Just What The Doctor Ordered
Eastern Region
Eastern Region v Royal Marines
The Royal Marines built on their successful Medics challenge and scored an emphatic 61-0 victory over the Eastern Region in the third round of the Inverdale Challenge. With defeats away at Western and home to Northern, Eastern Region will be looking to build on their better second half performance if they are to mount any challenge to the Fleet Air Arm in their final game, which with a bye in round 4, will be on 14th January 2015.
The Royal Marines have now firmly put the disappointment of their opening match defeat to the Fleet Air Arm at HMS Seahawk behind them. In their bye round they hosted the Pennisular Medical School at Plymouth Albion’s Brickfields ground in the annual Medics Challenge Charity match. The evening was a great success both on and off the field. With the team scoring a resounding 48-5 win on the pitch the euphoria was carried through to the evening’s charity auction where over £7000 was raised.
Clearly the Corps travelled to Pompey buoyed by the win and with their pre match preparations obviously spot on as Eastern could not live with their play in the first half. Up front the Royal Marines’ pack was dominant at the scrum and their backs adventurous with ball in hand. With Eastern often chasing shadows the scoreboard kept ticking over as the Corps ran in seven tries.
The omens looked bleak for Eastern at half time but it is to their credit that after the break they upped their game, won some ball and looked at a way of challenging the Royal Marines defence. Unfortunately, like their attacking game, this was rock solid and Eastern were unable to get any real continuity before the pressure of Royal’s line speed forced the inevitable turnover. To make a difficult task impossible, referee Gaz Fairbairn reduced them to fourteen men via a Yellow Card, allowing the Royal Marines to scamper in for two more tries to conclude the match.
Tries by Mne Luke Warrington, Mne Cat Stevens, Cpl Tom Holliday, Mne Dave Jones, Mne Griffiths-Jones, Mne Callum Mackay, Sgt Mo Morris, Mne Brad Martin, and Mne Alex Houghton. With Mne Ryan Evans adding 16 points through 2 penalties and 5 conversions to made up the 61 points and on this form Royal will prove a handful for anyone.
Next up for the Royal Marines is a home fixture against Western Region with Northern hosting the Fleet Air Arm up in Scotland. Both matches will be Wednesday 10 December. Before then though the Rectory will be hosting the Navy Cup final on Wednesday 26 November, KO 19:00
Images by Alligin Photography / © John Walton & © Mark Andrews
