University Challenge 2013-14: First Round Review and What We Can Expect Next

So, we've reached the end of the first round. So, time for the usual check-up post.

The fourteen teams safely into Round 2, listed in order of qualifications with their scores and winning margins, are:

• Queen's University Belfast (140, 35)
• Reading (180, 60)
• Trinity College Cambridge (300, 150)
• Queens' College Cambridge (190, 20)
• Clare College Cambridge (195, 40)
• SOAS (230, 75)
• Manchester (215, 110)
• Liverpool (295, 255)
• Peterhouse Cambridge (250, 105)
• York (270, 200)
• Somerville College Oxford (255, 110)
• Cardiff (145, 50)
• Downing College Cambridge (260, 145)
• Bangor (230, 120)

So, what can we expect from those raw stats? Well, Trinity got the highest score of the first round, but not the biggest win. Liverpool and York got lower scores, but won by much bigger margins. But, I maintain that Trinity are better bets to reach the QFs, as they defeated a much stronger team in their first match. It's all well and good to thoroughly trounce your opponents, but it might not be entirely down to your skill.

I will need to see how Liverpool and York fare against stronger opponents before we decide if they should be seriously considered for the title. Many times in recent years, teams that have trounced their first opponents have struggled against stronger teams (Imperial last year, and Edinburgh three years ago).

Aside, from Trinity, I would also say SOAS are good bets to reach the QFs, as they also defeated a good team who managed a good score by a decent margin. I suppose it helps that they are probably a great deal older than most of the others, but, then, SOAS is one of those institutions that is just more likely to have older students (as was said by someone last series).

Aside from those two, I have no idea who to tip for the QFs. There are a whole load of teams who could make it with a favourable draw. And a couple who will have to pick the pace up to survive.

Also, as has been already noted, this year's Manchester team don't seem as strong as their predecessors. Of course, they may well pick up the pace next time around (we all know how badly last year's Manchester team began, and they went on to win the whole thing).

On to the repechage, where the four teams competing are:

• Durham (170, 20)
• Southampton (155, 75)
• Loughborough (155, 40)
• Christ Church Oxford (150, 150)

This is a fine example of the stats only telling half the story, as Christ Church, the lowest scoring and most trounced of the four, I would actually say are the favourites against whoever they face (past form says Durham), as they earned a good score against superb opposition, and converted about four fifths of their bonuses en route. So, unless Ewan MacAulay has an off-day (lets not forget, he was responsible for all of his side's starters in that match), I would definitely say his team are the most likely to make it through. (Mind you, we all thought Lincoln were most likely to make it through the repechage last year, and look what happened there)

Overall, the first round this year was much better than the first round last year, where only a handful of teams broke 200; this year, only a handful of winning teams haven't! And the standard feels better than last year too. I can only hope things will not tail off, and we will be in for a good repechage and second round.

Still no word on the draw for next Monday's match, but Durham vs Christ Church would be my best guess, followed by Southampton vs Loughborough. Hopefully, we'll know for sure shortly.

University Challenge 2013-14: Round 1: Match 14: Aberystwyth vs Bangor

So, the final first round match! It's been a long round, hasn't it? An all-Welsh affair, with both sides aiming to score 155 or more to make it into the repechage, whatever happened. Pleasingly, no accidental spoilers have leaked out in the past week, so none of us knew what to expect tonight.

Aberystwyth University was part of the University of Wales until 2007, having been around in various forms for well over a century beforehand. It hasn't been seen on UC for some years, its last appearance being in 2006-07, where the team reached the QFs before losing to eventual winners Warwick. Playing for them tonight:
Simon Thomas, from Warminster in Wiltshire, studying Strategic Studies
Matthew Campbell, from Inverurie, studying Strategy
Captain: Ned Bishop-Harper, from Canterbury, studying Managing the Environment
Daniel Guy, from Epping, studying Biology

Nice to see someone from my neck of the woods on the show.

Bangor University has a similar history to its opponents, having been founded in 1884, and also becoming its own uni in 2007. Lest we forget, their team reached the semi-finals last year, before bowing out to Manchester. One of last year's team, Adam Pearce, remarked yesterday that this year's captain was his team's reserve, and he knows two more of them. They were:
Owain Jones, from Swansea, studying History
Daisy Le Helloco, from Dorchester, studying English Literature
Captain: Catriona Coutts, from Angelsey, studying English Literature with Creative Writing
Anna Johnson, from Chippenham, studying Marine Biology

So, both teams knew what they had to do, and off we set. Bangor struck first, with Daisy Le Helloco providing correct answers to the first two starters. Aberystwyth got off the mark, but went backwards to -5 before getting their first starter of the night. The first picture round was on jerseys used in the Tour de France; Bangor took this, increasing their lead to 75-15.

