Indeed, I am astonished that South Africa have done as well as they have in the last few years when they lack what I would call a proper kicker, someone in the class of Jenkins, Grant Fox, Michael Lynagh - or Joel Stransky.Stransky had fallen out with the South African authorities before the Lions series, presumably because they knew of his intention to seek his fortune in foreign parts, away from the Veld There may have been other reasons as well I do not know. South African rugby politics are as complicated as those of the Conservative Party in the House of Lords. There was the same tension, the same confrontational style of play, the same pulverising tackling, with the lighter Phil de Glanville at times giving a fair impersonation of Scott Gibbs.There were the same heroes too: Jeremy Guscott and Matt Dawson, except that in South Africa it was Dawson who scored the try and Guscott who dropped the goal, while at Twickenham Guscott scored the try and Dawson kicked the points, eight of them in all.In South Africa that latter function was performed by Neil Jenkins. In that disastrous tour of last summer, which should never have been set up in the first place (I told them, as did numerous others, but they wouldn't listen), the England players were not, by all accounts, even especially gallant, apart from the now discarded Ben Clarke They were simply losers. Just over two weeks ago they might have lost to Italy, but a week later they could and should have defeated Australia. How different, how very different, it was on Saturday. As a spectacle it was curiously similar to the encounter between the Lions and the South Africans in 1997.

I thought South Africa would win but, as I indicated last week, had the feeling at the back of my mind that England might just pull it off, as much because of historical precedent as of anything else. Rugby players, in my experience, are not great students of records, although the South Africans knew they were going for a record 18th consecutive win, while the England players realised that it was time they were more than gallant losers against another southern hemisphere side. BEFORE THE match, England were 11-4, South Africa 7-2 on I was not tempted to have a bet. I have the Varsity match every year on television when it has always been just another match."Not any more, though.OXFORD v CAMBRIDGEat TwickenhamR Woodfine St Edmund Hall 15 R Morrow Hughes HallN Booth* Worcester 14 A Bidwell Hughes HallN Ashley University 13 M Robinson* Hughes HallK Shuman Templeton 12 M Denney* St Edmund's HouseN Humphries St Anne's 11 S Lippiett Corpus ChristiR Governey St Edmund Hall 10 P Moran Hughes HallS Barry St Cross 9 G Peacocke Hughes HallA Collins Lincoln 1 M Foulds* Sidney Sussex, captP O'Connor St Edmund Hall 2 S Rodgers HomertonA Reuben* University 3 C Hart Hughes HallA Roberts* New College 4 A Innes Hughes HallA Russell Magdalen 5 H Innes Hughes HallN Celliers Keble 6 O Slack S Edmund's HouseD Kelaher* St Cross, capt 7 M Haslett St Catherine'sM Challender St Anne's 8 H Whitford Hughes HallReferee: E Morrison (Bristol) Kick-off: 2.00pm (Sky Sports 2 1.30pm)*denotes Blue. It means I will have to wear a bottom gumshield as well as the usual one, but it will be worth it."Despite looking for the record - of the 116 matches played, Oxford have 48 wins to Cambridge's 55 - it is Oxford, with their better organised pack, who are favourites.

"This is the strongest side in my three years at Oxford," the coach, Steve Hill, said, "and if we play to pre-Twickenham form we should win."Hill's opposite number, Tony Rodgers, has an extra burden to bear, besides that record The Light Blues' hooker is his son, Stefan. Rodgers is guardedly pessimistic and fears defeat, although he said: "Oxford may be favourites, but we have some big strong guys."Almost 65,000 supporters are expected to pack into the ground today where they will see a total of 20 non-English players (10 on each side) battling it out in one of the last of the amateur bouts in the game."The biggest crowd I have played in front of is 12,000 when Ulster played the Australians at Ravenhill," Morrow said "I am trying not to get too excited. I wasn't concussed." But he is cussed.Most people would not want to risk playing again, certainly not with a temporary splint. However, the 24-year-old Morrow, who plays at full- back, is made of sterner stuff. "There's a fair chance that the splint will come off in the match," he said, "but if that happens I will just hand it over to the coach and play on.