University of Liverpool and Liverpool John Moores University's seasons reached their conclusion as they met for one last time...
For some, varsity signals the transition from winter to spring. For others, it’s the perfect excuse to don your university colours in face paint.
It’s the one day in the university calendar where the sporting community on campus comes together to cheer on their fellow students.
Bragging rights are the ultimate prize, and for university rugby league players, there’s the added incentive of putting in one last rib-crunching tackle on your rivals.
For University of Liverpool and Liverpool John Moores University specifically, it was a final chance to end the season on a positive note after both experienced chastening defeats in the BUCS Northern Conference Cup and National Trophy finals, respectively.
The Sky Blues of Liverpool John Moores University lit the touch paper of their varsity clash ‘away’ at Wyncote Sports Ground with an early huge hit that forced a turnover in the University of Liverpool half. Oscar Halsall was the eventual beneficiary as John Moores executed their first attacking set of 6 to perfection, setting up the centre to overpower a Liverpool defender and open the scoring. Ben Foster nonchalantly added the conversion from the touchline in front of a lively crowd.
The University of Liverpool Lizards quickly wrestled back control of the game through the exploits of James McConnell. The centre shrugged off a pair of John Moores tacklers trying to shove him into touch and emerged from beneath a scrum of players with the ball over the try line. Full-back Mason McMurray experienced a tough day with the boot, failing to land a successful kick on a windy afternoon in Liverpool. McConnell doubled his and his team’s tally soon after with another show of strength, bouncing from one John Moores tackle to another and planting the ball over the try line, giving Liverpool a short-lived lead.
After recovering from a shoulder injury that threatened to cut his afternoon short, Ellis Keppel capped off a punishing defensive set from LJMU that forced Liverpool to knock on just yards away from their own try line. Just one tackle later, the centre breached the Lizards’ defence with a run against the grain and crashed over to regain the lead for his team, a lead that would prove unassailable for LJMU.
HT: University of Liverpool 8-12 Liverpool John Moores University
The second-half began with a contentious call that gifted John Moores possession deep in the Liverpool half, but the ‘visitors’ were in no mood to hang around and debate the decision. Captain Ben O’Donnell, not content with just ruffling his opponents’ feathers, punished Liverpool’s lapse in concentration to extend his side’s lead beyond a single score.
Both sides traded blows throughout the second half, but there was always a sense that LJMU were comfortably keeping their rivals at arms’ length. The eventual game breaker came from the boot of Elliot Martin, whose 40/20 kick set up Louis Davis for an easy try, who sidestepped a tiring Liverpool defence.
With just a few minutes to go, Liverpool’s Olly Oldroyd teased and probed the John Moores defensive line, eventually finding a gap to exploit. The half-back then produced a deft chip kick right into the path of the onrushing McMurray, who resisted the pressure from his opposite full-back Jan McGuffie for the final try of the game and the season.
A dominant second-half display secured a comfortable win for Liverpool John Moores University on what was a tough afternoon for University of Liverpool. Lizards three-quarter Sam Wilkinson remarked that it was one game too far for his team, commenting that, “[John Moores] kicked us to death.” He added that,“it was always going to be a tough one this afternoon," claiming that LJMU compete nationally for a reason.
Varsity victory gives Liverpool John Moores University the licence to laud it over their cross-city rivals, for another year at least, and goes a long way in exorcising the demons of the heavy defeat they suffered at the hands of University of Nottingham in the National Trophy Final.
Amongst the celebrations, however, varsity has one final meaning. For some players, it marks their final appearance as a university rugby league player and regardless of the result, ending their account against their rivals in front of a bumper crowd will be reward enough for three hard-hitting years of competitive rugby league.
Matt Biddle, Joe Butler, Joe Douglas, Nathan Groom, Django Jones, Jonny Rajo, Sam Wilkinson and Matt Williams will all say goodbye to the Lizards, while Louis Davis, Dylan Irvine, Jude Lait, Tom Lewis, Elliot Martin, Jack McGuffie, Liam Meek, Griff Morgan and Ben O’Donnell all played their final games in a sky blue jersey.
Some players will continue to play at different levels of the sport, while others will hang up their boots completely. Those left behind, however, will have the responsibility of nurturing the next crop of university rugby league players and, for both University of Liverpool and Liverpool John Moores University, going one better next season to avenge their cup final defeats.
University of Liverpool:
1. Mason McMurray 2. Jonny Rajo 3. James McConnell 4. Sam Wilkinson 5. Dan Sim 6. Matthew Biddle 7. Olly Oldroyd 8. Ollie Skeech 9. Joe Butler 10. Kaiss Hussain 11. Lloyd Hughes 12. Sean Metcalfe 13. Nathan Groom 14. Django Jones 15. Matthew Williams 16. Tom Birtles 17. Oscar Stout-Goodrich 18. Alex Meyer
Tries: James McConnell (x2), Mason McMurray
Liverpool John Moores University:
1. Jac McGuffie 2. Dylan Irvine 3. Ellis Keppel 4. Oscar Halsall 5. Ben Foster 6. Liam Meek 7. Elliot Martin 8. Ben O’Donnell 9. Griff Morgan 10. George Moffitt 11. Joe Chadwick 12. Jude Lait 13. Williams Swales 14. Louis Davis 15. Conor Travis 16. Kynan Selby 17. Tom Lewis
Tries: Oscar Halsall, Ellis Keppel, Ben O’Donnell, Louis Davis
Goals: Ben Foster (x3), Elliot Martin
By Patrick Bratin
