Cambridge will bank on experience and power when they attempt to wrestle the MMC Trophy from Oxford in Tuesday's 124th Varsity Match (kick-off 2pm).
The Light Blues have lost four of the last six Twickenham encounters, including an agonising 18-11 defeat a year ago when Oxford substitute Ross Lavery's late try sent Cambridge home empty-handed.
But coach Tony Rodgers has named three 31-year-olds in former Wasps back Jon Ufton, who lines up at fly-half, South African prop Rudi Bosch and former New Zealand A lock John Blaikie, with Blaikie having recently completed a three-year stint at French club Grenoble.
Bosch, Blaikie and Newcastle prop Ed Kalman spearhead an imposing Cambridge front-five, and with Ufton preparing to call the shots behind, Oxford could be in for a torrid battle.
But Oxford should make an impact in the front-row themselves, despite Cambridge's physical presence, with Irish props Paul Laffin and Sean Brophy, alongside hooker and captain Andy Dalgleish, all winning their second Blues.
The form of both teams though, has hardly been impressive during their Varsity Match preparations, with Oxford losing nine from 14 starts and Cambridge winning just five of 13 games.
Oxford won two of their last three matches, defeating Major Stanley's XV and Loughborough University, yet they also had to take stock of some crushing defeats, notably against Leicester (40-5), Wasps (41-15) and University of Limerick (26-5).
Cambridge, meanwhile, also comfortably accounted for Loughborough in their final warm-up game, just three days after losing by a point to the Steele-Bodger XV.
Oxford have used former England full-back Jon Callard, now a coach at the Rugby Football Union's national academy, to work with their kickers, and it could well come down to a battle of the boot.
Seven of the last 11 Varsity Match clashes have been decided by five points or less, while the 2003 encounter ended in an 11-11 draw.
MMC, meanwhile, will conclude their 30-year sponsorship of the Varsity Match tomorrow, an occasion expected to attract a crowd of close to 40,000.
``Without loyal and dedicated sponsors, our sport wouldn't be in the shape that it is today,'' said RFU president LeRoy Angel.
``MMC have supported the Varsity Match for 30 years, which surely must be one of the longest sponsorships in the history of sport.''
Oxford University: A Knox (Keble); J Boto (University), A James (Wolfson), J Whittingham (St Cross), T Tombleson (Wolfson); J Fennell (Pembroke), K Brennan(Linacre); P Laffin (St Cross), A Dalgleish (St Anne's, capt), S Brophy (St Catherine's), R Graham (New), A Harris (St Cross), D Abbott (Somerville), D Palm (St Cross), J Jones (St Anne's).
Replacements: D Rosen (Green), R Matthews (University) or M Street (Kellogg), C Hadfield (University), J Bucknall (Kellogg), P Jenkins (Keble), S Fauth (Brasenose), R Lavery (St John's).
Cambridge University: I McInroy (Hughes Hall); C Desmond (Girton), J Ansbro (Robinson), E Carter (St Edmund's, capt), D Ankinluyi (Christs); J Ufton (StEdmund's), R Evans (Hughes Hall); R Bosch (Hughes Hall), J Clark (St Edmund's), E Kalman (Fitzwilliam), J Blaikie (Hughes Hall), A Clements (St Edmund's), N Alberts (Hughes Hall), D O'Brien (Hughes Hall), M Harfoot (St Catharine's).
Replacements: T Woolsey (Queens), T Kirkman (St Edmund's), A Gilbert (Fitzwilliam), R Bartholomew (Jesus), C Worsley (Hughes Hall), S Thomas (Trinity), P Magee (Magdalene).
Referee: Wayne Barnes (Rugby Football Union).