Young Scots aim to make impact in Varsity match

Two young Scottish talents will be involved in this afternoon’s 130th Nomura Varsity match, hoping to help Cambridge University wrestle the trophy away from Oxford University.

Former Scotland under-20 man Paul Loudon starts on the wing for Cambridge at Twickenham, while Sam Hunt – who was man of the match when Fettes College won the Scottish Schools under-18 Cup back in 2008 – will be on the bench.

For 22-year-old Loudon, the match will be a career highlight ranking alongside when he captained Scotland under-20 against France in 2009, playing for the Scotland Sevens team and his debut in this same fixture last year.

He has also played numerous times for the Edinburgh Accies first XV, so his experience will be vital if Cambridge are to stop Oxford getting their hands on the trophy for the third time in four years.

Hunt is a talented scrum-half who does not need to be asked twice to head through a gap. Last year he started and this time will look to make an impact from the bench.

Cambridge will look to gain an advantage in the back-line, where returning Blues Loudon, Matt Guinness-King and Rob Stevens are key. They also have the experienced Dave Allen at No 8. The 33-year-old played top-class rugby with Ulster in 2001 and 2002 and represented Australian Universities. Canadian international Guinness-King is captain and said: “We are now shaping into a really cohesive unit, with good patterns and an excellent team spirit. The way that the boys reacted to selection, by pulling together, rather than letting some people’s disappointment divide the squad, is a testament to their maturity.”

Oxford have named a strong pack, with the same front five as last year’s victorious team, supported by Blues Louis Mather and John Carter. They have one back with Varsity match experience in the shape of Sean Morris, a double rugby Blue and England Students winger. Meanwhile, in the under-21s Varsity match, which is at 11.30am, Cambridge University will be captained by Tommy Palacios, who was schooled at Merchiston Castle and the back-row’s father still teaches there and coaches the Watsonians second XV.

Last year in the same match, Palacios was also captain and scored a try in a 20-15 win.

Oxford: J Hudson (Lincoln); S Morris (Trinity), S Perkins (St Edmund Hall), G Turner (Kellogg), C Bramham-Law (Hertford); T Mitchell (Kellogg), S Egerton (Keble); H Macdonald (Wadham), G Oliver (Green Templeton), W Kane (University), K Outen (St Edmund Hall), T Evans (St Hugh’s), D Asbun (Kellogg), L Mather (University), J Carter (Kellogg, captain). Subs: A Connor(Keble), L Anderson (University), J Law (Kellog), J Durward (Kellogg), R O’Donavon (Exeter), H Guinness (St Antony’s), M Janney (Oriel), J Direen (Kellogg).

Cambridge: T O’Toole (St Edmund’s); P Loudon (St Edmunds), M Guinness-King (St Catharine’s, Captain), K Cook (Hughes Hall), R Stevens (Jesus); S Townend (Downing), D Blake (Hughes Hall); W Briggs (Magdalene), N Conroy (Hughes Hall), S Brown (Clare), J Kururangi (St Edmunds), S Annett (Clare), B Martin (St Catharine’s), R Malaney (St Edmund’s), D Allen (Pembroke). Subs: M Murdoch (St Edmunds), F Sanders (Magdalene), S Young (Emmanuel), O Wolfe (Christ’s), S Hunt (Girton), G Cushing (Ridley Hall), M Thomas (St John’s), F Austin (Gonville/Caius).