And almost immediately, everyone of the Bangor side had a starter to their name. A good set of bonuses on pairs of celebs, the first of whom's surname is the second's first name, gave them a full set of bonuses. Step in James Guy, who managed two consecutive starters for Aberystwyth, and a fair amount of bonuses went with them. The music round was on genres whose names are also dances; Bangor got the starter, and seemed to take their time answering the bonuses, not for the first or last time.

Bangor's lead was now 115-55, and another good buzz from Daisy Le Helloco increased it. Again, the side took their time with the bonuses. An early buzz from Bangor allowed Aberystwyth to get back into the match, and a full set of bonuses followed. A second starter and bonuses for Aberystwyth reduced the Bangor advantage to just 25 points. The second picture round, on depictions of female authors, gave Bangor more room to manoeuvre, and increased the lead to 140-100.

Into the final minutes, with the gap still closeable. Catriona Coutts became the latest in a long list of quiz show contestants to mistake Cardinal Wolsey for Thomas Cromwell, and to think he was executed (which he wasn't). Another starter went to Aberystwyth, but no bonuses followed. And this, alas, was as far as Aberystwyth could make it, and the remaining non-dropped starters went to Bangor. Again, the side took their time with the bonuses.

At the gong, Bangor won by 230-110. A good first victory for the side, despite their taking their times with their bonuses, and, like so many others, a favourable draw could see them do well in the later stages. Bad luck Aberystwyth, but a respectable effort.

The stats: a late surge saw Catriona Coutts emerge as Bangor's best buzzer with five starters, while Daniel Guy's three was Aberystwyth's best tally. On the bonuses, Abersywyth managed a decent 11 out of 18 (with one penalty), while Bangor's final tally was 22 out of 37 (with two penalties), which is also a good tally.

So, the repechage teams are: Durham (170), Loughborogh and Southampton (155 each) and Christ Church Oxford (150). Four good teams, so we should be in for some good matches, we hope.

Next week: the first repechage match. No word on the draw yet, but my best guess is Durham vs Christ Church.

Tune back in tomorrow for a short summary for the first round, and what we can expect next.

University Challenge 2013-14: Round 1: Match 13: St John's vs Downing

It's Monday night, so it must be University Challenge time. And, with the first round nearing its close, the fight for the repechage is heating up. Scoring 160 or more would guarantee tonight's losing team a place in it. And it was an Oxbridge match, and, if the previous three were anything to go by, there was a chance we could've seen that.

St John's College Oxford was founded in 1555, and is now, like its Cambridge namesake (who we've already seen this year lest we forget) once was, the richest college in the university. A long list of alumni include a certain Mr T. Blair. The college last appeared back in 2009-10, where they impressively reached the final before losing to Alex Guttenplan's Emmanuel team to finish second. Hoping to go one step further this year were:
Ted Elgar, from Blackheath in London, studying History and Politics
Tom Finch, from Appleford in Oxfordshire, studying Classics
Captain: Jonathan Lane from Carmarthenshire, studying Medicine
Tom Salt, from Oxfordshire, studying Maths

Downing College Cambridge was founded in 1800 with the legacy left by Sir George Downing, builder of Downing Street. A long list of alumni include John 'Basil' Cleese, the late Michael Winner and, er, my Grandfather! The college last sent a team in the 2010-11 series, where they lost to eventual winners Magdalen College Oxford in the second round. Playing tonight were:
Tom Claxton, from Grantham, studying Natural Sciences
Georgina Phillips, from Shoreham-by-Sea, studying Geography
Captain: John Morgan, from Abingdon, studying Theoretical Chemistry
Tom Rees, from Guildford, studying Maths

A lot of Toms tonight. And this series overall, in fact.

Both teams got off the mark quickly, sharing the first two starters, and getting one bonus each. Then, Downing stepped into gear, and began to pull out into the lead. After the first picture round, they led by 75-15.

A set of bonuses on brothers went to Downing next, and I got one on a complete guess of Edwards IV and Richard III. An incorrect interruption then gave St John's a chance to get back into the game, and two bonuses from a set of new entries into the OED gave them two correct answers. But Downing soon resumed normal business, and pulled away through the three figure barrier.

