Royal Navy captain, Ben Priddey, will lead out an experienced side when the Royal Navy meet Marine Nationale at the Stade Mayol, Toulon. On the day that he wins his 20th cap only scrum half, Cory Moore, is uncapped in the starting XV. Priddey will also welcome back Gareth Evans who has not played in this fixture since 2013. Evans is selected at loose head prop and will join Dave Sibson on 22 caps. He keeps the returning Kyle Mason on the bench, who if he plays will become the Royal Navy’s most capped prop in history with 24 caps, 4 th on the all time most capped players list.
The experience will be important in what is a notoriously difficult venue for a...
When Charlie Fredrickson leads her team out in the impressive Stade Léo Lagrange she will know what to expect having played in all four previous Entente Cordial matches since it became a full XV-a-side fixture. She is also experienced enough not to be seduced by the pre-match hospitality which is firmly out of the Irish Rugby manual of extending the warmest of welcomes before unleashing a controlled fury of hostility on the pitch. This is not surprising as behind the scenes it is a French/Irish alliance that combines to plot against the visiting British and so far has produced a series of teams and performances that have ensured the Entente Cordial Trophy has remained ...
To accept an invitation to play a rugby match against the Royal Navy on the two hundredth anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar and then, two years later, to toast your opponents in a wardroom named after Admiral Nelson takes a certain self confidence in your own identity. In those early matches, the Marine Nationale made no apology that they were learning about the organisation of Navy Rugby and keen to advance on and off the pitch. Last season the Marine Nationale confirmed the success of their progress with a first win away from home and if they can back this up then they will level the series six all. Repeated Inter Service Champions in France they have become the ...
On the back of two wins the Royal Navy Mariners were optimistic of a third against Taunton RFC. Due to a backlog of fixtures, Taunton were unavailable to play and after a quick scrabble around the TSG came up with HMS Heron as an opposition who were desperate for some game time themselves. One thing the TSG failed with was to reach an accord with Boreas as the north winds were regularly 30 gusting 45 knots.
Conscious of how this would affect both sides the Mariners game plan was to keep the ball close, working pods through the 9/ 10 channel and to not play to the younger team’s strengths. Having lost the toss the Mariners were prepared to meet them head on, though where the ball...
The Royal Navy overcame a slow start, at a very wet but packed USSG Portsmouth on Wednesday night, to extend their unbeaten run to eight matches with a hard fought 23-12 victory. Hampshire had by far the better first half and were looking comfortable with a 12-3 lead as half time approached. However, a Silvenusi Buinimasi try late in the half provided the change in fortune the Royal Navy needed. A much more fluent second half display saw then take a semblance of control in a dogged and at times feisty encounter to secure the victory and regain the Wight Link Bowl.
Aficionados will wax lyrical on the subtlety of colour and even monotone grey has it’s varied shad...
