Combined Services v Barbarians Remembrance Match
The Combined Services final Men's team selection for the annual Remembrance Day fixture in Plymouth on 12 Nov has been announced. The fixture, against the Barbarians, will be a fiercely contended match and will present a formidable challenge for the team. Spectators should expect a great afternoon and evening of Service rugby at its best. CS Women play Exeter Uni with KO at 1400, followed by CS Men at 1915.
The final squad has a few changes from the original announcement. Navy players Kye Beasley, Jack Foster and Jon Humphrey have all been added. If Foster and Humphrey play it will be their first caps for the Combined Services. Foster’s inclusion, only recently returned from the COUGAR 13 deployment, will prove as inspiration for the U23 XV squad training at HMS Collingwood. Still eligible to represent them he was not called forward this season due to his Operational commitments and to allow for the development of Cone and Shuttleworth.
Jon Humphrey's selection is another tribute to the development afforded by both the Navy U23s and the Sharks. The last couple of seasons have seen him emerge as a most accomplished fullback. He joins Fleet Air Arm rugby colleagues Dave Pascoe, Kye Beasley and Marsh Cormack in the squad. Marsh has been granted a week’s leave by his squadron, who are currently deployed in Afghanistan.
Jack Foster has fellow Royal Marines Gaz Evans, Nathan Huntley and Matt Tichias in the squad. Dale Sleeman and Sam Laird ensure that RN West and RN East are also represented in the CS squad.
Combine Services men’s squad is:
Backs J Foster (Royal Navy), A Gillespie (RAF), J Humphrey (Royal Navy), D Huntley (Royal Navy), P Nacamavuto (Army), D Pascoe (Royal Navy), J Prasad (Army), D Sleeman (Royal Navy), S Speight (Army), M Tichias (Royal Navy). Forwards D Ball (Army), K Beasley (Royal Navy), C Budgen (Army), T Coghlan (RAF), R Cooke (Army), M Cormack (Royal Navy), M Dwyer (Army), G Evans (Royal Navy), M Koroyadi (Army), S Laird (Royal Navy), L Jope (Army), S Philpott (RAF), A Satala (Army), N Titchard-Jones (Army).
Combined Services v Barbarians tonight at Brickfields, KO 19:00.
Combined Services Women play Exeter University, HMS Drake, KO 14:00
By Geraint Ashton Jones
Images by Alligin Photography / © G Ashton Jones