St John's did take the music round, which required them to name the instrument being played, which was probably as hard as it sounded. The gap now stood at 120-50 in Downing's favour, and it grew when Tom Ress didn't fall into the trap of saying Darwin coined the term 'Survival of the Fittest' a la Alan Davies on QI. The subsequent bonuses required two soundalike words to be spelt out, and an amusing moment came when Mr Rees was nominated, then tried to renominate Miss Phillips! She eventually gave the right answers.

Downing secured the 160 points that ensured we'd be seeing them again one way or another. St John's pulled back with two starters in a row, getting them towards three figures. The second picture round was on restaurants and the chef associated with them. Tom Rees very quickly shot in with the Fat Duck and Heston Blumenthal (as did I as well) almost as soon as Paxo finished his preamble! Paxo seemed rather surprised he knew it!

Downing's lead was now 205-85. St John's didn't stand much of a chance of catching Downing, but could still reach the repechage with a good run of questions. An unlucky penalty didn't help them much, and then Downing put their feet down again, and added to their already impressive score. Two starters were dropped, including one where the answer had a leeway of one either way; both teams' answers were two away on either side!

Another starter went to Downing, and it now looked unlikely St John's could gather the momentum to reach the repechage. They did manage a short sprint in the closing minutes, breaking three figures and reaching respectability. At the gong, Downing won by 260-115.

St John's definitely didn't disgrace themselves, but they were just comprehensively beaten on the buzzer by Downing. A very good first showing by the Cambridge side though, who, again, could do well this year with a favourable draw. The Toms Claxton and Rees got five starters each, and the Cambridge side converted 25 bonuses out of 42. Tom Finch's four starters was the best individual tally for St John's, who managed 10 correct bonuses out of 21. Both side incurred one penalty.

Safely through to the repechage: Durham (170), Loughborough and Southampton (155)

Next week's match: Aberystwyth vs Bangor in the first first round match.

Again didn't see much of Only Connect tonight, but a comfortable win for the winning team, whose captain's brother was part of the Draughtsmen, who were runners-up two series ago.

University Challenge: Is multiple Oxbridge teams fair?

So, just two more first round matches in this year's UC, the draws for both of them known. The second, a week on Monday, an all-Welsh affair between Aberystwyth and Bangor. The first, this Monday coming, a fourth Oxbridge match, with St John's for Oxford, and Downing for Cambridge.

St John's will be the fifth Oxford college to appear this series, while Downing will be the seventh Cambridge side. Now, I understand what Jim Gratrex meant when he said on LAM that there would be 'a lot more Cambridge teams than usual'.

Naturally, I flagged up how fair this was on LAM last week, and Dave Clark responded with the very good point about how fair it is that 12 of the 28 teams come from two universities.

This is a very good point, and one that has been around for decades, possibly since UC began back in '63. We all know about the infamous 'Trotsky' incident that got Manchester banned until the show moved to the BBC, but it is still a major point to this day.

I've seen many comments online remarking about how 'unfair' it is that Oxbridge are allowed multiple teams. I recall someone on Twitter saying this after Clare College Cambridge trounced Leeds a couple of years ago. And also there seems to be a lot more of a positive reaction when a non-Oxbridge team beats an Oxbridge team. Various matches from a few years ago come to mind, including Sheffield's narrow win over Magdalen College Oxford.

Also, it must be said that 12 Oxbridge teams is a bit much IMO. The average is about ten per series, five each side. It's not the first time we've had this many: we had twelve in the 2010-11 and 2011-12 series as well, and eleven in the Alex Guttenplan series of 2009-10. Having four Oxbridge matches though is, as Iain Weaver said when this happened before two years ago, a bit too much.

Cambridge having two more teams than Oxford might be seen as unfair too. However, it won't give them any advantage in any way. Three years ago, Magdalen were one of two Oxford teams in the second round, while Cambridge had six, and we all know how that series ended, don't we?

So, some claim that multiple Oxbridge teams is unfair. But, what is we did limit it down to just one each per series?

DanQuizzing remarked on LAM last week that, if Oxford and Cambridge sent one team each a year, either would win every year. He makes the very valid point that splitting them up into seperate colleges stops them pooling all their best players into one unbeatable team.

Some teams, of course, have very powerful individual players, and having all of them in one team would make them unstoppable. Imagine a joint Oxbridge team of Alex Guttenplan, Gail Trimble, and Will Cudmore and Kyle Haddad-Fonda from tha afore-mentioned Magdalen team. That team would be unbeatable, for sure.

