Blues Academy return to thrash Cambridge Uni

Ahead 31-0 at half time, Bedford withstood a spirited comeback from the students in the second half to end as comfortable winners.

The Blues had a great start with an early try from centre Paul Aguele. A poor clearing kick from Cambridge allowed Bedford to counter, and Aguele went in from the half way line; full back Liam Shields converted, and it was 7-0 to the Blues after two minutes.

Aguele scored his second five minutes later when the backs combined to put him in on the right. Bedford stretched their lead when prop Leon Patel-Campion scored from a driven lineout. With the Blues forwards combining well to carry the ball and hold the students’ defence, Bedford moved the ball wide for Shields to put winger Ross Taylor in for a try on the left; Shields converted.

Bedford ended the half with another try from Aguele, when strong defence in their own 22 stole the ball from Cambridge and Aguele countered from his 22 to score; Shields converted and Bedford went into half time 31-0 up.

The Blues started the second half well; a break from Mo.8 Moses Gunda from inside his own half set the ball up, and Aguele and Phillips combined well to set winger Tom Fawsett clear on the left, to score; Phillips converted.

Cambridge began to run the ball hard through their forwards and began to get back into the game, and stretched the Bedford defence.

With the Blues fly half Ben Phillips in the sin bin the Bedford defence held the students out. After withstanding the students pressure the Bedford forwards stole a Cambridge line on the Bedford 22. The Blues backs combined and Aguele beat the defence to score his fourth try. Bedford ended the game with a well executed try when hooker Charlie Robinson and second row Charlie Harvey combined on the blind side to put Fawsett in for his second; Phillips converted.

Blues Academy Director Denis Ormesher said: “It was good to get back after a long break. We played some good rugby and some of the tries were created and finished well. We were particularly pleased with the defence. Cambridge put us under pressure for a long period in the middle of the second half and our defence was outstanding.”

Bedford: Ben Thompson, George Harris, Leon Patel-Campion, Callum Strachan, Charlie Harvey, Harry Peterkin, Rahat Choudhury, Moses Gunda; Olly Howard (capt), Ben Phillips; Ross Taylor, Max Titchener, Paul Aguele, Oli Beavis; Liam Shields: Replacements: Charlie Robinson, Oliver Pescott-Frost, Kyron Houston, Tim Herbert, Reuben Pritchard, Callum Tormey, Max McMinn. Tom Fawsett, Jack Gibbs.