VARSITY MATCH PREVIEW

OXFORD’S Cassian Bramham-Law and Cambridge’s Greg Cushing will have to put a lifelong friendship on hold at Twickenham today (2).

The pair will line up on opposing teams, but in just nine days time, Bramham-Law will be Cushing’s best man at his wedding.

As a boy, Dark Blues wing Bramham-Law, 26, lived next to Cushing, 27, in the village of Gawcott, near Buckingham.

Having agreed to do the honours for Cushing, they will clash at the home of rugby.

“Greg asked me to be his best man at the start of the summer,” said Bramham-Law. “It was something that I was delighted to do.

“We grew up next to each other, so I have known him a long time – since I was 18 months old!

“We have always been involved in rugby teams, but we have not faced each other before.”

Bramham-Law wins his first Blue, while Cushing, a former Oxford Cavaliers rugby league player, is on the bench after starting at fly half last year.

“We’ve not really spoken about it much, but I think for 80 minutes we are probably going to be worst enemies,” said Bramham-Law.

“No quarter is going to be given. We are both extremely passionate about our universities and both want to win.”

Bramham-Law, who missed the previous Varsity campaign with a shoulder injury, will also be Oxford’s place kicker after excelling in that role when he got his chance.

He said: “I stepped up against Richmond when our regular kicker, Harry Guinness, was injured.

“I have always place-kicked for all my previous clubs.

“I had half an hour practising at Twickenham last week, but kicking in the Varsity Match will be completely different to anything I have done before.

“Hopefully, we’ll put a few tries past the Tabs, so my kicks won’t be so crucial.”

  • TODAY’S man-of-the-match will receive the inaugural ‘Alastair Hignell Medal’ in honour of the double Cambridge Blue and England international.

Hignell won blues for rugby union and cricket at Cambridge, captaining both teams, but in 2008 had to retire from his career as a radio commentator due to Multiple Sclerosis.

His ‘Higgy’s Heroes’ fund will be the official charity at Twickenham today.