RN Mariners v RAF Vultures Preview and Team List

RN Mariners v RAF Vultures

Round 2 of the 2012 Inter Service Championship will see the Royal Navy Mariners take on the Royal Air Force Vultures on Wednesday 18 April 2012, Kick-off  4pm at United Service Sports Ground, Burnaby Road, Portsmouth.

The season as a whole has been for the Mariners has been positive, with new players and coaches enhancing an already established Squad and TSG.  New coaches CPO (Dave) Sibson and Lt Cdr (Doc) Cox RN both of who have Senior XV coaching experience joined former RN Senior XV Head Coach Lt(Mick)Connolly RN to form a very knowledgeable coaching team.

A win over Devonport Services Legends 31-24 started the season on a positive note which was followed by a 24-14 victory over a difficult and belligerent Havant Mariners.  The Prison Service and Taunton provided a good test for some of the newer players within the squad and gave the team focus for the forthcoming Inter Service Championship against the RAF Vultures

The past 2 seasons have brought mixed results in this fixture. The Mariners with home field advantage 2 years ago came back from a 6-19 point gap after 55 minutes to 16-19. However, they were unable to close the gap any further before the final whistle.

Last year the Mariners took the Vultures to task at Newbury, running out easy winners 3-40.  This set up a Championship decider against the Army Masters. However, ‘fortune was not to favour the brave' that day as the Mariners lost in a close fought game at Kneller Hall.  

The Vultures have already played the Army Masters in Round 1 of the 2012 Inter Service Championship at RAF Halton only to lose by 11-20.

RN Mariners Squad

  • 1. WO G Hillan (Navy Command)
  • 2. Lt Cdr J Rickard RN (HMS Raleigh)
  • 3. CPO E Cowie (RNAS Yeovilton)
  • 4. WO J Watkins (FOST)
  • 5. Lt Riley RN (RNAS Yeovilton)
  • 6. CSgt Ash (CTCRM)
  • 7. CSgt Rees (40 Cdr RM) (Capt)
  • 8. CSgt Clark (DST Leconsfield)
  • 9. LH Jenkins (NBC Clyde)
  • 10. Lt Cdr P Clark RN (BRNC Dartmouth)
  • 11. Smith D
  • 12. Lt M Brock RN (FOST)
  • 13. Lt Cdr A Evans RN (HMS York)
  • 14. CSgt Clarke (CTCRM)
  • 15. CSgt Gore (30 Cdo RM)

 

  • 16. CPO Bastow (DES Abbeywood)
  • 17. CSgt R Fellows (30 Cdo RM)
  • 18. Holroyd
  • 19. CPO N Evans (HMS Dragon)
  • 20. L(D) Cartwright (SDU1)
  • 21. Dash
  • 22. CPO Harding (HMS Sultan)

The RN Mariners face the Army Masters on the Saturday 28 April at Kneller Hall Kick-off 1030.