on Friday, March 23.