CHANGES TO THE ROYAL NAVY SENIOR XV TO FACE ROYAL AUSTRALIAN NAVY

The Royal Navy has made 3 changes to the 22 that started the game against the RNZN on Sun 7 Oct. The game against the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) will be the deciding game in the 2012 Commonwealth Navies Rugby Competition (CNRC).  The later stages of the RAN game against the Kiwis showed that they still are a team not to be taken lightly. The RAN in their Centennial year would love to take the trophy from the ‘Poms' and keep it in Australia - there is an outside chance they could do just that. However, the RNZN following their first round 41-13 win over the RAN will hope for a Royal Navy slip-up on Thu.

Team

P

W

L

D

Pts F

Pts A

P Diff

Pts

RNZN

2

1

1

0

59

33

+26

2

RNRU

1

1

0

0

21

18

+3

2

RAN

1

0

1

0

13

41

-28

0

The changes the Royal Navy team has made will give them an opportunity to look at some of the new talent within the squad: 

CPO (Ewan) Cowie (RNAS Culdrose) makes way for newcomer AB (WS) (Chris) Davies (HMS Somerset). The 22 year old Swansea born Davies had to make a difficult choice last year as he was offered a place with Bridgend or follow his long held passion to join the Royal Navy. Bridgend's loss was the Navy's gain as Davies joined the Navy in Nov 2011. Davies joins his HMS Somerset shipmate Lt E Gaught RN in the front row.

AB C Davies

Lt E Gaught

As Davies moves off the bench into the starting XV, in comes LH (WESM) (Nick) Bell (HMS Vanguard). Bell is another convert from Rugby League having played most of his school boy rugby for Halifax and he represented Yorkshire U16s. Since joining the Royal Navy, Bell has represented the Royal Navy Rugby League at Inter Service and Challenge Cup games and is currently playing for Halifax RUFC at his preferred position of full back.


LH N Bell

Also onto the bench comes Lt (Tyler) Smart RN (MWS Collingwood) instead of Cpl (Tom) Holliday (6 Ops Sqn RM). Smart is another product of the U23 system. Having joined the Navy as a Warfare Officer in 2010, he played for the U23s the same year. Smart is a robust back-row player, who has shown that he has a great deal to offer.


Lt Tyler Smart

The history of the games between the RN and RAN should have the RN as favourites, leading the series 6-0 (5 in the Commonwealth Cup and the first ever fixture between the 2 Navies in 1986). The last time the RAN had home-field advantage some 12 years ago, the Royal Navy beat them by 26-12.  However, in 2003 in New Zealand the RAN came within 3 points of beating the RN in an 18-15 thriller.

Sgt (Gaz) Evans (HMS President) will hope to emulated his scoring prowess of 2009 and add to his points against the RAN. Evans has already shown that his time with Premiership Club London Welsh is paying dividends.


Sgt G Evans

RNRU SENIOR XV
 v
ROYAL AUSTRALIAN NAVY

COMMONWEALTH NAVIES RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP 2012

Prop   Hooker   Prop

Mne J Terry
RM Poole
 
Lt E Gaught RN
HMS Somerset
 


 AB(WS) C Davis HMS Somerset

  2nd Row   2nd Row  
 
POAET M Cormack*
RNAS Culdrose
   
Capt S McLaren RM*
RAF Halton
 
No 6   No 8   No 7

Mne S Puleston
30 Cdo RM
 
Sgt G Evans*
HMS President
 
Mne S Raumakita*
42 Cdo RM
   
Scrum Half
   
   
POAET D Pascoe*
RNAS Culdrose
(Capt)
   
   
Fly Half
   
   
Mne N Huntley*
42 Cdo RM
   
  Centre   Centre  
 
ET(ME) D Sleeman*
HMS Ocean
 


AB(WS) T Davies  HMS Illustrious

 
Wing   Full Back   Wing

Mne G Welling
RMASC
 
AET J Humphreys*
RNAS Yeovilton
 
Sgt L Blackburn
RM Poole
Replacements
16 17 18 19 20

Capt C McArdle RM
HMS Ocean

AET K Beasley*
RNAS Culdrose


CPO C Thompson
HMS Sultan

 
Lt T Smart RN
MWS Collingwood
 
LAET J Clay
HMS Sultan
  21   22  
   
Mne J Blackburn
CTCRM
   
LH(WESM) N Bell  HMS Vanguard

 

*Denotes Capped Player