By splitting up Oxbridge into multiple teams, they give others a fair chance against them. Of course, this also means fewer uni can send teams, which is a bit unfair.

It's also worth mentioning, however, that while Oxbridge are guaranteed about ten teams each per series, the University of London, which also has multiple colleges, has varied amounts of teams each year, with only one (SOAS) in the current series.

Of course, Durham, which also has multiple colleges, is only allowed one team a year, but they have a reason: their colleges are for accommodation purposes rather than to teach. London representation can vary. There have been a few teams over the years from independant unis/colleges in London (such as Imperial, which became independent in 2007, but they rarely appear.

Back in 2004, Iain Weaver wrote a very good article about how unis/colleges founded since '92 have been at a disadvantage on the show. I cannot think of any post '92 institutions on this year's series. I think this is the first time this has happened. (Of course, the Welsh teams were once part of the University of Wales, then became independent about ten years ago)

I guess this whole multiple Oxbridge teams affair is never going to be fully resolved for as long as UC stays on air. People are always going to have conflicting views on the subject, but then, the same can be said for many issues of the day. That's what makes these things so interesting to discuss, and to continue to be discussed.

University Challenge 2013-14: Round 1: Match 12: Cardiff vs Exeter

Well, we began the series with a low scoring international match between Scotland and Northern Ireland. Tonight, we had another between Wales and England. So that balances out nicely, I guess.

Cardiff University began life as a University College in 1883, and later became part of the University of Wales, becoming independent in 2005. It last sent a team three years ago, where they lost a great match to Oxford Brookes on a tie-break, but survived to the play-offs where they lost to Exeter (bit of a grudge match tonight then). Hoping to get the uni its first UC victory since 1998, and also become the first Welsh team to win a series, were:
Eleri Evans, studying Maths
Sara Caputo, from Torino in Italy, studying History
Captain: Roderick Lawford, from Barking, studying Music, Culture and Politics
Tom Parry-Jones, from St Asaph, studying Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies

Exeter University was founded in 1955, though it began life as many different colleges which subsequently merged. In 2009, their UC team recorded the lowest ever score under Paxo, when Gail Trimble and co thrashed them 350-15; last year's team lost to eventual runners-up U.C.L. in the first round. Playing for them tonight were:
Tom Nelson, from London, studying French, Spanish and Portuguese
Finn Sharpe, from London, studying English
Captain: John Earle, from Exeter, studying History
Martin Gentile, from Taunton, studying Physics

Off we set again then. The first two starters fell to Exeter, but just one bonus followed. The next three starters were dropped, before Cardiff got off the mark. The first picture starter was dropped too, with Cardiff later getting the bonuses, on national flags featuring animals. They now led by 35-20.

Another starter went to Cardiff, before we got three dropped starters in a row, two of which saw Cardiff drop points. Finn Sharpe finally got a starter right, allowing Exeter to close the gap to five points. The music round, on the settings of musicals, went to Cardiff, and they led by 60-40 afterwards.

The next starter was added to the 'dropped' list, with Exeter incurring a penalty. They did recoup the points with the next starter, and a full set of bonuses tied the scores. Another dropped starter followed, before Tom Parry-Jones pulled Cardiff ahead again. The second picture round, on recipients of peace awards from the Soviet Union, went to Exeter, and the scores were now level, 75-each.

No chance of the repechage being troubled tonight, unless the teams got a move-on. Roderick Lawford identified Scott Joplin to pull Cardiff further ahead, earning a complex set of bonuses on words that are contained within the names of EU countries. Yeah, much easier when heard, that one. Another starter for Cardiff finally pulled them into three figures, and a full set of bonuses might just have been enough to win the match.

Or was it? An incorrect interruption for the Welsh side allowed Exeter back into the match, and a set of bonuses on four-letter place names in England pulled them to just five away from three figures. But that was as close as they could get, as Cardiff took the remaining starters; a late amusing moment saw Sara Caputo just manage to stop Mr Lawford in time to correct him on an answer! And that was it: the gong went within seconds of that, and Cardiff won, 145-95.

