The temptation to break out of Cambridge meant empty spaces on the netball court last week. Murray Edwards and Newnham were the biggest winners in week 2 as they were able to sustain their good start to the season. They were also able to take an advantage as league champions Jesus’ were forced to concede their match. It has already given the chasing pack a sniff of glory.

Murray Edwards 27-Downing 12

The Muz girls took the opportunity to display their title credentials, producing a confident display against Downing. Unlike many of the other teams, Muz had the luxury of a full squad to pick from. Their attack in particular was on shooting form allowing the girls to build a strong lead. The signs look good for Murray Edwards this term with some real strength in depth in their team typified by a strong debut by Lucy McMahon. In fairness, Downing were one of the sides who struggled to produce a full team as many had decided to make the bid to escape the country rather than stay on Cambridge’s courts. They started positively, however, with Emma Potter offering some stern resistance. Unfortunantly, their lack of options were further compounded by an Abi Calver’s injury which resulted in another reshuffle.

Queens’ 12 – Newnham  13

Queens’-Newnham provided the most competitive fixture of the weekend, both teams showing they are ready for the long haul. Newnham were just able to edge past the Greens in a hard-fought and fast-paced match. In such conditions, Newnham were able to take the important upper hand early on as a slow start from Queens’ meant they’re able to build a three goal lead in the first quarter. Queens’ though did fight back – good defensive pressure and determined attack meant they were able to draw level. But some excellent Newnham shooting meant they were just able to keep their noses in front.

Emma 14-5 Catz

Emma took the spoils home as the two newcomers faced each other in Division one for the first time. Again, Emma were able to take advantage of more Jailbreak hopefuls as Catz could only turn out three of their regulars resulting in a lot of changes on court. It meant Emma could avenge their narrow defeat last term when both teams were chasing for promotion. Victory was built around defensive work with their GK Anna Nicholas showing some excellent form after returning  from injury. Emma will thus be satisfied with their first victory in Division One as avoiding the drop will be a priority.

Photographs by Sarah Sheldon

I’m a red-blooded, heterosexual man. I am, however, worried that Rob Malaney thinks I fancy him. The reason is simple – his muscles. A lot of guys his size look like their clothes don’t fit; Malaney looks like his skin came in a couple of sizes too small and trust me, it’s hard to look away.

For a man who could probably go toe to toe with a silverback gorilla, Malaney is surprisingly softly spoken. He talked intelligently about his disappointment at Twickenham in December and how it motivated him to apply for the post as well as reflecting on the all-conquering Durham side he skippered to BUCS league and cup glory last season.

Malaney triumphant with Durham

That Durham side has not lost since March 2010 and recently came and turned over a Blues side fresh form their Varsity chastening. So why did he decamp to the Light Blues?

“Education played a big part. I was really keen to continue my studies but obviously that had to be somewhere I could still keep up my rugby very seriously. Cambridge seemed the perfect option.”

Studying post-grad history at St. Edmund’s is clearly agreeing with Malaney but I wondered how perfect the decision must have felt as his old team-mates racked up a 22-point victory at Grange Road.

“Obviously I was disappointed. I knew most of the side and they give me some stick after but it wasn’t unexpected. Our season has reached its climax; we’re rebuilding now, whereas they’re in the middle of their BUCS campaign and obviously in top form

“It didn’t make me regret leaving. I’d achieved everything I had to achieve with Durham. This is a new challenge for me now and what happened at Twickenham is big motivation for next year.”

Tussling with the Dark Blues

Under Malaney things are in for big changes at Grange Road. Until now CURUFC has been run as a captain’s club, an anachronistic model placing all the logistical, financial and sporting responsibility on the captain.

“It was too old fashioned. We’ll be appointing a full time coach and I need my responsibility to be squarely on the field. When I captained Durham it was very much a democracy – I want anybody in the team to be able to voice their opinions and for us to try to come to decisions about how we play as a squad.”

So what of the Varsity Match? What was it that went so wrong?

“There’s not too much point in post-mortems now. I thought we matched them pretty well first half but they were just a bit too strong up front.

