OXFORD University captain John Carter says their 68-0 defeat to Northampton was the ideal pre-Varsity Match test.

Carter stressed the ten-try mauling would not affect confidence ahead of their showdown with Cambridge at Twickenham on December 8.

“Monday was exactly what I was hoping it would be,” said Carter.

“We came up against what was effectively a Premiership side. Their front row finished the Heineken Cup final in May.

“The first 50-60 minutes I was very pleased with. I didn’t think the referee played into our hands, but often when you are on the back foot that tends to happen.

“I wanted things to go against us so we could come together as a team.

“I wanted us to defend all game and that was a very valuable lesson.

“If we had gone out and won by 50 points, I don’t think that would have been helpful for us.”

The Dark Blues did battle well for periods, but caved in late on.

“The last 20 minutes were dreadful, but the first 60 minutes were outstanding in a lot of places,” Carter added.

“I think the scoreline was not that reflective of the game.

“The slightest mistakes we made, they scored from.

“If they didn’t have that front row, I think the game would have been different.”

Oxford were perhaps unlucky to face such a strong Northampton side, but Carter says the fixture should stay for next year.

“It was a great fixture,” he said. In other matches we have played significantly worse, so I am not worried.

“These games are always excellent fun to play in, especially with the individual battles.”

The Dark Blues have one final warm-up match away to Esher on Monday, while their Twickenham squad will officially be announced on Thursday.

  • OWEN Jones, Oxford’s victorious captain from the 1971 Varsity Match, has organised a reunion dinner for players from both sides in that contest.

It takes place at St Edmund Hall, Jones’s former college, at 7.15pm on Wednesday, December 7.

Oxford won 21-3 in 1971 and the Dark Blues would love to have a similar scoreline the following day.