This Saturday Oundle and St Edward’s Oxford meet for the first time in years in a 2.30pm Kick Off that will be LIVE here on NextGenXV.
Both sides have already appeared in front of the live cameras this season and have had some thoroughly impressive performances across this first half of term. On Saturday they will go head to head in what should be a fantastic contest, which will be available on the NextGenXV YouTube Channel and through the embedded video below.
It will actually be the first meeting between the two sides in fifteen years, Oundle’s 29-5 home victory in 2008 was their last meeting. It has been a game that is famous for close results though, 18-17 Oundle in 2006, 19-17 Oundle in 2003, 12-7 Teddies in 2001, and a 14-14 draw in 2000.
Of course today’s 1st XVs were not even born when most of those games took place though, so their relevance to the game is minimal beyond telling the story of what a rivalry this once was. What is relevant is what has been happening on the pitch though, and what has been happening on it has been exceptional.
Oundle began with a four game winning streak, all on the road. That was crucial, it broke a 5 year hoodoo on away victories, gave them their best start to a season in years, and also sent them into Round 3 of the Vase – more on that later. Since then they have had a couple of defeats, both LIVE here on NextGenXV, at Rugby School, who were in peak form that day, and last week at Haileybury in an absolutely epic schools rugby contest – see both below.
This will, remarkably, be Oundle’s first home game of the season. The atmosphere is going to be incredible and the team will be emotionally at a real peak. That will be the challenge that awaits St Edward’s Oxford but Teddies are well equipped for a challenge, and well equipped for a raucous atmosphere too. They have won five of their six games this season, and their only defeat was by a mere 7 points at The Oratory, and they have played in some of the most intense atmospheres of the season.
Many will remember and have tuned in LIVE to their game against Magdalen College at Iffley Road (see below). With well over 1,500 people packed into the stands created a huge and pressurising atmosphere. Teddies were exceptional in the face of the pressure, keeping it tight in the first half before exploding to life for a 38-24 victory in the second. They will feel confident of handling being the first visitors to Oundle of the season.
One of the most fascinating aspects of this game is the aforementioned Continental Tyres Schools Vase. On Wednesday Teddies beat Aylesbury Grammar by a remarkable 63-10 margin to reach the regional semi final stage of the Midlands A section. Oundle are also in Midlands A, and should they beat King’s Grantham on Thursday it will be they that host Teddies in that regional semi final after half term.
So not only is this a huge game, an old rivalry reinstated, two sides punching better than expected and playing superbly, a first home game of the season for the hosts, it is also potentially a chance to lay down a marker ahead of a repeat fixture in a few weeks in a knockout format.
It’s set to be a fantastic afternoon in Northamptonshire!
Oundle v St Edward’s, Oxford – Saturday 14th October, 2.30pm KO – LIVE on NextGenXV
