Babcock Inter Services Rugby League Challenge 2009

RAF 40:22 Royal Navy
The final match of the night proved a big disappointment for RN fans as the Senior team lost out to a pumped up RAF side keen to impress on their own home soil. The warning signs were there as early as the 4th minute when centre Hankinson crossed for converted try to post the first points of the match. The Brothers then appeared to settle down into the match, this was borne out on 13 minutes when ‘B’ barged over to score a good try, Dane Smallbone slotting over the conversion to even the match up. The RAF replied soon after with another try this time the kick was missed 10-6. Again the match swung back in favour of the visitors, smart work out on the left saw centre Vonderavalu get within inches of a try before the home defence bundled him into touch. The match remained full of incident with a scuffle between several players resulting in Ref Matt Thomason reducing both sides to ten men for the obligatory ten minutes. With the match evenly poised the 10-6 score line would have been a fair reflection of the play but the RAF were having none of it and as the clock ticked down RAF hooker Jimmy Bardgett scampered over for a try near to the post which was easily converted 16:6 at the break.
The second half opened with a flurry of points unfortunately for the RN supporters they were scored by the RAF. Barely had the game got underway when a break though centre field saw the flyers touchdown under the posts to make an easy conversion, 22:6. Almost from the restart the RAF were back again with another converted try so with less than ten minutes of the half gone the RAF were now ahead by 28:6. The RN regained a bit of composure and began to fight back this effort resulted in a well made try for 2nd Row Lewis Taylor converted by Alex Scruton. However a mistake at the restart gave back possession to the RAF and Jimmy Bargett went over for his second try of the night another conversion and the good work by the RN was almost immediately undone. The RAF pressed for further scores but a more resilient RN defence held then to only one more converted try and a couple of drop goals that could become important in the final points count up. For the RN try’s for Terry Vuniwaqa and James Wagstaffe and another conversion for Alex Scruton were some consolation on an otherwise uncharacteristically disappointing Brothers performance. Whilst the RAF points difference may be too much to overcome a win against the Army on Friday 25th will be some consolation for the Brothers, kick off 1930

RN; Dane Smallbone, Wilson Tulakepa, Silivenusi Buinimasi, Max Boyce, Tim Vonderavalu, Danny Johnson (C), Kev Botwood, Jamie Goss, Mark Robinson, Ritchie Metcalfe, Craig Sutton, Lewis Taylor, James Wagstaffe, Alex Scruton, Atunaisa Vuniwaqa, Richard Sharpe, James Barnes

Scorers; T Buinimasi, Taylor, Vuniwaqa, Wagstaffe,
G Smallbone 1(C) Scruton 2(C)