Page 39 - issue22.03.2019

P. 39

Sport

RUGBY UNION

“GREAT PERFORMANCE from RAFRUW 49
the lads again last night,” said RAF
rugby union head coach Justin Lichfield 10 100
Coleman after his side’s 31-21 win
over Richmond. by three yellow cards for the Service
The victory was no run-of-the- team, before the hosts scored a second
mill Inter-Services warm-up clash, as converted try. Byrne’s 30-metre penalty
it mirrored the RAFRU’s inaugural made the half-time score 14-10 to years
fixture 100 years ago, played at the hosts, but kept the visitors within
Richmond Athletic Ground against striking distance.
the same opponents. After the break Byrne took the play
Focusing on his team’s current up to the gain line before executing
display, Coleman added: “There a sublime piece of skill to chip the of top
is still plenty for us to work on, ball over the pursuing defensive line,
as ever, but there have been huge gathering his own kick before putting
improvements in key areas this SAC Ryan Crowley through for a
week.” brilliant converted try.
Confidence among the team was The young RAF side were now on
high after a two-day training camp the front foot, minutes later catching rugby
at Cosford and it was the hosts who the Richmond inside centre offside and
applied the early pressure on the from the penalty the airmen opted for a
RAF defence, but they could not find five-metre scrum, which led to a penalty
a way through. try for 14-24.
Cpl Dave Manning, captain on the The RAF lost SAC Alex Stanley to
night, then intercepted a Richmond the sin-bin, followed by scrum half SAC
pass before sprinting from his own Ross MacDougall, but a resolute attitude
five-metre area all the way to the from the 13 remaining men led from the
half-way line before executing a kick front by L/Cpl Dan Johnston kept the
and chase for SAC Toby Evans to hosts at bay.
gather, only to be held up over the Once back to full strength the
try line for a five-metre scrum to the coaching team made several changes
RAF. with Flt Lt Rory Wood and SAC Tom
The visitors were now looking the Carpenter coming in at nine and ten in
more likely to break the deadlock, place of MacDougall and Byrne.
and on the half-hour mark Sgt It wasn’t long until the RAF took full
Andy Byrne kicked a penalty into advantage of their dominance, with the
touch. The proceeding line-out from impressive Williams going over for his
hooker Cpl Andy Stobbs saw SAC second try of the evening, converted by
Josh Williams control the catch and Carpenter for 14-31. The hosts ran in a
drive over for a try. Byrne kicked the late try to make the final score 21-31.
extras.
A double blast from the hosts n Tickets for the upcoming IS RAF
saw them take the lead 14-7 with a v Royal Navy fixture are available at:
converted try, which was followed navyvraf.navyrugbyunion.co.uk. HIGH-FLYER: RAF forward leaps aloft to secure possession on way to victory over Richmond PICTURE: SBS

CROSS-COUNTRY
SAC Gardner does the triple

TOP SPOT and three runners-up
places was the excellent return for
some hard running by the Service’s
cross-country athletes at the season
opener.
In the first event of the 2019
Inter-Services Cross-Country
Championships the Male
Under 23s kicked things off
with a race around a four-
mile course at RAF Halton,
which, despite being a fairly
easy-going grass track,
featured four deceptively
tough climbs on each lap.
SAC Will Gardner (Brize
Norton) winner of the 2017
and 2018 races, wasted no time
gaining the lead, testing the Army
runner Sapper Steve Simpson
from the off.
Gardner took control of the race
and after the first mile pulled clear
to produce a decisive third individual
win in 21 minutes, 18 seconds – 30
seconds clear of Army runner L/Cpl SCENIC: Race was at RAF Halton
PHOTOS: CHRISTOPHER YARROW
Titcomb.
Fg Off Alex Gibb (Brize Norton)
secured sixth in 22 mins 36 secs as the Matt Allen held on to sixth, but the other in the closing 100 metres. SAC Mike performance by the RAF saw them finish
team came second behind the Army. placings meant the title slipped away to Kallenberg backed him up ably with runners-up.
WOMEN: In the next event, the men’s seniors, the Army by five points. fourth in (36.26) and Fg Off Sam Leading the Royal Air Force athletes,
Runners a RAF athlete came in first over the 6.5- The RAF team dominated in the Mitchell fifth in 37 mins as the top-three Flt Lt Tamsyn Rutter fell and lost her
up to the mile long, 2.5-lap course. senior men’s race, with Wg Cdr Ben Air Force finishers. position to Cpl Emily Brown, who took
Army
FS Paul Vernon was victorious, Cpl Livesey coming second in 36 mins 14 In the women’s race a strong Army sixth overall. Rutter was just behind her
Kieran White followed in 4th and FS secs, overtaking Army runner Knudsen team took the top two places but a gutsy in seventh.

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