Cambridge 14 - 33 Penguins

Those courageous few who braved wind and rain to turn up at Grange Road to watch Cambridge attempt to get their stuttering post-Varsity season back on track would have been pleasantly surprised by what they witnessed.  Running rugby, offloading and, to everyone’s delight, a distinct lack of kicking, were the order of the day in a game in which both sides showed admirable adventure in what were absolutely atrocious conditions.

  The opening exchanges were lively with Cambridge running with more purpose and flair, only to come unstuck at the breakdown where the more powerful Penguins forwards had the upper hand.  In such a fast paced game it was a surprise it took twenty minutes for either team to register points.  A charge down from the excellent Jimmy Richards allowed the ball to come to Riley.  The Blues winger stormed up the pitch before giving it to Henderson, who offloaded out the back of his hand back to the Blue’s skipper, allowing him to complete the try he started.

  The Penguins were swift to respond.  A tapped penalty and strong running in midfield opened up a gaping hole in Cambridge’s scrambling defence, allowing the flanker Kruis to trot over for the score which fellow young Saracen Owen Farrell duly converted.  It was just reward for the endeavour shown by the touring side, who were determined to play running rugby even in monsoon like conditions.

  Their second try also came from Cambridge infringements at the breakdown.  A kick to the corner allowed the forwards to drive towards the Blues’ line.  Stout defence and strong tackling from the home side repelled wave after wave of Penguin attack, yet eventually the pressure became too much and a sloppy missed tackle in midfield allowed Graham to cross the try line.

  The score remained at 14-7 at halftime, despite numerous Cambridge opportunities.  A rampaging run by the otherwise excellent Henderson created an opening, but a rush of white-line fever took hold when Greenwood stormed up on his inside and the attack was quashed by the Penguin defence.

  Missed opportunities for Cambridge were to become the theme of the second half.  The Blues’ attack repeatedly failed just short of the try line, losing turnovers, line outs and basic skills just when it mattered.  They eventually conjured a try eight minutes into the half when the lively Greenwood fed Richards for his second try of the game.

  Yet the increased Cambridge effort exhausted them and the Penguin forwards were able to squeeze the life and energy out of the Blues.  A rumbling maul in the 50th minute resulted in a try for Penguin lock Spencer allowing the visitors to retake the lead.  Ten minutes later phase after phase of forward play created some space for right winger Russ who broke through some weak Cambridge tackling to touch down in the corner.

  The Blue’s were not disheartened and admirably continued to attack, running the ball from within their twenty-two as often as possible, yet ultimately by this stage they had neither the energy nor the ability in the driving rain to pass the ball around the Penguin defence.

  The final try of the game perhaps typifies the flow of the match.  A charged down Jimmy Richards kick on the half way line allowed the Penguin substitute Edison to out sprint the Cambridge defenders to score a try against his old university: the Penguins simply had more gas and Cambridge lacked precision.  Yet strong performances from Henderson and Richards are causes for hope for a strong end to the season.  If the Blues are more clinical in the key areas of the field next week, there is no reason to suspect they cannot beat the RAF.