“Their captain, John Carter, had a great game. We looked better while he was off.”

I remind him that Carter only left the field after a highly cynical punch in the face at a ruck.

“I wish he could have stayed off longer,” comes the response, quick as a flash.

Carter has been elected Oxford’s captain again for 2012 so I wonder if Malaney is planning a repeat performance. Perhaps that’s what the muscles are for.

Downing 28-23 St. John’s

With John’s at the head of the league and Downing languishing far behind, this may have been seen as an easy game to call. Added to this was the one-sided victory John’s had inflicted on last term, meaning they should have been very confident going into this one.

This confidence was misplaced. Downing, back to full strength, played with an aggression and forcefulness they haven’t shown yet this season. On a wet, slippery day where extensive back moves were unproductive the Downing forwards went about their business with a snarl, running hard, straight lines and suffocating John’s at scrum time.

The Downing front row of John Walker, Sandy Shanklin, and Dan Addis really did a number on their opponents who didn’t know what hit them. With better control at the base of the scrum Downing could really have turned the screw on John’s there all game. However, they had to suffice with the hard running of Max ‘man-mountain’ Mather from number 8 and Thomas ‘the tank-engine’ Rees, playing out of position at 13, who both consistently broke the gain-line leaving the John’s defensive line reeling.

That is not to say that the game was all about punching it up the middle. A few moves from both sides managed to free the game up, giving a great spectacle for all those watching from the sidelines. Early on Downing’s flying winger Jack Scott almost went over in the corner, and the tries eventually came from Luke Thompson and Max Mather from short bursts near the line. John’s did reply before half time, manufacturing an overlap in the Downing 22 scoring in the corner.

With their 10 kicking penalties with aplomb, John’s were always within sight, especially at the beginning of the second half where they had their first concerted efforts in the Downing half. But thanks to the quick-stepping Keith Hagyard, stepping past John’s fullback Tom Prys-Jones, and Giles Rought-Whitta sneaking over, Downing were far enough ahead for the Redboys’ final try in overtime to mean little to the overall result.

All in all Downing can be extremely proud of breaking their 10 year drought against John’s in the league and are a formidable obstacle for any team the rest of this season. John’s are still favourites for the league title, but with Jesus sitting top, admittedly with a game in hand, this league is far from a foregone conclusion.

Photos courtesy of Graham Bates

The girls from Jesus show no sign that they are prepared to relinquish their crown any time soon. Teams had to battle tough conditions in the opening round of matches, but it is clear that it is going to take more than a stiff breeze to knock the Jesus girls off their winning stride. The rest of the league will have to make sure they are on top form if they are to prevent Jesus from doing the double this year.

Jesus 36-9 Emmanuel

Unfortunately league debutants Emma were no match for the reigning champions who put in a commanding performance to make a mark in the first game of the season. Both in attack and defence, Jesus put in an accomplished display with Alice Bush and Charlotte Wood the stand-outs on the Jesus side. Emma were not helped as they lacked key players, but they will be hoping they can put this match down to experience.

Newnham 11-5 St John’s

Newnham put in a performance to suggest they may be able to do one better as they finished runners up last term making the most of their opportunities in tricky conditions, establishing a 4-1 lead in the first quarter. They also proved strong in defence with brilliant interceptions from Newnham’s Sam Savie and Leah Adeniran keeping the ball out of the John’s attacking circle and enabled their side to extend their lead to 9-2 by the end of the third quarter. John’s rallied to come back at Newnham in the final quarter, working the ball well into the circle, however this proved to be too late with the final score ending up at 11-5.

Murray Edwards 26-5 St Catherine’s

The Muz girls put in a strong league performance to dispatch Catz who were in their first outing in the first division. Catz were shown a bit of a lesson by the Muz girls who had no trouble scoring quick goals off successive centres. Fine work by around the D by shooters Sarah Sheldon and Gina Dalgleish kept the scoreboard ticking over. However Catz haven’t been promoted for nothing, winning all their matches last term, and showed some resilience by maintain some pressure which was helped by a tactical reshuffle.

