Monday 8 January 2018

University Challenge 2017-18: Round 2: Match 6: Newcastle vs Southampton

Evening all. Apologies if my review is a bit rushed tonight, and for the rest of this run, but my routine has been thrown somewhat by the move to 8:30, with Only Connect at 8, and I'm trying to fit my evening routine in around it. Anyway, to recap where we were before the festive break, we'd played five second round matches, and we still have three more to go before the group stage. So lets do this.

Newcastle won a low scoring first round match against Sheffield Hallam 170-40, one of the lowest aggregate score of the BBC era, but still a fairly reasonable showing on the buzzer and the bonuses nonetheless. They were unchanged from that occasion:
Jack Reynard, from Leeds, studying Medicine
Molly Nielsen, from London, studying Medicine
Captain: Jonathan Noble, from Newcastle, studying for a PGCE
Adam Lowery, from Sunderland, studying Chemistry

Southampton also had a pretty easy first round victory, beating Cardiff 280-40, dominating the match of the buzzer til half-time and running up 200 before their opponents could get off the mark, ending with the second highest first round score. They were also the same as before:
Juan Paolo Ledesma, from Hampshire, studying Medicine 
Andrew Knighton, from Fareham in Hampshire, studying Medicine 
Captain: Lorna Frankel, from Wiltshire, studying Natural Sciences 
Niall Jones, from Chalfont St Peter in Buckinghamshire, studying English

Off we set again then, and Mr Reynard, who has been very active on Twitter since we last saw him and his team, opened the night's scoring with the Bayeux Tapestry; bonuses on tea gave the Tynesiders two correct answers. A second starter went the Newcastle left-winger's way, and a full bonus set went with it this time, showing they were up for it. Mr Jones kicked Southampton off the mark, and they opened their account with two bonuses. The Soton right-winger then also took a second starter in a row, but just the one bonus came this time. The first picture round, on lists of chapters of non-fiction works, went to Newcastle, who also only managed just one bonus, giving them an early lead of 60-35.

Mr Reynard resumed his early buzzer run next with 'Nuremberg', and the bonuses saw the council area of Highland get missed for the second time this round! Another bonus was taken though. Mr Knighton brought his side back into the match, and they took two of the resultant bonuses. Back came Mr Noble for Newcastle though; no bonuses this time, but the way they'd been confidently buzzing, you fancied them to carry on for a minor giant killing (I say minor, nothing will top Forest beating the Gunners last night!).

Mind you, Ms Frankel was very quick to recognise Tschaikovski's Swan Lake for the music starter; the bonuses, on pieces mentioned by Susan Sontag in her 'Notes on Camp', gave Southampton just the one correct bonus, nonetheless cutting the gap to 90-70. Back came Mr Reynard to up Newcastle's lead again though, taking them into triple figures too; bonuses on US compromises saw them take two correct answers. A penalty gave Southampton a chance to pull back, but they couldn't take it. Mr Noble then began a run of three very quick buzzes; six out of nine bonuses from the resultant sets, including an impressive full set on pairs of words, including elements, differing by one word, gave them a good 95-point lead.

The second picture starter saw Mr Ledesma nicely compliment his 'Katy Perry' answer from the first round with 'Wallace & Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit'! The bonuses, on stop-motion nominees for the Best Animated Feature Academy Award, gave Southampton two correct answers, the other an unlucky miss, but they still trailed 165-90. And when Mr Noble, eventually, took the next starter, and one bonus on George Eliot went with it, you fancied them to hold on for a famous victory.

Southampton gave it a good go though, Mr Jones took the next starter, but the bonuses failed to provide any further points. Another Southampton starter, taken by Ms Frankel, provided them with one correct bonus answer, and Mr Jones then took a third in a row, again, with just one bonus following. Mr Noble confirmed Newcastle's victory with 'sage', and two bonuses only served to increase their margin of victory. There was time for Mr Lowery to ensure all eight players ended with a starter to their name, and one bonus to go with it. At the gong, Newcastle won 215-130.

Another good match, decided on the buzzer, but well played both sides there. Unlucky Southampton, a good team unlucky not to make the group stage, but a respectable performance, thanks for playing. Very well done Newcastle though, a fine victory over good opponents, and good luck in the group stage!

Mr Noble was the best buzzer of the night, with six to his name, while Mr Jones was Southampton's best with four. On the bonuses, Newcastle converted a good 20 out of 36 (with the night's one penalty), while Southampton managed 10 out of 24.

Next week's match: Fitzwilliam vs Magdalen

Only Connect saw our old UC friends the Dandies return tonight, along with the Arrowheads; hopefully I'll be recapping their exploits before the week is out.

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