RAF Try at the Death Denies Navy Inter Service Win.

A dramatic late score denied the Royal Navy a come-from-behind win over the Royal Air Force at Burnaby Road.

Having had precious little action close to either goal line, the first try came as something of a bolt from the blue.

The Navy had handled AR McCulloch’s run well, tackling the replacement forward and fanning out across the pitch. But they left the middle of the ruck unguarded, space spied by co-captain, Number 8 AS1 Quainton, who burst through. The last defender was drawn, A/Cpl Baish was in support, and the try was a formality between the uprights.

AS1 Jenkins added the extras, and the RAF had a 7 - 0 lead.

This score was compounded for the Navy by a yellow card shown to Mne Neagle, and then by a lineout deep in the RAF 22 going off centre to end what was a promising attacking position.

The Navy’s mistakes continued to make the hosts’ life difficult, and on the half-hour, they found themselves 12 points down.

A loose ball was kicked ahead by RAF winger AS1 Martin, whose chase also earned his team a scrum. Back to full strength the Navy pack more than faced down the challenge, driving the RAF off their ball to win a crucial turnover. But they conceded a penalty on their own put-in, and when this was kicked to the corner the forwards did the rest for try number two.

That is not to say that the Navy did not have their chances.

At the other end of the field AB Edson was held up, and when play came back for an advantage the Senior Service had a scrum in a perfect position. The power came on, but the control was not there to match, and again the RAF were able to clear.

However, there was nothing to stop the home team from getting on the board in the final moments of the first half. AS1 Jenkins was yellow carded for a breakdown infringement, and when the penalty was kicked to the corner the forwards got their set piece spot on, AET Wright coming up with the ball.

AB Edson added the conversion to send the teams into the sheds with the score Royal Navy 7 – 12 RAF.

The Navy took this momentum into the second half, and while AB Edson’s offload went behind the two unmarked runners outside him, his kicking from hand put the RAF under immediate pressure in the next attack.

For a second time the forwards kept their composure, driving Mne Hancock over from the lineout to tie things up at 12 apiece.

It looked like they were stepping things up in defence, too, not least with an eye-catching double tackle which drove the RAF backwards while deep in the home 22. However, the RAF maintained possession, AS1 Prescott bounced off the first tackle, and a couple of passes later scrum-half AS1 Symons was over in the corner for a classic sucker-punch score.

Stung, the Navy came back once again. For a third time the try came from a lineout drive, and this one was the best of the bunch, AET Wright on the back of a 20-metre maul for his second of the night.

This made the score 17-all, setting up a grandstand finish. And when the RAF conceded another penalty close to their line to go down a player once again, the Burnaby Road faithful stepped up their level of expectation.

The pack delivered, opting for a scrum this time and turning on the power. Mne Neagle made amends for his first half yellow by maintaining control to dot down, AB Edson adding the extras as the Navy took the lead for the first time.

But having restricted the RAF’s opportunities to a bare minimum throughout the second half, at the crucial moment the Navy were undone, a chip to the corner dotted down for a try.

AS1 Jenkins nailed the touchline conversion to tie things up at 24 - 24, and while there was time for one final Navy attack, the ball was spilled at the vital moment to bring the final whistle.

Head Coach Ben Priddey said after the game, “Our pack was dominant, and we were extremely pleased with them. We just needed to keep control of that last 120 seconds and I am pretty sure we would have scored and won the game, but that's rugby!”

U23s: A Einchcomb (C), J Wright, J Turnham; T Horne, T Ashton; L Clayton (VC), C Hancock, R Neagle; C Atwood, G Edson, H Johnston, J Davis, F Elliott (VC), H Brown, O Rayner.

Replacements: S Brittle, J Paterson, C Davis, T Moss, H Friswell, B Smith, L Warren, J Cross.

Words by C Wearmouth

Images by Keith Woodland