Oxfordshire finals

CHINNOR 2nd will look to complete an incredible 100 percent season when they take on Oxford University Greyhounds in Sunday’s Oxfordshire Cup final at Iffley Road (3).

Martin Moran’s side won the Zoo Sports Shield Division 2 North title with 16 wins out of 16 and have triumphed in another eight cup and friendly matches.

The Greyhounds, who are Oxford University’s second team, have enjoyed their own fine run, having won their last ten Varsity Matches against Cambridge University’s LX Club.

But the students have not made a county final since 1979 and have won the competition just once – beating Oxford 18-6 in 1976.

Chinnor, on the other hand, are targeting a fourth victory in a row – although this will be their debut as an official second team due to a change in competition rules.

Veteran prop Simon Matthews is set to appear in his 11th Oxfordshire Cup final, while Chinnor have had to juggle their resources, with their first team facing Taunton tomorrow and call-ups to Oxon Under 20s.

Greyhounds include triple Oxford Blue and recent rugby league convert Sean Morris plus Sam Egerton, who was man-of-the-match in December’s Varsity encounter at Twickenham.

  • CHIPPING Norton will hope to go one better than last year in the Oxfordshire Shield final against Blue Boar (11.30).

The west Oxfordshire side were pipped by Gosford All Blacks in a penalty shoot-out after the sides drew the 2012 final 11-11.

Chippy secured their final spot with convincing victories over Gosford (45-13) and Wheatley (70-5).

Boar, who don’t play league rugby, beat Bicester (48-22) before edging out Littlemore 14-10 in their semi-final.

SUNDAY SQUADS

Chinnor 2nd: from Matthews, Berry, Whelan, Ludgate, Holyland, S Blewitt, Rixon, Harrison, Vickers, Williams, Lavin, Hughes, Newman, Hopwood, Powell (capt), T Corpe, Hillier, Woodhouse, Seymour, Angell, Mountford.

Oxford University Greyhounds: from Mason, Wisson, Powell, Reeson-Price, Hitchings, D Macdonald (capt), Fell, Rickner, Barnes, Nickerson, Craggs, Russell, Perrin, Morris, Williams, Turner, Bell, Alexander-Neil, Wareham, Jones, Egerton, Cox, Batten.

Blue Boar: W Sandbach, Banbury, Davies, Matthews, G Sandbach, Blanchard, Phillips, Lay (capt), Orpwood, Tutt, Weaving, Harpwood, Moore, Osborne, Kingdom.