RNRU Royal Navy Rugby Union

CHANGES TO THE ROYAL NAVY SENIOR XV TO FACE ROYAL AUSTRALIAN NAVY

The Royal Navy has made 3 changes to the 22 that started the game against the RNZN on Sun 7 Oct. The game against the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) will be the deciding game in the 2012 Commonwealth Navies Rugby Competition (CNRC).  The later stages of the RAN game against the Kiwis showed that they still are a team not to be taken lightly. The RAN in their Centennial year would love to take the trophy from the ‘Poms' and keep it in Australia - there is an outside chance they could do just that. However, the RNZN following their first round 41-13 win over the RAN will hope for a Royal Navy slip-up on Thu.

The changes the Royal Navy team has made will give them an opportunity to look at some of the new talent within the squad: 

CPO (Ewan) Cowie (RNAS Culdrose) makes way for newcomer AB (WS) (Chris) Davies (HMS Somerset). The 22 year old Swansea born Davies had to make a difficult choice last year as he was offered a place with Bridgend or follow his long held passion to join the Royal Navy. Bridgend's loss was the Navy's gain as Davies joined the Navy in Nov 2011. Davies joins his HMS Somerset shipmate Lt E Gaught RN in the front row.

AB C Davies

Lt E Gaught

As Davies moves off the bench into the starting XV, in comes LH (WESM) (Nick) Bell (HMS Vanguard). Bell is another convert from Rugby League having played most of his school boy rugby for Halifax and he represented Yorkshire U16s. Since joining the Royal Navy, Bell has represented the Royal Navy Rugby League at Inter Service and Challenge Cup games and is currently playing for Halifax RUFC at his preferred position of full back.

LH N Bell

Also onto the bench comes Lt (Tyler) Smart RN (MWS Collingwood) instead of Cpl (Tom) Holliday (6 Ops Sqn RM). Smart is another product of the U23 system. Having joined the Navy as a Warfare Officer in 2010, he played for the U23s the same year. Smart is a robust back-row player, who has shown that he has a great deal to offer.

Lt Tyler Smart

The history of the games between the RN and RAN should have the RN as favourites, leading the series 6-0 (5 in the Commonwealth Cup and the first ever fixture between the 2 Navies in 1986). The last time the RAN had home-field advantage some 12 years ago, the Royal Navy beat them by 26-12.  However, in 2003 in New Zealand the RAN came within 3 points of beating the RN in an 18-15 thriller.

Sgt (Gaz) Evans (HMS President) will hope to emulated his scoring prowess of 2009 and add to his points against the RAN. Evans has already shown that his time with Premiership Club London Welsh is paying dividends.

Sgt G Evans

RNRU SENIOR XV
 v
ROYAL AUSTRALIAN NAVY

COMMONWEALTH NAVIES RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP 2012

Prop		Hooker		Prop
Mne J Terry RM Poole		Lt E Gaught RN HMS Somerset		AB(WS) C Davis HMS Somerset
	2nd Row		2nd Row
	POAET M Cormack* RNAS Culdrose		Capt S McLaren RM* RAF Halton
No 6		No 8		No 7
Mne S Puleston 30 Cdo RM		Sgt G Evans* HMS President		Mne S Raumakita* 42 Cdo RM
		Scrum Half
		POAET D Pascoe* RNAS Culdrose (Capt)
		Fly Half
		Mne N Huntley* 42 Cdo RM
	Centre		Centre
	ET(ME) D Sleeman* HMS Ocean		AB(WS) T Davies  HMS Illustrious
Wing		Full Back		Wing
Mne G Welling RMASC		AET J Humphreys* RNAS Yeovilton		Sgt L Blackburn RM Poole
Replacements
16	17	18	19	20
Capt C McArdle RM HMS Ocean	AET K Beasley* RNAS Culdrose	CPO C Thompson HMS Sultan	Lt T Smart RN MWS Collingwood	LAET J Clay HMS Sultan
	21		22
	Mne J Blackburn CTCRM		LH(WESM) N Bell  HMS Vanguard

*Denotes Capped Player