RN Complete Inter Services Preparations at Ivybridge

In a hard-fought encounter at Cross-in-Hand, the Royal Navy Under 23s team faced off against Ivybridge RFC in their final warm-up match before the Inter Services competition. The match, played under perfect conditions, saw a large crowd gather to watch the youngsters in their last of three games in the West Country.

The first half was an end-to-end affair, with both teams showing their intent to run the ball hard from the kick-off. The Royal Navy U23s struggled to break down Ivybridge’s stern defence, often giving the home side easy chances to clear their lines due to handling and decision-making errors. Despite their efforts, the Navy couldn’t capitalise on their opportunities. In contrast, Ivybridge made the most of two chances presented to them, taking a 12 - 0 lead into halftime.

HT IRFC 12 – 0 RN U23s

The second half saw a marked improvement from the Navy. They scored a great try following an impressive initial line break by Team Captain Freddy Elliott, who handed off to No.8 Ryan Neagle to score. The tricky conversion was expertly slotted by George Edson. The score was shortly followed by a second, this time a penalty try which was awarded after repeated infringements by the home side which tested the referee’s patience to the limit.

However, Ivybridge stuck to their task and responded with two more tries of their own in the second period, wrestling the lead back. Despite the Navy’s efforts to regain control, Ivybridge’s resilience and effective execution saw them finish the game as 24 - 14 victors.

This match served as a final preparation for the Royal Navy U23s as they head into the Inter Services competition. Their performance against a strong Ivybridge side will give them a mixture of both confidence and frustration before they face the RAF in Portsmouth on 13th November. The large crowd at Cross-in-Hand was treated to a fantastic game of rugby, showcasing the talent and potential of both teams.

FT IRFC 24 – 14 RN U23s

Royal Navy Head Coach, Ben Priddey said, “Overall, I am happy with the weeks training and the game, which was a physical battle and what we needed. Our discipline and decision making gave Ivybridge easy outs, which can’t happen come IS and something we will be working on.”

U23s: S Brittle, ⁠J Paterson, ⁠J Turnham; ⁠T Ashton, ⁠Will Soper; ⁠J Donaldson, ⁠C Hancock, ⁠R Neagle; ⁠C Attwood, ⁠G Edson, ⁠K Barclay, ⁠L Clayton (VC), ⁠H Brown, ⁠J Cross, ⁠Freddy Elliott (C).

Replacements: O Howes, ⁠A McMillan, ⁠L Evans, ⁠B Smith, ⁠T Moss, ⁠R Campbell, ⁠N Anderson.

Words by P Clark