Muz on the offensive

Downing 8-17 Queens’

The league looks set to be as competitive as ever and Queens’ will hope they can continue their form from last term to stake a claim for the top. They also kicked off their league campaign with an away victory at Downing. Queens’ crucially got their noses out during the first quarter and were able to maintain their advantage throughout the match. Slick shooting meant they were able to outscore Downing in each quarter. However Downing will be able to take some positives out of the first game of the season. Going forward, Downing produced some lovely movement by the attacking members of the team about and across the shooting circle with some successful weaving between the shooters Callista Harris and Fran Thornton.

Photos courtesy of Mayo Beono

Rob Malaney has been voted the new Blues rugby captain at a special meeting last night.

He will take charge of the Blues for the rest of this term and then lead the team’s campaign to reverse last year’s defeat in the Varsity match at Twickenham. The openside flanker started at Twickenham and has consistently been one of the club’s outstanding performers since his arrival from Durham, where he captained the men in purple to a BUCS championship win.

The process of selecting a new captain involves all the players convening in the Steele-Bodger room at Grange Road in a meeting chaired by the Chairman of CURUFC.

Malaney in action at Twickenham in December

Initially, players are nominated for the job if their team-mates call out their name. Any players nominated will then leave to allow the remaining players to discuss the candidates further. Upon returning, each contender has the chance to speak for three minutes in an effort to persuade the team that they are the right man for the job.

Malaney, studying history at St Edmund’s, takes over from Matt Guinness-King, the former Canadian international who retired from rugby after the 2011 Varsity Match. The boots are big ones to fill, with the previous captains including South African Jimmy Richards in 2010 and Dan Vickerman in 2009, the Australian lock who used his Cambridge form to bag a spot in his country’s World Cup squad last autumn. Ollie Wolfe takes over as club secretary.

He picks up a team in need of a boost after a crushing 22-44 defeat at the hands of his old side Durham at the weekend. The Lent term sees matches against each wing of the armed forces, invitational sides and an Argentinian touring team.

The Blues’ next game is against the Army on February 8th

Defeat in Varsity hurt, but defeat against Durham on Saturday only added to the sense of punishment the Blues have endured this season. Durham may not be Oxford, but they are still a team the Blues would rather like to see the back of. It is this sense of ambition which will hopefully drive the Blues forward into next season.

In truth, this fixture is always hard to judge. The aftermath of Twickenham has meant all the momentum has gone from the Blues campaign as they head into a period of transition. They will want to reassess how they do things as they make preparations for the season ahead. Durham, on the other hand, are currently mid-season and displayed good value for their victory in the end.

The first half was definitely a case of trying to run-off the excesses of the festive period – the additional helping of granny’s turkey now looked like an ill-advised choice. It contributed to a topsy-turvy half where Durham were able to move into the ascendency immediately with two tries within the opening minutes of the match. Indeed, it looked as though the Blues were still slumbering at the Christmas table.

Durham appeared to be enjoying a late Christmas present as they ripped through the Blues at will, with big lock Beaumont particularly enjoying himself as he crashed over for Durham’s second try. He added some real quality to the field and proved a threat throughout the match as he always looked to take the ball over the gain line. It looked as though Durham would find points cheaper to come by than the bargains on offer in the January sales.

But the Blues had selected many who had lined up at Twickenham and it was clear that they didn’t want to face double humiliation. With their first territory of the match, they started to put the Durham defence under pressure. A quick thinking penalty allowed Martin to score out wide. The momentum was now with the Blues as Cushing made a pulsating move down the middle, only to stumble when the move was about to develop. Stevens was starting to get his hands on the ball more. With the Blues increasingly occupying the opposition 22, the Durham penalty count started to build. However, it looked as if the Blues had wasted their opportunity as a series of moves failed to produce anything. Durham though couldn’t escape and the Blues soon got their second try.

With the match closer to parity, the intensity increased. Several scuffles broke out across the pitch – no doubt players took the opportunity to debate their admission to Oxbridge. Durham’s discipline was failing them and they had a player sent to the bin. This time the Blues took their opportunity and ex-Durham captain Loudon went over to reduce the gap to two at the break.

