“I’m surprised that the fixture is criticised as much as it is,” said Norman Celliers, the No 8 from Springbok country who led the Dark Blues to their first victory since 1993 and, in the process, prevented his opponents setting a new record of six victories on the bounce. Presumably, these people also prefer Pam Ayres to Wordsworth.

Still, it is difficult to argue with the market; the oval-ball affairs of Oxford and Cambridge undoubtedly continue to fascinate a significant proportion of the English rugby public. The 118th Varsity Match lured the best part of 50,000 spectators to Twickenham yesterday afternoon and, while the attendance was down on recent years, approximately 45,000 more people watched the latest mish-mash of undergraduates, eternal students and southern hemisphere imports tear around the old cabbage patch at break-neck speed than are likely to watch any of this weekend’s Heineken Cup matches Odd? You could say. Presumably, these people also prefer Pam Ayres to Wordsworth

Never Mind the quality, feel the force of habit.

The 118th Varsity Match lured the best part of 50,000 spectators to Twickenham yesterday afternoon and, while the attendance was down on recent years, approximately 45,000 more people watched the latest mish-mash of undergraduates, eternal students and southern hemisphere imports tear around the old cabbage patch at break-neck speed than are likely to watch any of this weekend’s Heineken Cup matches Odd? You could say. Never Mind the quality, feel the force of habit. The Spanish squad has four sets of brothers, including three sets of twins, in what is largely a family affair.
Two sets of those twins, Sergio and Carlos Souto and Daniel and Roger Ripol, are named in the side to face the French club as Spain try to gain their first win of the tournament.. The quotas have been increased from three players for the Cape provinces and two for the remainder.
Spain hope to have Biarritz seeing double when they meet in the European Shield Pool Five match at Tudela, near Pamplona, today. The remaining nine must play three black players.
The reason for the distinction is the five Cape provinces of Boland, Border, Eastern Province, South Western Districts and Western Province have a century-old tradition of non-white rugby. More non-white players will be guaranteed provincial rugby next year following a decision by the South African Rugby Football Union to increase quotas in one of their competitions.

For the 2000 Vodacom Cup, five of South Africa’s 14 provincial teams will be required to field a minimum of five black players. More non-white players will be guaranteed provincial rugby next year following a decision by the South African Rugby Football Union to increase quotas in one of their competitions.

Rangers paid for their disappointing overall performance with Lehmann saving from Van Bronckhorst, Arthur Numan and Claudio Reyna, so Rangers went out despite Amoruso’s success from the spot.
Borussia Dortmund: Lehmann; Reuter, Wörns, Nijhuis, Stevic (Tanko, 72), Nerlinger, Ricken (Barbarez, 82), But, Addo, Herrlich (Bobic, 62), Ikpeba.
Rangers: Myhre; Moore, Amoruso, Adamczuk (Kanchelskis, 90), Numan, Reyna, Ferguson, Van Bronckhorst, Albertz (Durie, h-t), McCann, Wallace (Vidmar, 90).
Referee: Sarvan Oguz (Turkey).. Then Amoruso tested Lehmann with a powerful 35-yard free-kick after Ferguson had played the ball back to him.
There would be no breakthrough, though, and the tie went to penalty kicks. However, when Tony Vidmar played the ball into his path, he shot wide from almost on the goalline. Rangers had a scare eight minutes into extra time when Bobic found himself in space but he blazed the ball high over the bar.
McCann should have given Rangers the lead on aggregate three minutes later.

The goalkeeper had missed the ball with his own attempt at a shot, but it rebounded off his standing leg.
Durie, who worked hard with little return, released Andrei Kanchelskis in extra time, but his first touch was poor, and Lehmann was able to save comfortably. But as the half progressed Rangers began to look more confident and Barry Ferguson broke forward only to drag his 20-yard shot wide.
Dortmund then sensationally pulled level on aggregate in stoppage time when their substitute, Bobic, knocked the ball home after it bounced to him from Lehmann. He was replaced by Gordon Durie, with the former Scotland striker joining Wallace and McCann in the front line.
Dortmund had the majority of possession, and Amoruso had to steer away a goal-bound header from Otto Addo in the 63rd minute. Although Thomas Myhre got a hand to Victor Ikpeba’s header, he was unable to stop the ball going into the net.
Albertz, who had been having pain-killing injections on his ankle injury, did not reappear in the second half. They halved their aggregate deficit in the 29th minute when Christian Worns swung in a corner from the left.