Evening all. So, here we go, 23 hours later than usual, with this weeks UC, which has just finished being shown in Scotland as I sit writing this. Thankfully, A, the football match shown in its place yesterday was a good one worth showing, and B, it was a good contest worth the extra wait. Two teams with similar UC experiences so far faced off, one would need one more win to go through, the other two, and they couldn't afford another defeat.
Manchester, appearing in the quarter-finals for the first time in five years, reached the stage after a narrow 155-135 victory over East London in the first round, then a decent 185-115 win over Hertford of Oxford in the second. Hoping to carry on this form were the unchanged four of:
Alexander Antao, from Chingford in London, studying Mathematical Logic
Georgia Lynott, from Burnley, studying Applied Maths
Captain: James Ross, from Coventry, studying Classics and Ancient History
Joe Hanson, from Gravesend, studying Data Intensive Science
Edinburgh, appearing in the quarter-finals for the third year running, started with a comfortable 210-75 win over Sidney Sussex of Cambridge in the first round, and then won a cracking second round contest against U.C.L. on the final starter of the game, triumphing 180-160 that time around. Also hoping for more of the same were the also unchanged four of:
Matt Booth, from Bristol, studying Maths
Marco Malusa, from Italy, studying Economics and Politics
Captain: Max Fitz-James, from Burgundy, studying Cell Biology
Robbie Campbell Hewson, from Edinburgh, studying Maths
Off we set again then, and Mr Campbell Hewson got the first starter of the night with 'Victoria'; a full set of bonuses on Baghdad showed that the Scots side meant business tonight/last night. A very prompt buzz from Mr Fitz-James added to this early scoring, and another full house, on Ladybird books, went Edinburgh's way. A penalty undid some of that good work, but Manchester had nothing to offer to pick up. Mr Hanson soon got them going though, and they too set the ground running nicely with two bonuses. The next two starters were then missed by both sides, with Manchester losing one on them. Mr Campbell Hewson stopped this rot by identifying a list of MPs elected in Cumbria in 2017 (I got that too), but, in a reversal of fortune, Edinburgh got nothing from the bonuses. The first picture round, on cities known as 'the Venice of the North', went to Edinburgh; two bonuses came this time, giving them a lead of 75-15.
A quick buzz from Mr Ross set Manchester off in the hunt, and a set of bonuses on Schopenhauer provided them with, again, two correct bonuses. Director Mary Harron provided the subject of Manchester's next bonuses of which just the one was converted this time. The momentum seemed to be with them now though, as Ms Lynott took a second starter in a row, and a full house put them on level pegging. And then into the lead, as Mr Fitz-James came in too early on the next starter, dropping five, and Mr Antao took the pick-up; bonuses on multiple gold medalists in the Rio Olympics gave them no correct answers, though they were unlucky to offer 'Beale' instead of 'Simone Biles'.
The music round, on pop songs played by the US Army to try and flush Manuel Noriega out of hiding, went to Edinburgh, who took two correct bonuses (including one song its nice to finally put a band to having heard it many times at Pittodrie!), and retook the lead 90-85. A complicated maths starter came next; Mr Antao buzzed first, but didn't quite make it, Mr Campbell Hewson did for the points, and bonuses on Anish Kapoor gave the Scots side a full house. Mr Ross reawoke his side by knowing Laertes to be the last character to die before Hamlet in that play; bonuses on binary notation made for some amusing conferring, but Manchester failed to add to their score with them. A nice starter asked what word the first letters of the names of the four US states that border Mexico spell out; Mr Booth had it first with 'CANT', thus ensuring all eight players had a starter to their names. Two bonuses followed.
The second picture round, on US historical figures depicted on postage stamps, went to Edinburgh, who failed to add to their score, but now had a lead of 145-95. Mr Antao kept his side in the game with a very quick buzz on the Vietnam War; bonuses on volcanic activity in the Solar System gave them one correct answer, and thus, with not much time to go, it was still either team's game.
Two starters in a row were then dropped by both sides, but when Mr Fitz-James stopped the run with 'Rashomon', and a full bonus set on Nazi Germany went with it, that was game over. Mr Antao took the final starter of the game by identifying the origins of the word 'refugee', and his side took one of the two bonuses there was time for. At the gong, Edinburgh won 170-130.
A good contest that, well played in good spirits by both sides, well played both and good on yous for clapping each other before and after the game. Unlucky Manchester, but a respectable performance still, best of luck in the elimination round. Well played Edinburgh though, another good showing against good opponents, best of luck in the qualifiers!
The stats: Messrs Antao, Fitz-James and Campbell Hewson were joint best buzzers of the night, with three each for their respective teams. On the bonuses, Manchester converted 11 out of 23 (with one penalty), while Edinburgh managed 18 out of 27 (with two penalties), and, for the first time in the quarter-finals, all eight players answered at least one starters.
Next week's match: Emmanuel vs St Edmund Hall, back to the normal day and time in Scotland thankfully
Only Connect last night was also a good contest between two decent teams, review of that hopefully tomorrow, and Sunday if not.
Edinburgh yet to hit their best possible form, I think, but important to get the first win under their belt, and maybe onwards and ever upwards for them!
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