Royal Navy Senior XV Secure a Win in Ireland
The Royal Navy Senior XV travelled to Cork, Ireland to take on the Irish Defence Force in the first of their 2 International fixtures in Mar.
The game started as had many previous fixtures with the sides testing each other out and the Navy knew from the off that this would be yet again another very physical encounter. It was the Irish who would draw first blood as a well worked move caught the Navy defence napping and the Irish team led by a converted try (12 min 7-0).
The Navy lineout and especially Mne (Dennis) Scotthorne and Capt RM (Stu) McLaren caused the Irish a great deal of problems on their own ball, whist whilst securing some good possession for the Royal Navy back line.
The scrum on the other hand became a war of the front rows as Mason, Priddey and Roberts had to work hard to maintain parity with the much larger Irish pack and it is of great credit that they and the rest of the pack gave Skipper (Dave) Pascoe a solid base to work from.
As the Irish made another foray into the Navy half it was an interception on the Navy 10m line by CPOET (WE) (Dale) Smallbone that stopped the attack. Smallbone knowing he couldn't make the line kicked the ball through for CPOET (WE) (Wayne) John to score the levelling try which was the converted by Pascoe (20 min 7-7).
Just before the end of the half the Irish took the lead again with a drop goal from there stand-off (HT 10-7).
The 2nd half started with just as much passion as was seen in the first. However, some of this was misguided and following an off the ball incident the Royal Navy found themselves down to 14 men for 10 mins. This would not deter the Navy as from a penalty Pascoe drove the ball to the Irish 5m line. Following the subsequent lineout NA (AH) (Ben) Priddey supported by most of the pack drove over the Irish line for an unconverted try (47 min 10-12).
It would be another 10 mins before the Navy would score the final points of the game. After an outstanding defensive game (Man of the Match) ET (ME) (Dale) Sleeman latched onto a pass and weaved his way through a tiring Irish defence to score final points (10-17).
As the Royal Navy Senior XV returned to Portsmouth on Sat they now set their sights on the trip to Manchester to take on the Wooden Spoon Anti-Assassins at Sedgley Park on Wed 23 Mar KO 1930. This game is the intervening game before their 2nd International fixture against the Marine National (French Navy) in Plymouth, Plymouth Albion RFC on Thu 31 Mar KO 1900.
Royal Navy:
POET(WE) D Smallbone (HMS Liverpool), ET(ME) Jon Marlin (HMS Chatham), AET J Humphrey (848 NAS, RNAS Yeovilton), Mne S Llewellyn (Cdo Logs RM), AB D Sleeman (HMS Cumberland), POET(WE) W John (HMS Liverpool), POAET D Pascoe (Capt) (771 NAS, RNAS Culdrose), ET(WE)(SM) I Cooper (HMS Ambush), (rep LPT Gareth Cadmore), Mne S Raumakita (42 Cdo RM), Mne D Scotthorne (42 Cdo RM)(rep AET Gareth Jones), Capt S McLaren (RAF Halton), AB W Cairns (CFPS), AB M Roberts (HMS Bulwark)(rep SLt Tom Blackburn (HMS Sultan)), NA B Priddey (RNAS Culdrose) (rep Capt Tom Evans-Jones RM (LWS Warminster)), NA K Mason (845 NAS, RNAS Yeovilton) (rep POAET John Court)