Unfortunately for the Blues, the second half started very much like the first. It was that man Beaumont again as he crossed over for his second try. This heralded another period of sustained Durham pressure as the Blues struggled to reassert themselves. Durham took the opportunity to build on their lead. Having already gone further behind, they found themselves down to 14 men as it was their turn to experience a lack of discipline. Again Durham took the fullest opportunity to punish the Blues as countless were in support to go over the whitewash. A late consolation try by the Blues – their first points of the half – didn’t detract from the fact that they were outplayed for most of the half.

It is clearly to next season that the Blues have already focused their attention.

When the role of interim England rugby coach was given to Stuart Lancaster, the announcement was greeted with puzzled looks and furrowed brows, even from some of the players.

Why was Rimmer from Red Dwarf taking over as head coach of the national team? Can a former PE teacher who played for Scotland U21s really be the man to solve England’s woes?

Here at The Tab we’re an optimistic bunch, so we decided to seek inspiration by taking a look at some of the greatest caretaker managers to grace the sporting world. Here’s five of our favourites.

Tony Parkes

After turning out over 350 times for Blackburn Rovers, the least the club could do for him was give him a job on the coaching team. When manager Bobby Saxton left the club in 1986 Parkes was appointed caretaker manager – finally he had his big break. But despite taking the reigns as caretaker manager a further five times at Rovers and once at Blackpool, he never landed a full-time managerial job.

Tony Barton

Aston Villa were in the midst of a European cup run in the 1981/82 season when Ron Saunders left the club for bitter rivals Birmingham City. Barton guided the team through the competition to set up a final against heavyweights Bayern Munich. They edged the contest with a 1-0 win in Rotterdam to send Barton and his team into the history books with their first and only European Cup success. Saunders, meanwhile, guided Birmingham to relegation in the same season.

Barton on his way to Cup glory with Villa

Roberto Carlos

When Brazil and Real Madrid legend Roberto Carlos turned up at big-spending Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala last year he would not have bargained on his €10 million contract requiring him to step in as caretaker player-manager, but that’s exactly what he had to do when Gadzhi Gadzhiyev was sacked. He didn’t really do anything special when in charge, but we decided he was worthy of inclusion on the basis of this goal alone.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKBCD7qobXg

Mario Zagallo

In 1970 Brazil had some of the greatest players ever to grace a football pitch – Pele, Jairzinho and Carlos Alberto to name but three. But the egos of these superstars proved too much for manager João Saldanha and Zagallo, a winner as a player in ’58 and ’62, was thrust into control.

With revolutionary new tactics and an unbeaten run, the Brazil team of 1970 claimed the World Cup and earnt the right to be described as one of the greatest teams of all time. Zagallo got the job on a permanent basis and will forever be remembered as a legend of the game.

Sandy Stewart

If there’s anyone who knows about being thrown in at the deep end it’s Sandy Stewart. When Owen Coyle departed for the lofty heights of Burnley, Stewart was left in charge of a St Johnstone team just three days away from the biggest game in their history. A 3-2 win against Dunfermline in the Scottish Challenge Cup gave the club their first silverware for nearly a century. Now at Bolton, Coyle has still never lifted a trophy as a manager.

 Coyle missed out on silverware with St Johnstone

Stuart Lancaster’s round-ball counterparts have shown that sometimes a caretaker manager can achieve great things. Whether he can emulate such success in charge of a new and re-structured England team remains to be seen, but there’s certainly no reason to write him off just yet.

With the Olympics just around the corner one Cambridge sailor has been making waves on the international scene. Caius Natsci Hannah Snellgrove has propelled her way into contention for a spot on the GB team for the 2012 Games.

A string of impressive results in the Laser Radial class have brought her to the brink of qualification for London. First in Weymouth last summer, where the Olympic sailing will be held, Hannah finished 11th in one of the toughest international fields ever assembled as sailors were attracted from around the globe by the chance to race at the Olympic venue.

