University Challenge 2021-22: Repechage Play-Off 1: U.C.L. vs St John's

Good evening friends, and here we go with the play-offs! After a low scoring first round, which, to be fair, did pick up as it went on, we have ended up with an actually pretty good second round line-up so far, and four good teams in the play-offs as well. Whoever won tonight's match would go take the penultimate place in the second round.

U.C.L. narrowly lost the second match of the series back in July, just being pipped by St Hilda's 140-135. They were unchanged from that match: 

Hugo Fleming, from Weybridge in Surrey, studying Neuroscience

Max Traeger, from East Molesey in Surrey, studying History and Politics of the Americas

Captain: Koshiro Kiso, from Japan, studying Cell Biology

Humaira Maka, from London, studying Medicine

 

St John's College Cambridge had the highest losing score of the first round, as they lost what was also the highest scoring first round match to Imperial 210-155. They were also unchanged from before: 

Thomas Clark, from the USA and Japan, studying Linguistics 

Louie George, from Lyme Regis, studying Human Social and Political Sciences

Captain: Jonathan Chan, from Cambridge, studying Veterinary Medicine

Kyanna Ouyang, from New Jersey, studying Natural Sciences

 

So off we set once again, and St John's got off the mark first with Mr Chan, comfortably their MVP in the first match, taking the first starter, and they started off strongly with a full set of bonuses. His opposite number Mr Kiso, also his side's (joint) best player in the first round, duly took the Londoners off the mark too, and they took two bonuses from their first set. A penalty then handed St John's a tap in though, and they took just one bonus this time on platinum elements. The Cambridge side also took the first picture round, on a map of the Pacific with countrys' territorial waters highlighted; another sole correct answer took their lead to 55-15.

An educated guess from Mr Kiso took U.C.L. back into the game, and they also took just the one resulting bonus. Back came St John's from Mr Chan though, and they went one better with two bonuses on the 'Mighty Five' Russian composers, who used to get lots of questions on UC, but not so many over the past few years. Another started to the Cambridge captain, and one bonus on terms coined by authors, was followed by U.C.L. replying likewise with one of each of their own. Mr George eventually identified Jennifer Lopez for the music starter; the bonuses, on winners of the Icon award at Billboard's Women in Music awards, gave St John's two correct answers to increase their lead to 110-45.

A very quick buzz from Mr Chan increased the lead even further, as did two bonuses on South American geography. An unfortunate penalty from U.C.L. handed the Cambridge side another tap in which took their lead to 100 points, and they added to it with one bonus on plants with alliterative names. Another starter to that man Chan increased plus one bonus looked to have won it for them, before Mr Kiso buzzed his team back into the game, but they couldn't take any of their bonuses on football (I got the first two and might've got the third if they hadn't got it wrong so quick). The second picture round, on death scenes by David, went to St John's; just one correct bonus followed, but they still led 175-50 and looked very much home and dry.

Mr Traeger pulled one back for U.C.L. though, and they took a full bonus on words in Italian and English. A very quick buzz from Mr Kiso brought them a second starter in a row, and a second successive full bonus set took them into triple figures. Another to the U.C.L. captain only brought them one correct bonus, but they firmly had their tails up and Mr Traeger gave them yet another starter and two bonuses on prime ministers meant they were back within touching distance again! The next starter was dropped, the next went to Mr Kiso, and they were now very much back in the game, though time was still against them. Two bonuses came though, and they could still just do it! Mr Traeger took the next starter, they took the first bonus to pull within five... but that was the gong! St John's snuck home 175-170!

A great contest that, two good teams who played brilliantly and neither deserved to lose quite honestly. Hard lines to U.C.L., who are unlucky to go out after such a great fightback, but they can still go away with their heads held high, very well played! Well done to St John's though, deserved winners, and best of luck in the second round!

The stats: Mr Chan was, just, the best buzzer of the night with seven starters to Mr Kiso's six. On the bonuses, U.C.L. managed 16 out of 29 (with two ultimately fatal penalties) and St John's 15 out of 30.

Next week's match: Emmanuel vs RNCM

Only Connect continued its qualifying round with the Muppets vs the Steelers. The latter led 3-2 after a low-ish scoring first round, but the former scored the only points of a very difficult second to take a 6-3 lead. A better wall saw the Steelers pull back to 10-9 going into Missing Vowels, but the Muppets just about kept their lead and won 15-13.

 

Mastermind was narrowly won by Marianne McKillop with 20 points, one ahead of second place Dean Ward on 19; Gillian Burgoyne and Daniel Howard also competed and finished on 15 and 17 respectively.

 

Brain of Britain’s second semi-final was won by Alan Hodgson with 13 points, four ahead of Heather Auton in second, with Innis Carson on 8 and Edward Brunt on 5; his win was largely thanks to a late spurt that saw him get 5 in a row and a bonus point in the fourth round.