RN Senior XV take on Championship League Team Esher
The Navy continues their preparations for 2012 Inter Services with a fixture against Esher. The last few seasons have seen the Navy come off second best during hard physical encounters with the London Club.
Last season the Navy Senior XV lost by 20 points (34-14) to an Esher team who were in the hunt for promotion. However, fortune has not smiled on the London Club this season as they have found difficulty in securing wins in The Championship League.
However, as 2011 rolled into 2012, Esher's fortunes have improved as with home field advantage, they beat fellow strugglers Plymouth Albion 41- 17. This was to cap the team's 3rd win on the trot and sits as a reminder to the Royal Navy that although they may have taken the scalps of the Varsity Universities Oxford and Cambridge, Esher as always will be a difficult team to beat at home.
This should be a great encounter for the young Navy team under new Director of Rugby Lt Cdr (Andy) Kellett RN and Head Coach CPO (Ash) Coates.
Andy Kellett said of the fixture 'Esher are a strong, powerful side and in recent years have always had the better of the game at Molesley Road, we arrive here after 2 wins against Cambridge and Oxford Universities but will not be under-estimating Esher who play a physical game, which is just what we need in the build up to the Inter-Service Championships. We aim to be very competitive whilst looking at various options from within the squad so that we can gain maximum benefit from the game'.
RN Senior XV v Esher
NA(AH) K Mason (HMNB Devonport), NA(AH) B Priddey (RNAS Culdrose), AET R Metcalfe (RNAS Yeovilton), NA(AH) J Quarnivalu (RNAS Culdrose), Mne B Fox (45 Cdo RM),Mid T Smart (HMS Daring), MA S Laird (HMS Collingwood), S/Lt H Mitchell-Heggs RN (HMS Sultan), POET D Pascoe (Capt) (RNAS Culdrose), Logs(CS) A Lewis (HMS Vigilant), Mne T Vakalutkali (40 Cdo RM), ET(ME) D Sleeman (HMNB Devonport), AB D Bamford (HMS Dragon), S/Lt A Vance RN (HMS Sultan), AETJ Humphrey (RNAS Yeovilton)
Replacements:
Mne D Taylor (42 Cdo RM), NA(AH) K Beasley (RNAS Culdrose), ET(ME) J Parry (HMS Monmouth), Capt M Brett RM (42 Cdo RM), Mne J Foster (40 Cdo RM), S/Lt J Rylah RN (HMS Echo), AET B Clarke (RNAS Yeovilton), Lt T Blackburn RN (RNAS Yeovilton), AB T Davies (HMS Liverpool)
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