Well, I guess we were due a low scoring affair like that, where neither side really got into second gear; Paxo was correct when he said Cardiff's score was not very high, but it was sufficient. Well done to them anyway. Eleri Evans and Tom Parry-Jones got three starters each, and 14 correct bonuses out of 26 is fair enough. Finn Sharpe and John Earle got two each for Exeter, and 9 correct bonuses out of 18 is also fair enough. The problem was too many starters were dropped (with Cardiff incurring three penalties, and Exeter two); I haven't counted how many, but it was quite a lot to say the least.

Safely through to the repechage: Durham (170) and one of Loughborough and Southampton (155)

Next week's match: St John's College Oxford vs Downing College Cambridge. That's the seventh Cambridge team this series, compared to the fifth from Oxford. Later this week, I will have a look at the situation of multiple Oxbridge teams in another essay, I hope.

Tonight's Only Connect featured the much loved UC alumnus Jamie Karran, who captained U.C.L. to the semis two years ago, appear alongside two other UC almuni, one from his team, the other from another. Didn't see much of the match, but they won after a recovery in the missing vowels. Well done to them; hope they can do as well as they did in UC!

University Challenge 2013-14: Round 1: Match 11: Pembroke vs Somerville

So, off we went again. A third Oxbridge match, and the previous two have both been memorable for one reason or another. Also, tonight we begin to see teams enter the repechage; Durham would be safe tonight provided the losers scored less than 170.

Pembroke College is the third oldest in Cambridge, founded in 1347. It has developed a reputation for doing well in UC in recent teams, reaching the quarter-finals before going out to our old friends King's College Cambridge last year, and coming second to Manchester the year before. So, tonight's team had a lot to live up to; they were:
Mark Nelson, from Oklahoma City, studying Nuclear Engineering
Lizzie Colwill, from Woking, studying Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic
Captain: Harry McNeill Adams, from London, studying History
Matthew Anketell, from Sevenoaks, studying Natural Sciences

Somerville College Oxford was founded by the eponymous Mary Somerville in 1879, and was a women-only college until 1994; Paxo seemed pretty unimpressed by their decision to let men in! The college won UC in 2001-02, but have not appeared very often since, their last appearance being a Round 1 loss to St Andrews four years ago. Playing for the college were:
Hasneen Karbalai, from Calgary in Canada, studying Medicine
Zac Vermeer, from Sydney, studying Law
Captain: Michael Davies, from Blackburn, studying PPE
Chris Beer, from Blyborough in Lincolnshire, studying English Literature

Off we set. It was Pembroke who got off to the faster start, getting the first two starters. The second two went to Somerville, who's better showing on the bonuses meant they soon took the lead. The first picture round, on Celtic rugby team emblems, saw Somerville's lead rise to 60-35.

Pembroke fought back straight away, but Somerville seemed to be quicker on the buzzer overall. They also seemed to be getting most bonuses as well, which is a good sign. On one bonus, Zac Vermeer loudly and confidently gave Michael Davies an answer, only for it to be wrong, much to Paxo's amusement! Mr Vermeeer's answer was right on the next one! Mr Vermeer also seemed to be getting a good number of starters as well, but his colleagues weren't being left out.

The music round, on film soundtracks, allowed Somerville to pull further ahead, to 140-50. One question, on the only national flag to feature human figures, I knew the answer to, the exact same question having come up on QI XL last night! (It's Belize, BTW) Harry McNeill Adams knew it too, getting his side back into the match, and a full set of bonuses went their way too. But two incorrect interruptions in close proximity pegged them back again, and allowed Somerville to pull away further.

The second picture round, on artists whose lifespan ran over two centuries (as in born one, died another), went to Pembroke, but they still trailed by 195-80. Not much chance of a great recovery to victory, but they could still make the repechage if they got a move on.

And they did too, building up a head of steam on the buzzer, and pulling into three figures. Somerville seemed to go quiet as Pembroke pulled closer to the required score for the repechage. Zac Vermeer woke them up again, and the bonuses on sequels to novels added to their already impressive score.

Pembroke needed just one more starter and a full set to reach the repechage; the starter came, but just one bonus went with it. One more starter would do it, but Somerville didn't give them the chance, as they took the remaining starters. At the gong, Somerville won 255-145.

A good showing from Somerville, showing they could be a strong team later on in the contest. But very unlucky for Pembroke, also a decent side, as Paxo rightly said, to just fall five short of the repechage. Three penalties was what did it for them; Harry McNeill Adams was lead buzzer with four starters, and 14 correct bonuses out of 27 is a respectable tally. Zac Vermeer's five starters were the Oxford side's best, and the side managed an impressive 25 correct bonuses out of 38.

