HMS Collingwood Triumph in a Gritty Navy Plate Final Against HMS Sultan

In a fiercely contested Navy Plate final, HMS Collingwood (CWD) edged out HMS Sultan (SULT) 22-18 in a dramatic encounter in front of a good crowd at Burnaby Road, claiming the silverware for the 2024/25 season.

The match got off to a scrappy start for CWD as ill-discipline immediately cost them a penalty in front of the posts. SULT’s composed centre Callum Allidice wasted no time in punishing the infringement, coolly slotting the three points to give the Engineers an early lead.

SULT quickly built on their advantage with an electrifying moment of individual brilliance. Scrum-capped Jerry Fifita, gathering the ball on the SULT 10-metre line, executed a sweeping arcing run, slicing through the CWD defence to touch down for a classic Burnaby Road try. With momentum firmly in their favour, the Engineers looked the dominant side, holding out repeated attacks from CWD with resilient defensive work.

However, CWD’s persistence paid off when Alex Garton powered forward, drawing in defenders before Tom Rees was driven over the whitewash for their first score of the evening. Fly-half Steve Carr added the extras, bringing CWD within one. Just before halftime, CWD struck again. Capitalising on a loose pass, Garton intercepted and galloped 25 metres to score, stretching just beyond the desperate reach of SULT’s Coughlin. Another successful Carr conversion saw CWD head into the break with an 8-14 lead.

Due to the mild conditions, both teams opted for a quick refresh on field. The brief reset proved beneficial for SULT, as scrum-half Alfie Sly pounced on a loose ball from the CWD pack and dashed unopposed to the line. A pivotal moment followed as SULT’s sweetly struck conversion attempt cruelly clipped the outside of the upright, leaving the scoreline agonisingly close.

Discipline would prove costly for SULT, as prop McDonald was shown a yellow card deep in CWD territory. What followed was a stagnant period, both teams feeling the effects of the high-intensity contest before the game reignited in the dying moments. Noah Koli crashed over for a crucial CWD try, followed by a steadying-of -the-nerves Carr penalty to create breathing room after SULT had clawed one back with a breakaway effort from Jack Devereux, but it was too little, too late as the clock ticked down for a light blue win.

As the final whistle sounded, HMS Collingwood emerged victorious, securing the Navy Plate with a hard-fought 22 - 18 win over their determined Engineering School counterparts. Both teams were rightly lauded by the COs of the rival establishments for their determination and skill, making for a competitive and engaging plate final.

Man of the moment Steve Carr said after the game, “The team came together with several new faces joining in the recent months. We looked to execute a simple but effective gameplan, expecting HMS Sultan to bring strong forward play and direct running from their backs. We matched their pack and put our backs in open space, as well as turning Sultan with the use of the boot.

The team fought hard after a slow start to the game, often let down by our poor discipline but found more flow as the game progressed turning the penalty count around during the latter stages of the first half and into the second. We dug deep in defence and soaked up a lot of pressure from Sultan and were more clinical when in the final third. It was a pleasing performance for the team, made ever so sweeter to have regained local bragging rights.”

HMS Colllingwood: T Rees, G Williams-Poles, P Price; C South, C Philson; A Garton, A Llewelyn, L Fraser; T Vyas, S Carr, L O'Hara, B Vaughan (C), T Koli, J Flynn-Taylor, S Scott.

Replacements: B Thomas, T Higginbottom, J Bridge, L Robertson, A Howden, N Chitty, R Smith, O Hicks.

HMS Sultan: J McDonald, C Nimmo, J Devereux; J Connolly, J Edwards; E Turley, R Jones, T Gotts, K Tokalau, A Sly, J Stupple, C Allardice, J Fifita, D Dakuliga, B Couglin.

Replacements: R Jolly, D Jackson, L Phillips, F Harvey, D Sellars, L Court, A Livingstone, E Bailey.

Words by J Campbell_Baldwin

Images by Oliver Leach, Crown Copyright