STOP PRESS
A strong RFA team came through its annual match against a BUCS representative squad to claim a resounding victory. In the six-a-side fixture, the RFA team earned a 10-point lead in the singles, thanks to wins for Hamish Buchanan, Charlie Brooks, Tom Dean and James Marshall, whereas just Luke Thomson and Alex Griffiths scored wins for the students.
Thus, all the reserves were called upon, and although everyone gave very good account of themselves, especially in the singles matches, they were unable to compete with the skills and experience of the very strong RFA team in the doubles, and conceded 90 per cent of their points in this section of the event.
We did well to be only nine points adrift in the singles, winning two out of six matches. However, we ran up a deficit of 86 points in the doubles, before losing the match by 252 points to 181. In the circumstances a very good effort.
The event was unique in that players from six different Universities (in a six-man team) represented BUCS, which we believe has never occurred before. Even with the original selection, this would have been the same!
The RFA put out a very strong team, with two of the top players in the country, Will Ellison & Dan Tristao (both former BUCS representatives) as the mainstays, with multiple N/national champion Hamish Buchanan at Number three!!!
Thus the BUCS team were not disgraced, but were left to dream of what might have been !!
RESULTS
Singles
I Ackland (Bristol) lost to W Ellison 0-15; J Brubert (Cambridge) lost to D Tristão 9-15; C Burrows (Imperial) lost to H Buchanan 11-15; H Jefferies (Oxford) lost to T Dean 12-15; P Hanton (Durham) beat R Perry 15-6; A George (St. Andrews) beat B Hanton 15-6.
Singles totals: BUCS 62 RFA 71
Doubles
Ackland & Brubert lost to Ellison & B Hanton 14-16; lost to Dean & Tristão 4-15; lost to Buchanan & Perry 4-15, 10-15. George & P Hanton lost to Dean & Tristão 8-15; lost to Buchanan & Perry 8-15; lost to Ellison & B Hanton 12-15, 5-15. Burrows & Jefferies lost to Buchanan & Perry 7-15; lost to Ellison & B Hanton 6-15; lost to Dean & Tristão 10-15, 7-15.
Doubles totals: BUCS 95 RFA 181
Match result: RFA beat BUCS by 252 to 157