Unlike wild partridges after their flight, it does not take Light and
Dark Blue athletes long to settle down. Reinforced by an exceptionally
smart lot of all-round Freshmen, they got to work betimes this year, and
with admirable results. Rarely, if ever, have the respective prospects
been so rosy in most departments of sport at this stage. And October
Term, 1905, will long be remembered for the many fresh records
accomplished during the preliminary and (so to speak) educational period
of preparation and practice. “Wet-bobs” on both rivers have been very
busy. Magdalen (Oxford) and Third Trinity (Cambridge) carried off the
Coxwainless Fours, the last-named “for the sixth successive year”—a
record, by the way. They won with great ease, but Magdalen only just
snatched the Oxford race from New College, after a magnificent finish.
Racing on the Cam for the Colquhoun Sculls was of the sensational order.
In heat 1, President R. V. Powell (Eton and Third Trinity) won with
great ease in the grand time of 7 min. 49 sec., or eight seconds better
than R. H. Nelson’s 1902 record. D. C. Stuart (Cheltenham and Trinity
Hall) qualified to meet him in the final, and the well-known L. R. C.
man only succumbed by one second in the truly marvellous time of 7 min.
46 sec. This record is likely to stand for many a long year. Both the
Trial Eights races were rowed on December 3rd, the Dark Blues’ at
Moulsford, and the Light Blues’ at Ely. H. C. Bucknall’s crew had an
easy victory on the Thames, and Lewis’s crew even an easier on the Ouse,
but, individually, some promising work was shown. It is probable that
Messrs. Kirby, Illingworth, Wilson, Arbuthnot (Oxford), and Cochrane,
Donaldson, Lewis, Shimwell (Cambridge), will receive ample trial for the
representative eights early in the new year. As several Old Blues and
Seniors otherwise are also available this year, a stubborn fight is thus
early anticipated for either March 31st or April 7th.
Athletes proper have been equally busy. The Oxford Freshmen’s Sports
unearthed some promising talent in Messrs. Lloyd (Ramsgate), Stevens (an
American Rhodes Scholar), Hallowes (a distance runner above the
average), Doorly (another Rhodes Scholar, high jumper), and Darling (the
Old Winchester quarter-miler). On the whole the performances were fully
average, as proved later by the L.A.C. _v._ O.U.A.C. meeting result. The
Dark Blues won by the odd event, despite the fact that they were mainly
represented by junior men. As President Cornwallis will be assisted by
numerous Old Blues in the spring, he ought to put a strong team against
Cambridge on March 30th or April 6th. The Cambridge Freshmens’
performances _in toto_ were hardly so good, but Messrs. Halliday
(Harrow), K. G. Macleod (Fettes), Horfield (Harrow), and Just (St.
Paul’s), all shone out individually. Some of the Old Blues have already
been giving a foretaste of later quality. R. P. Crabbe (Corpus) created
a new half-mile record for Fenner’s ground by running that distance in
the splendid time of 1 min. 56½ sec. on November 15th. Other fine
performances have been done with the hammer, at long-jumping and
distance running. On November 29th, F. M. Edwards (Queen’s) won the
Sidney College Strangers’ Three Miles Race in 14 min. 42⅖ sec., or only
four seconds outside H. W. Gregson’s record. The Trinity College _v._
Racing Club de France International meeting at Fenner’s was won by the
Light Blues by 6 events to 3. For the Collegians, Messrs. Welsh, Just,
Ryle, and the Hon. G. W. Lyttelton did best. The latter’s “put” of 38
ft. 5½ in. was exceptional for this early stage of the season. Messrs.
Soalhat, Molinie, and De Fleurac showed fine form for the Frenchmen,
who, by the way, were not at full strength.
Two Inter-’Varsity contests have been decided before Christmas, as
usual, _i.e._, the cross-country race at Roehampton on December 9th, and
the Rugby football match at Queen’s Club three days later. As generally
expected, the Cantabs excelled at hare and hounds work, winning by 23
points to 32. A. H. Pearson (Westminster and Cambridge) finished first,
and in the grand time of 41 min. 11 sec., which creates another record.
The previous best was A. R. Churchill’s 42 min. 17⅕ sec. last year.
Although beaten, the Oxonians made a big fight of it, and F. O. Huyshe,
their captain, gets his full Blue for finishing in the first three, an
honour also attained by Pearson (Cambridge). The cross-country records
now read: Cambridge, 16 wins; Oxford, 10 wins. Cambridge were very
strong favourites for the Rugby football match, many critics
anticipating a record score for them. In the result, however, Oxford put
their detractors to the blush by holding their own splendidly from start
to finish. The Light Blues won by 15 points (3 goals) to 13 points (2
goals and 1 try)—merely a matter of place-kicking as will be seen. It
was a most interesting game, full of incident, surprise, and fluctuating
fortune, in which the Oxford forwards were always in evidence. They beat
their heavier Cambridge rivals fairly and squarely, and at half-back,
too, the Oxonians were the smarter. The Cantab “threes” line was vastly
superior, but rarely did they get the upper hand, thanks to excellent
generalship by “Captain” Munro (Oxford) who, personally, was a class by
himself. So far, Oxford claim 13 wins in these matches, Cambridge 12,
and there have been 8 drawn games. The records of the two clubs after
the match read:—
│ │ For. │ Against.
───────────┼───────────────────────┼─────────────────┼─────────────────
│ P. W. L. D. │ G. T. P. │ G. T. P.
Oxford │ 14 5 9 0 │ 24 18 179 │ 30 27 229
Cambridge │ 15 8 7 0 │ 40 23 271 │ 20 17 150
These emphatically show that records of any sort are “a slender plank to
lean upon”—as Sterne has it.
Appreciable progress has also been made at Association football, golf,
hockey, boxing and fencing, billiards, lacrosse, &c. Space will not
permit detailed comment, but, so far, Oxford appear stronger at “Soccer”
football, billiards and fencing. Both Universities are strong in boxers
this year, and Cambridge appear smarter at golf, in particular, and
lacrosse. As at present arranged, the dates of next term’s
Inter-’Varsity contests read thus: Association football, at Queen’s
Club, February 17th; Hockey match, at Surbiton, February 21st; Lacrosse
match, at Lord’s, March 3rd; Sports, at Queen’s Club, March 30th or
April 6th; and Boat Race, from Putney to Mortlake, March 31st or April
7th. Of all-round progress I hope to chat with readers of Baily later.
As in the last, so in the present ministry, many ex-’Varsity athletes of
renown find place, notably Sir Robert Reid, the new Lord Chancellor.
Other prominent University athletes have been honoured by the King in
various ways, and everybody congratulates Mr. W. H. Grenfell, M.P.—the
modern Admirable Crichton of Sport—upon his accession to the peerage.
Alas! that it should be so, one has also to extend the hearty sympathy
of all University sportsmen to that fine old English gentleman and
prince of good fellows, Mr. Albert Brassey, M.P., M.F.H., of the
Heythrop Hounds, upon the death of his son. He was _persona grata_ at
Oxford and Cambridge alike, and played polo _v._ the Light Blues at
Hurlingham only last year. His death at Huntingdon came as a shock to
hundreds of his friends who will mourn him long.