Royal Navy welcome Marine Nationale rugby union teams to Plymouth for warm-up fixtures
The Royal Navy men and women's rugby teams have welcomed the French Navy rugby union teams to Plymouth for two warm-up fixtures ahead of the Inter Services Championships.
The women's game kicked off at 16:00, with both teams stepping out on to the pitch alongside military musicians – who played both the British and French national anthems.
It was the French women who took control of the game from the start, scoring their first try in the seventh minute.
Ten minutes later, the Navy were 10-0 down after another try and went in 17-0 down at half-time after a final try and conversion before the break.
The second half was an improvement for the Royal Navy, with Navy pulling a try back in the 75th minute – although this was after two second-half tries from the Marine Nationale women.
Just before the final whistle, a slightly strange break in play occurred after a player from the men's Marine Nationale team walked on to the pitch during play and started warming up, before being escorted off the pitch by the Royal Navy women.
The game finished 27-5 to Marine Nationale, but it was all smiles at the end with both teams posing for a photo.
PO Sam Alderson, a Seamanship Specialist on HMS Scott, told Forces News the game was about "looking to build to Twickenham".
"We've had five new caps and we're just building the squad slowly moving forward into our Inter Services with the RAF next week," she said.
She also became the Royal Navy's most capped player with her appearance against Marine Nationale, which she said was a "privilege and an honour".
"I know a lot of people have come before me and a lot of people will take over me and that's really good," she said.
"I just hope to carry on, do what I've been doing and pass on the shirt to a better place."
After a short break, it was on to the men's fixture – which got off to a flying start in the steady rain.
France scored a penalty kick in the eighth minute before two tries and conversions and a penalty kick put the Royal Navy 17-3 up.
But before the second half, a fumble from the Royal Navy allowed Marine Nationale to score a try and conversion, quickly followed by a converted penalty kick by the French – bringing the score much closer at half-time with the sides going in at 17-13 to the Royal Navy.
A slightly more tentative second half saw the Navy score one penalty kick in the 69th minute before a try and conversion in the 74th minute and a converted penalty kick in the 80th minute put the game to bed.
A final score of 30-13 gave the Royal Navy the chance to take home the bragging rights and trophy, presented to the team by the First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Ben Key and Captain Stephen Moorhouse, Commander of the UK's Carrier Strike Group.
Captain Jarrard Hayler, who serves with the Royal Marines and is captain of the Royal Navy rugby team, told Forces News the game "went really well" and said he is "very proud of the boys".
"They dug deep… to put a performance together today, so really proud of the boys," he said.
"Going forward to the Inter Services, this puts us in good stead for the RAF game on Saturday."
Both sets of fixtures serve as warm-ups ahead of the Inter Services Championships, with both teams having learnt valuable lessons from their match-ups against the French.
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