Tim Stevens: 1988, Littlemore RFC v. Oxford University

The Background

In January 1984 my then fiancée and I moved to Oxford to start our first jobs after graduating. All we knew about Oxford at that point was that it had a prestigious University and was where British Leyland had a large car factory! Having had a year out of rugby, that summer, I was keen to return to the sport and fortunately, my wife’s new boss just happened to be well-known local rugby legend Lynn Evans, who invited me to join his local club. At this time Lynn was Head of PE at the Peers School on the edge of Oxford and in 1976 had founded Littlemore Rugby Club who played on the school pitch, whilst using the local George public house as their base for post-match festivities. Thus, the scene was set and I joined Littlemore RFC for pre-season training that July.

The Preamble

Jump ahead four years to 1988 and Lynn, who had also been coaching the Oxford University Blues since the early 1980s, in his wisdom decided to invite Littlemore RFC down to Iffley Rd on the Thursday before the Blues headed to Twickenham the following Tuesday to take on Cambridge in that year’s Varsity Match for some ‘live training’. Having by now been an Oxford resident for nearly five years, I had become very aware of the status of the Dark Blues rugby team and had indeed attended the annual Major Stanley’s Match on a November Wednesday afternoon since 1984 with my Littlemore teammates.

However, the 1988 Dark Blues seemed to be extra special, even by Oxford standards. Local boy Rupert Vessey captained the Blues in his final year reading medicine, but the real eye-catching name was scrum-half David Kirk. David had arrived at Oxford in October 1987 as a Rhodes Scholar to read PPE at Worcester College; having earlier that year lifted the very first Rugby World Cup as captain of the New Zealand All Blacks in Auckland.

Alongside David in the Oxford backline were a further four Internationals or future Internationals – Brian Smith (Australia and Ireland) at fly-half, Dai Evans (Wales) at inside centre, Ian Williams (Australia and Japan) on one wing and Rob Egerton (Australia) at full-back. Complementing these five international was Vessey on the opposite wing and Malcom Browne at outside centre who had represented Western Province in the Currie Cup – quite a back division! Perhaps not quite as ‘Stellar’, the forwards included just one International – Try Coker (Australia), but they certainly had talent and experience aplenty. The front row composed a Welshman, South African and an Englishman (there must be a joke in there somewhere), the locks were both fine English gentlemen (Will Stileman having previously represented the Light Blues), whilst in the back-row alongside Coker were a fellow Australian who had represented NSW and the future Dark Blue captain, Irishman Mark Egan. Quite a fifteen!

The Event

So at 7pm on Thursday 1 December the Littlemore 1st XV squad assembled in the changing rooms of the historic old Pavilion at Iffley Rd ready to face this star-studded team. The Dark Blues who were by now at peak fitness having been on tour to Japan in September, beating the Japanese National team along the way, followed by fixtures against the top English and Welsh sides, winning at least 80% of the games, were ready to put the final touches to their Varsity preparations. Both squads took to the field under the direction of Lynn Evans, coach to both teams, for separate warm-ups before some ‘live’ action. To anyone watching (FYI there wasn’t anyone watching bar the groundsman and his dog) the warm-ups would have looked very different, reflecting the vast difference in standard between the two teams! After about 10 minutes, Lynn blew his whistle, at which point the forwards headed off to ‘scrum-corner’ for some live scrummaging and line-outs, whilst the backs stayed on the field to run though some plays. As the current Littlemore inside centre, I stayed on the field and for the next 15 minutes marvelled at the passing ability, speed and inventiveness of the Dark Blue backline, the like of which I had never experienced, as they went through their complete attacking repertoire, something to behold! However, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed things were not going quite as smoothly on ‘scrum-corner’! There appeared to be a sixteen-man brawl taking place with no referee!

In the changing rooms post-training, we learnt that Lynn had told the Littlemore pack to go easy on the Blues forwards and act as sponges, however when an un-named Blues forward proceeded to punch his opposite number all hell broke loose and the gloves were off! Following the separation, the marvelous back play and the all in brawl, the two teams reconvened on the hallowed Iffley Rd turf for a controlled 15 v 15 team run. Lynn, who had by now regained control of the Littlemore pack, had the whistle and set up various scenarios across the pitch to test the Dark Blues defence or tell them to unleash their amazing attacking moves on us. For the majority of the next 20 minutes myself and my fellow Littlemore players spent the majority of the time either chasing shadows or getting flattened by Dark Blue players who seemed to appear out of nowhere!

However, we all survived unscathed; although at one point, I thought my fellow centre had put Dai Evans out of the Varsity Match. We were chasing an ‘up and under’ and because of my partner's poor eyesight he clattered into Dai whilst the ball was still about ten yards above his head, splitting his nose with blood spurting everywhere! Fortunately it proved to be a mere 'flesh-wound’ and Dai rightfully took his place at Twickenham the following Tuesday where he notched a try.

In the Pavilion bar after a hot shower, the Dark Blues were very gracious and appreciative of our efforts and we wished them well for the following Tuesday and took our memories – to be embellished over time – back to the George, by which time we had decided that thanks to us the Dark Blues would smash the Light Blues!

Postscript

The conclusion to the story is that the Dark Blues did indeed smash the Light Blues, recording a comprehensive 27 points to 7 victory (5 tries to 1) against an equally star-studded Cambridge side the following Tuesday for Rupert Vessey to lift the Bowring Bowl. The majority of our squad had gathered in the George to watch the match on BBC and cheer on our new rugby heroes.

Was that Thursday night training session with us the reason for victory or just a side story; did our forwards ensure the right level of aggression, did our backs standing like statues ensure the passes were directed accurately? No one will ever know for sure, but personally, those of us present that night like to believe that a bunch of tradesman, teachers, bankers, lawyers, car salesman plus the odd student were the difference between Varsity victory and defeat for the 1988 Dark Blues.

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