Hannah Snellgrove competing at the Laser Radial Worlds in Perth, Australia

Then in December Hannah consolidated her fine performance with a strong 14th placed finish at the World Championships in Australia, thrusting her into the reckoning for London 2012. The upcoming trial events in Europe this Spring will be the final test of whether or not she makes it.

Only one spot is allocated for each country, however, and Hannah is now one of the top three British girls in the race to Weymouth. As the youngest and least experienced of the three contenders it will be a tough task, but Hannah’s not letting the pressure get to her. She describes the coming months as a great opportunity for some experience of world-class competition, whether or not she makes it onto Team GB. Competing against the best in the world now means she’ll be ready for anything that’s thrown at her in the future, and she hopes over time it will help her make the step from contender to champion.

Firmly in her mind is Rio 2016, by which time the ambitious 21-year-old hopes to be heading the pack of British sailors. Combining a Natsci degree with international sailing isn’t easy: her life consists of “training and working” and it doesn’t help that Cambridge is “an unfortunately long way from the sea”. She even took a year out after her first-year to train full-time before returning in October.

But it also means she struggles to get the funding needed to travel to major events. Despite being part of Skandia Team GBR, it was only through help from her sailing club and old schools that she managed to finance her trip to the Worlds in Perth.

Sit-ups and sedimentary rocks go hand in hand

It all sounds like hard work, but is it worth it? Hannah believes it is; having won a race at the Worlds in December, she got home to find hundreds of messages of congratulations from friends and family. It’s the “support and understanding” of her friends that makes it possible to lead the intense lifestyle she does.

When she’s not reading up on geology or out on the water, she finds her own way to relax – learning to play the guitar is the current method of choice. And whether in Weymouth this summer or Brazil in 2016, perhaps the tune playing for this Cantabrigian will be the National Anthem.

Photo courtesy of Richard Langdon

The Blues began their term in style with a convincing win against BUCS rivals University of Coventry as striker Danny Kerrigan bagged a hat-trick.

Until his substitution on 60 minutes, Kerrigan gave the Coventry backline a torrid time with sharp movement and finishing even sharper, indeed if his second, bundled in as he challenged the ‘keeper, came off his left boot he can lay claim to a perfect hat-trick.

The long Christmas break had clearly taken its toll on the Blues sharpness as they started sluggishly, struggling to get on the ball an inviting a dynamic Coventry midfield onto them. Indeed they were lucky to stay on level terms when their opponents slammed a free-kick into the bar from fully 35 yards after ten minutes.

Coventry’s goal was not long in coming, however. A clipped ball came into the feet of their totemic number 9 and a neat first touch helped him steal a yard on Chris Peacock down the right-hand channel. He then preceded to slam a low cross behind the Light Blue defence where the left winger’s late run presented him with an easy finish.

Coventry nearly had another after Rory Griffiths could only deflect a low cross into the box where the ball was scrambled narrowly wide of the right-hand upright.

From that moment, however, Cambridge began to assert themselves on the game, captain Paul Hartley gradually working himself time in the centre of the park and wingers Griffiths and Rick Totten their usual direct selves.

Two good chances came and went, first Haitham Sherif had a shot headed out from under the bar (unfortunately denying The Tab the ‘High Shot the Sherif’ headline it has been craving), before Hartley could only shoot at the ‘keeper after Sherif found him in space.

But the goal was not long in coming and it was a simple one, a whipped cross from Griffiths on the left met on the dive by Kerrigan and a deserved reward for their pressure.

Coventry restart after conceding the first equaliser

Just when it looked like Cambridge would turn on the afterburners, dominating the play after their goal, Coventry recaptured the lead. The goal was similar to their first, a low cross met by a late run, this time from their combative captain Matt Bannister.

Despite the set back Cambridge were not deflated and responded straight away to cap a frantic end to the first half. The excellent Ant Childs chipped the ball over the full-back for Sherif to chase. This he did enthusiastically, muscling his way onto the ball before squaring for Kerrigan to jam his second under the onrushing goalie.

Although they went in level at half-time there was a feeling that Cambridge had the measure of their opponents and so it proved in a second half that was only ever going one way.

