PASCOE TAKES THE HELM AT TWICKENHAM
Army 22—Royal Navy 24
A record crowd of 56,185 rose to salute the Army and Navy as they took the field at Twickenham to contest the Babcock Trophy. Few had any idea of the high drama that would unfold before the silverware and Inter Services Championship both landed back in Navy hands.
With barely two minutes remaining of a very tight game prop Gaz Evans crashed through to the line - only for the referee Dean Richards to declare himself unsighted. He summoned the Video Referee to emphasise the drama.
The Twickenham stands rocked and the White Ensigns rolled from side to side as the near delirious crowd chanted ‘Na-vee Na-vee’. The closeted official studied the television replay for what seemed like an age. Even in his moment of decision the referee’s communications system collapsed and a touch judge was dispatched to the pitch to give the Navy the thumbs-up.
Via Forces Broadcasting ships at sea and Royal Marines on operations were able to toast the Senior Service, even as skipper Dave Pascoe took the long walk to the Royal Box to receive the trophies for the first time in nine very long years.
The Army had started in boisterous mood and achieved forward domination inside 20 minutes. Fiji international fly half Jack Prasad felt the turf under his feet and after a couple of rehearsals he was off with a dummy that saw him clear to the posts. Full back Ceri Cummings added a second try when he launched himself at the line through a curtain of tacklers. He added a conversion and a penalty for a half time lead of 15pts—3.
After the break the Reds’ pack remained buoyant and the backs were starting to sing. Twice Gus Qasevakatini, who scored three tries in 2009, was pulled back by the whistle, latterly when he had run 70 metres for a certain try.
Prasad, confident that he had the measure of the Navy close defence, started to lead his backs through the gaps. Centre Naka Nacamavuto ran a superb line to take Prasad’s sweet pass to the five point line for Cummings to convert and establish a 22pts—9 lead.
To misquote ‘Question of Sport’ no one will ever explain ‘What Happened Next’.
The Navy were well drilled and certainly ‘up’ for this one. They had already fought the French Navy and Irish Defence Forces in keen contests and had demolished the RAF 73pts-3 ten days previously. The wind was in their sails.
Three penalties were presented to Pascoe, a kicker who can slot them from the changing room. His technique and nerve kept the Blues in contact on the scoreboard.
The Army responded ‘ball in hand’ as Fiji captain Apo Satala launched a series of attacks. Forced on to the back foot the Navy tackles rattled in with a degree of venom not seen in the past decade. Indeed the Navy defence held in the absolute belief that the tide could turn—and it did.
Navy lock Marsh Cormack, a veteran of so many ‘misses’ at Twickenham, charged to the front and seven Blue shirts pulled alongside him. England 7s international Greg Barden playing at No7 was in the thick of it and one White Ensign covered all eight forwards as they drove forward. At their heels Pascoe played ‘mastermind’.
The sin binning of prop Chris Budgen on 68 minutes was bad enough but Army skipper Mark Lee had to leave the field for the front row to be rebalanced and the three points that followed from the Pascoe boot hurt even more.
Down to fourteen men was a time for clear heads and ‘situation recognition’ but Army replacement lock Dave Bates’ fresh legs served only to walk him back to the tunnel to watch Navy hooker Ben Priddey being driven over the line against six Red shirts. Army 22pts—Navy 19.
With less than two minutes remaining the Navy engines and gear boxes were screaming. That ‘now or never’ feeling welled from the brains to the veins of everyone in a Blues’ shirt—on the pitch and in the stands.
Prop Gaz Evans, playing in a position where he may have been one grunt short of a full-heave, seized his moment. Referee Richards called for the dreaded TV replay whilst delirious Navy supporters confidently raised the tempo—not a sight or sound seen at Twickenham in recent years. Try awarded. Army 22 pts—Navy 24. The final whistle.
Fifteen men in Red shirts playing powerhouse rugby according to the script had established a three try winning margin in an exciting game. Fifteen men took the field in the second half, lost the mental battle and were unable to finish off a match that could always be tight to the wire.
Lt Cdr Geraint Ashton Jones, Director Navy Rugby said: “All the hard work and preparation has paid off but none of this would have been possible without the support from the whole Naval Service which has been truly outstanding.”
It was not just the ‘sin-binning’ of two forwards in the shadow of their own posts that sunk the Army but the positive rugby played by the Royal Navy when they were under intense pressure, their unwavering belief that they could win and the cool leadership of skipper Dave Pascoe.
With two minutes remaining:
The Navy ‘Expected’ --- and 22 men in Blue ‘Did Their Duty’.