Tuesday 23 April 2013

The Varsity Prospectus

The biggest Welsh University sporting occasion is nearly upon us, when Cardiff University's and Swansea University's sporting teams take to the arena for the 17th annual Varsity.

The culmination will see the men’s rugby sides face off at the Millennium Stadium for the Varsity Cup. They will be cheered on by thousands of their fellow students and many alumni looking to rekindle their pre-tax hey-days!


After the day’s sporting events - where the two uni’s compete in a range of activities, from ultimate Frisbee to the more traditional fencing - the festivities in the capital move to a more affable setting with the students giving their best efforts at drinking Cardiff dry, before the atmosphere changes to one of anticipation and excitement of what the evening's spectacle will hold.
Cardiff will be bidding to claim back to back Welsh Varsity Cup titles, but historically, it is Swansea that have had much of the glory in this fixture, claiming ten wins since the competition's inception in 1997.
The Red and Blacks will be hoping to put in a repeat performance of last year’s 33-13 victory and one that coach Martyn Fowler would love to see happen.
"We had a great Varsity warm up game last weekend which we won 47-5, scoring six tries," said Fowler.
"Even though we haven't been great in the league, I'm not too worried about that. League form goes out the window in these sorts of games, especially on a big stage like Wednesday.
"A number of our boys have been involved in Premiership rugby so we haven't played as a group for a long period of time. But we've had a month together now and we're getting there.
"Swansea are going to be real tough opposition. They've got a number of Wales Under 20 players and I think Nicky Thomas is definitely one to watch out for - I'm a big fan.
"They are going to be a big test, but we are going to try and play, and give the game width. The Varsity match is very much a shop window for these players and they've got a great opportunity to play at the Millennium Stadium and live on S4C."
Swansea had a more successful BUCS campaign than their rivals, winning twice as many matches as Cardiff, but only finishing one place above them in the league. Coach Richard Lancaster will know that will count for very little tomorrow.
"We're in a similar position to Cardiff with a lot of younger players," said Lancaster.
"We are looking pretty strong and most of the boys have played Premiership or regional rugby so, all in all, I'm really happy. We've trained well and are ready to go".
He added, "Cardiff dominated the breakdown last year and that's going to be key again this time." 
"They are well coached and have a great set piece so it's vital we get parity up front.
"We will have a real challenge to get possession but if we do that, then we should come through comfortably."
So, will it be the students adorned in Green and White or Red and Black that will take home the bragging rights for another season?
As both coaches have said, gaining the upper-hand at the breakdown will be crucial to either sides' success but I think the loss of Captain, centre Ross Wardle, will be a big blow to Cardiff’s plans.
When I saw Cardiff beat Swansea at Llanrumney earlier in the season, the centre duo of Wardle and Max Woodward caused Swansea’s blitz defence a lot of problems, and Swansea will certainly be boosted by the fact the giant centre is missing.
Last year’s victorious captain, Jake Cooper-Woolley, really dominated in the front row and was a nuisance in the loose, and the battle at the set piece will again be telling tomorrow.
The back row battle will also be another pivotal area as both sides have strong ball carrying 8’s in James Thomas and Reuben Tucker respectively, while Bridgend team mates Arthur Ellis and Jonathan Vaughan will battle for ascendancy at the breakdown.
Generally speaking, league form normally does not have any baring on the outcome at Varsity. As a result, it may come down to what impact the bench has around the 60 minute mark, and with Swansea boosting two Wales Under 20 players in Dion Jones and Nicky Thomas, I think they may just have the edge there.
Verdict - Swansea University by 6 points

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