Kerrigan, Sherif and Rutt (left to right) leave the field after an exciting first period

The Blues started at a frantic pace, Kerrigan stretching the defence all over the place in search of the lead. It came in the form of a perfectly executed counter-attack, orchestrated by James May who picked up the ball after a corner, before driving at the Coventry backline. Having forced them back towards the 18 yard box he slid Dan Forde, on in the place of Sherif, in down the right. His cut back found May again and he had the presence of mind to look up and find Kerrigan who hammered home high into the net to complete his hat-trick.

This seemed to knock the stuffing out of Coventry and Forde’s fourth was down to poor defending. Mark Baxter came off the bench and with his first touches danced in from the left and picked out the striker, between the centre-backs in acres of space. He rifled in with the minimum of fuss and left the team to see out the remaining 20 minutes in comfort.

After an understandably slow start, this represented an excellent first game of the term for the Blues. Their wing play was typically excellent but they did miss vice captain Ross Broadway whose absence could be telling as the season progresses. However, with Kerrigan in this sort of form and ‘keeper Lars Boyde back from Germany the Light Blues will be gaining confidence that they can avenge last year’s defeat when Varsity comes around.

Speaking to The Tab after the game, captain Paul Hartley said, “Today was all about getting a result for us, with Coventry our closest rivals in the league it was vital we got a win to extend our lead at the top. I thought the football we played was excellent and we maintained it for the whole 90 minutes. We created far more chances than Coventry were able to and our superior fitness gave us the edge. There’s a few things to work on on the defensive front going into next week’s game as it was disappointing to concede in the way we did. All in all though, a fantastic start to this term’s football.”

So let’s face it, on a wet afternoon in December, it was a bit of a shambles. Thoroughly outplayed and outmuscled, the Light Blues cut forlorn figures on the Twickenham turf. It was not Varsity as it should be.

This term is set to be a Varsity bonanza with grudge matches coming thick and fast right up to the end of Lent. But why should it matter? Is it another case of Oxbridge arrogance and elitism to single out the Dark Blues as the number one opponents? In many cases, Oxford is not even the number one side Cambridge will face throughout the year. It can be a false measurement of the year’s achievements.

The Dark Blues celebrate the season’s first success

However, I’m not about to suggest the heretical move of dumping the Varsity fixture. Like many things at Cambridge, the Varsity match has become a cherished institution.

Talk to anyone who has been involved in the big game and it is clear what it means to them – their whole season is judged on it. Have a glorious season, but lose that one match then you can forget having anything meaningful to talk about. On the other hand, have a rubbish season, but become the hero at Varsity then all past sins are forgotten. But this fails to consider the other giants of University sport in this country; as the Loughboroughs and Durhams.

The problem is there is not much interest in University sport in this country. I will give a fiver (personally) to anyone who can name which BUCS leagues Cambridge is currently top of. If you look over the pond, the situation tends to be completely different. Due to different infrastructure and attitude, college sport is quite often a big deal, especially American Football which is almost followed as religiously as the real thing. Meanwhile, colleges are often the feeder grounds for the next track and field stars. In the US, college sport matters.

The Boat Race – one of the Varsity calendar’s biggest draws

Now, I’m not suggesting we convert to an American-style sports system. That is never realistically going to happen – the government can barely decide how much P.E five year-olds need. Nor would it necessarily be desirable. This is where the Varsity match steps in, it adds a certain razzmatazz. You may think this only applies to Twickenham and the Boat Race, but go to Twickenham Stoop to watch rugby league or watch the boxing at The Troxy and you will start to gain a sense about how fun these events can be.

And it is this sense of fun which is important as the Varsity match contains something deeper. In a world where sport is highly commercialised with billion-dollar owners and pampered players, the Varsity match reminds us about the amateur side of sport.

Not so long ago, the amateur was an everyday day occurrence, not some rare beast. Amateurism did have it faults, but it also reminds us of some of the values in sport. The Varsity match, in many cases, helps facilitate this.

It may not offer the highest quality, but it offers a different angle on sport. It helps remind us that sport is it about getting involved and giving your best; about playing for passion, not money. And this is why all sports fans should be excited for Varsity season.