Safely through to the repechage: Durham (170)

Next week's match: Cardiff vs Exeter

Only Connect returned tonight as well; didn't see much of it, but a high scoring start to the series nonetheless. I will not be fully reviewing it on here this time, incidentally.

University Challenge 2013-14: Round 1: Match 10: York vs Bath

Well, it's Monday night, so it must be time for University Challenge. After two matches that were remarkable for different reasons, tonight's match was a bit more subdued, but certainly of note too.

York University, not to be confused with the Toronto based university of the same name, was founded in the '60s as a 'plate-glass' uni. It is famous for its ducks, which have been regularly mentioned on the show before, and alumni include Harry Enfield and Greg Dyke. Last year's team were defeated by New College Oxford in the second round; its best showing was in 2010-11, where they finished second. This year's team were:
Greg Carrick, from Hull, studying Maths
Brian Morley, from Liverpool, studying History and English Literature
Captain: Jeremy Harris, from Droxford in Hampshire, studying Medical History
Laura Kemp, from Colchester, studying Chemistry

Bath University is another 'plate-glass' uni founded in the '60s, and was originally the Bristol Trade School, which later became the Merchant Venturer's Technical College, and then moved to Bath later on. Alumni include Bill Giles the weatherman and Team GB gold medalist Heather Stanning. Last year's Bath team narrowly won a low scoring affair against Liverpool in the first round, before getting trounced by Pembroke College Cambridge in Round 2. Playing for the uni this year were:
Lilly Morris, from Beaconsfield, studying Politics with Economics
Calum Woof, from Send in Surrey, studying Chemistry
Captain: Simon Love, from Blyth in Northumberland, studying Mathematical Sciences
Jack Davies, from Buckinghamshire, studying Maths

Off we set, and York had by far the better of the earlier exchanges, getting all of the starters in the first phase. Bath did buzz in on a couple, but York had the right answers, which is what counts. Unlike Balliol last week, though, they were getting plenty of bonuses to back up their buzzer work; we saw how poor bonus work contributed to Balliol's undoing last week, as Dave Clark also noted over on LAM. By the first round, on noted British food producing areas, York led by 90-0, and Paxo already felt the need to tell Bath there was plenty of time left.

An amusing starter followed about a fossil nicknamed 'Elvis' due to how many copies it has! I guessed that, and so did Brian Morley, for his third correct starter of the night. Mr Morley also contributed strongly to a series of Star Trek bonuses, leading to Paxo accusing him of being a Trekkie! Bath finally got moving courtesy of Calum Woof, but just one bonus followed. York resumed normal business, getting a set of bonuses on parliamentary EDMs, which Paxo seemed rather amused by!

The music round, on film scores composed by Morricone, saw York extend their lead to 165-15, and Paxo felt the need to give Bath a second 'plenty of time left' check. It seemed to work, as Calum Woof got a second starter, but a set of bonuses on ballet proved no use to his side. Two dropped starters followed, before Mr Woof buzzed rightly again, allowing his side to better Keele's score from two weeks ago. The second picture round, on aviators, went to York, and the side now led by 195-45.

So, York looked home and dry, and Bath didn't stand much chance of reaching the repechage, but could they reach respectability. An incorrect interruption wasn't much use to them, but Jack Davies got his first starter of the night to lift them out of the Sub-50 club. But then another penalty dropped them back into it, and York added to their advantage with a set of bonuses about figs! They seemed to be scoring well on the bonuses as well as the buzzers, which is a sign that you're onto a good team.

In the final minutes, Bath managed to string two consecutive correct starters together, which lifted them to a more fair score. But, again, the bonuses weren't of much use to them, and it was quite sad to see the side pass on a full set in short order. At the gong, York won by 270-70.

Poor Bath. As Paxo said, we never really got to see what they could really do, though he did add "maybe we did, but I hope not!" Like with Keele, the side were clearly good if they made it into the show in the first place, and good on them for reaching a reasonable score at the end. Well done to York on a good solid effort on buzzer and bonus, but, again, I feel we will need to see them play against another team who are quicker on the buzzer before we earmark them for the title.

The stats: Brian Morley's six starters were York's best tally, just ahead of Jeremy Harris' five; the side converted a very good 27 bonuses out of 39, with one penalty. Calum Woof's four starters was the best individual score for Bath, who managed just 4 correct bonuses out of 18, with two penalties.

Next week's match: Pembroke College Cambridge vs Somerville College Oxford