Australia overcome students' resistance

Oxford University 27 Australia 5

Australia were subjected to a little bit of ECT as they continued to prepare for the Test against England on Saturday. They had experienced electro-convulsive therapy in their tour opener against an English National Divisons side and this time it was the turn of the students of Oxford to flick the switch.

Australia were subjected to a little bit of ECT as they continued to prepare for the Test against England on Saturday. They had experienced electro-convulsive therapy in their tour opener against an English National Divisons side and this time it was the turn of the students of Oxford to flick the switch.

The tourists left the ground with blushes rather than bloodied noses after a heroic performance by the Dark Blues which had a sell-out 5,000 crowd cheering them to the rafters. And after this match under lights at Iffley Road a new theory was formed as to how the Dark Blues arrived at their nickname.

As dusk settled over the ground, the full feebleness of the illuminations could be appreciated. It was under cover of this second half darkness that the men of Australia finally slipped away. The students had certainly made their presence felt though and showed guts and invention, tackling themselves to a standstill and demonstrating absolutely fabulous defensive qualities.

Their line-out was feisty and the excellent locks Simon Miall and Adam Russell posed problems on the Australian throw as well as proving adept on their own. But the Australians always just had an edge and eventually ran out comfortable winners.

The Dark Blues were not helped by the early loss of their captain Brett Robinson, himself a former Wallaby with 16 caps to his name. He departed at the end of the first quarter, shortly after Scott Staniforth had finished off a breathtaking move to score the Australians' second try.

But there was still plenty of pluck, if no luck, in the students' approach; a mis-match it might have been, but it most certainly could not be described as unopposed practice for the tourists. Oxford piled readily into the fray at every opportunity. And they gave as good as they got in the tackle.

They rattled the Wallabies with a fiery start, but being the professionals that they are the Australians just soaked it up.

The fact that people wanted to describe the visitors' team as a second string was to ignore the presence of Ben Tune and Chris Latham, who have 62 caps between them, and that every member of the squad is regarded as top quality or they would not be in the party.

All the student backs were prepared to have a go and it paid off when Will Rubie raced upfield, outstripping Latham and the rest of the red-faced Tourists to score. Seb FitzGerald's conversion capped a fine first half performance and the students trotted in well-pleased with themselves just seven points down. More great deeds from the students followed after the interval, with the Canadian international Kevin Tkachuk and scrum-half Dan Taberner scoring further Oxford tries, but five Wallaby touchdowns in the same period spared their blushes.

Oxford University: Tries Rubie, Tkachuk, Taberner; Conversions FitzGerald 3; Penalty FitzGerald; Drop Goal FitzGerald. Australia: Tries Latham 2, Bond, Whitaker, Staniforth 2, Waugh, Grey; Conversions Edmonds 6.

Oxford University: N Marsh; W Rubie (J Down, 79), T Robinson, S Adlen (J Thompson, 79), W Ellerby; S FitzGerald (S Fuchigami, 79), D Taberner (J Scholes, 79); K Tkachuk, P Nicholas (E Brooks, 79), H Nwume (R Lehner, 55 (D Hughes, 79)), A Russell (C Edwards, 46), S Miall, L Sherriff (M McBride, 76), B Robinson (capt) (F Gemmell, 22), J Bolger (E Hallett, 65).

Australia: C Latham; B Tune, S Staniforth, S Kefu (N Grey, 72), G Bond; M Edmonds, C Whitaker; W Young (N Stiles, 70), B Cannon, R Moore (B Darwin, 70), T Bowman, M Connors (J Harrison, 46), M Cockbain (capt), D Lyons (G Smith, 60), P Waugh (O Finegan, 56).

Referee: D Gillet (France).