HMS Heron's Young Guns Outshine RAF Marham in Navy Cup

In the second round of the Navy Cup, HMS Heron faced off against RAF Marham in an exhilarating match, marking their inaugural encounter. The contest began under ideal rugby conditions, and within the initial 25 minutes, Heron showcased a remarkable defensive effort against the Marham team. Their persistence paid off when Ben Rees scored a try, and just five minutes later, he capitalized on a well-executed line-out, with Harry Mayes consistently successful in converting the kicks. Despite Marham's steadfast defence, Cory Bowes managed to break through and score at the 29-minute mark. As the first half concluded, Heron led with a score of 17 - 0.

Heron made strategic substitutions during the game to accommodate injuries and provide squad members with an opportunity to display their skills and vie for a place in the first team. Their dominance in the scrums remained unchallenged, with Marham struggling to gain any ground throughout the match. The final score was an impressive 31 - 0, a testament to the team's commitment and dedication on the field.

Player of the match was earned by Andrew Watson, whose exceptional performance was evident throughout the game. He exhibited exemplary defensive skills, executing crucial and timely tackles while contributing significantly to the team's offensive efforts with powerful runs and precise passes.

Heron is determined to build on this performance in the upcoming round, where they will face HMS Seahawk. Their continuous dedication to improvement promises an exciting journey ahead.

Luke Cador said after the fixture, "The game was an ugly one; RAF Marham brought a bit more structure and physicality than the game against the dockyard. [It] took us 40 minutes to actually get into the game and fall into the structure that we’ve been working on at training. Marham were used one-up runners which made it easy for our defence. We made good use of our forwards in the red zone. We’ve got a very young fresh squad this year with 70% of the team Part 4 trainees. They’re bringing a lot of commitment and are all very keen to learn establishment rugby and I’m sure a lot will push on into the FAA side and further."

HMS Heron: J Reynolds, B Rees, C Carns; T Ashton, E Deadman; C Postle, J Donaldson, A Watson; C Bowes, L Cador, P Davidson, H Mayes (C), J Cross, J Wheeler, A Cockerill.

Replacements: J Baker, R Cox, G Raftery, H Woodcock, S Williams.

 

Words by Sophie Goodright

Images by Sophie Goodright