BASIL Strang played a starring role as Oxford University convincingly beat a Major Stanley's XV side 39-5 at a rain-soaked Iffley Road.

The 23-year-old fly half scored 20 points, including two tries, as the Dark Blues proved too strong in the traditional warm-up fixture for next month's Varsity Match.

Captain Fergus Taylor, Andrew Grant and Will Wilson also crossed as the students recorded their first home win of the campaign.

Scrum half Henry de Berker (leg) and second row Nic Roberts-Huntley (concussion) returned to the side, but full back Matt Geiger missed out with a hamstring injury.

The Stanley's starting XV included six players from Premiership Academy clubs, but they looked disjointed against a well-drilled Dark Blues outfit.

It did not take long for the students to open the scoring, when Strang powered over for an unconverted try in the second minute.

A Strang penalty extended their lead, before second row Taylor drove over on 18 minutes. Strang converted to make it 15-0.

Stanley's grew into the game, but on the stroke of half-time hooker Tom Crozier was sin-binned and Strang's penalty edged Oxford further in front.

After a quiet start to the second half, the hosts soon asserted their authority again when second row Grant dived over, before Strang stormed through on 56 minutes.

The fly-half converted his own try to make it 32-0.

With the match over as a contest the game started to peter out, but the visitors got on the scoreboard with ten minutes to go, when Tom Kershaw crossed.

The Dark Blues pushed for another try and Wilson dived over, with Tom Dyer adding the extras, to complete a pleasing afternoon.

Oxford University: Barley, David, Hughes, Hogg, Stileman, Strang, de Berker, Ball, Hart, Morris, Taylor, Grant, Marsden, Blomfield, Wilson.

Reps: Thornton, Scaife, Lu, Roberts-Huntley, Goss, Beaufils, McGagh, Dyer, Holmes.

Major Stanley's XV: J Crozier, Hibberd, Packman, Swann, Ilube, Evans, Mitchell, Beckett, T Crozier, Painter, Greeff, Hutchinson, Fowles, Miller, Ludlum.

Reps: Chadbone, Childs, Usher, Latu, Kershaw, Cracknell.