A defeat to arch rivals Cambridge was not the fairytale ending he wanted, but Oxford captain and former Wallaby Joe Roff still considers himself one of rugby's fortunate players after bringing down the curtain on his illustrious career yesterday.
Roff's Dark Blues lost the 126th Varsity rugby matchto Cambridge 22-16 at Twickenham, a match the 32-year-old, capped 86 times for Australia, had said would be his last. "We don't all get the Martin Johnson fairytale ending," Roff said, referring to England's 2003 World Cup-winning captain who farewelled the game with a testimonial victory against a XV headed by All Blacks champion Jonah Lomu that was a highlight of the 2005 rugby calendar.
"But I've been very lucky to have been part of some great sides. To pick one out would be difficult."
It was Roff's second Varsity match defeat after the veteran of three Australian World Cup campaigns, including the 1999 triumph, made his debut in Oxford's 15-6 loss last year.
"I think I might have used up all my good fortune in the close games in the early part of my career," he said.
Asked to describe his overriding emotion after playing his final game, Roff - who this week joked that he would leave one boot in the Twickenham change rooms after the game to remove the temptation to play again - said he had mixed feelings.
"It's pride in leading that group of guys," he said. "We didn't get the result we were after, but ... I wouldn't swap having played the season with them for anything and I have a great sense of pride in leading one of the great clubs in world rugby."
