RUGBY UNION: Quins pair in Varsity bid (From The Oxford Times)

RUGBY UNION: Quins pair in Varsity bid

11:00am Thursday 20th September 2012 in Sport By Ed Mezzetti, Sports reporter specialising in Rugby, Cricket and Athletics. Call me on 01865 425456

TWO former Oxford Harlequins juniors hope to face each other in the Varsity Match at Twickenham on December 6.

Flanker Nick Gardner, who appeared for Quins’ first team last season, is targeting a place in Oxford University ’s squad.

Tight-head prop Nick Marshall, is looking for a place in the Light Blues’ line-up.

Oxford resident Marshall captained Quins at every junior age group from under 13 upwards and played in the under 21 Varsity Match last year.

• BICESTER take on 23 Pioneer Regiment in the Mayor’s Invitational Challenge at Oxford Road on Saturday.

The contest takes place over seven, ten and 15-a-side matches, with the team having the highest combined score declared the winner.

Tug of war and it’s a knockout also feature on the day.

• BANBURY Under 14s finished runners-up in a JP Morgan sevens tournament at Northampton Saints.

They lost out 19-14 to Cambridge in the final, having earlier beaten Rushden & Higham 54-0, Bugbrooke 33-12, and Cambridge B 41-0.

George Capel scored an impressive 12 tries in the tournament, with Callum O'Shea (4), Mika Catania (2), Kieran Capel (2), Oscar Gudge (2), Felix Clarke and Marcus Saar also crossing over.

• TRIES from captain Jake Anderson and Jake Dew, plus a Jack Taylor conversion, proved in vain as Banbury Under 15s lost 39-12 at home to Havant.

OTHER SCORERS

Colts friendly: Banbury 0, Bicester 37 (tries M Duncalf 2, A MacDonald, C Nicholl, E Mawdsley, B Lee, T Van De Ploeg; con Nicholl).