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Aviation History
1932
1932 - 0170.PDF
FLIGHT, FEBRUARY 19, 1932 RUGBY FOOTBALL Royal Air Force v. Royal Navy •"—JIT-'HE Navy beat the Air Force at Twickenham on Oil Saturday, February 13, by two goals, one J1L penalty, and three tries (22 points) to one goal (5 points). On Saturday four men Who belong to either the Navy or the Air Force were absent in Dublin playing for either England or Ireland. The Navy were without their fly-half, Elliott, and two forwards, Evans and Webb, all playing for England, while the Air Force had to surrender to Ireland their (and her) captain, the great George Beamish, who is probably the best forward now playing in any country. Probably, on paper at least, the loss of the Air Force was the greater, though in the actual run of the play the Air Force forwards did so well that it is doubtful whether the presence of George Beamish would have made much difference. It was generally expected that the Navy would win a comfortable victory over the R.A.F., whose form in club matches this season has not proved them to be a very great side. That expectation made the run of the game on Saturday all the more surprising. It was a surprise that the Air Force should lead by 5 to 3 at half-time ; but when they had done so well at first, it was doubly surprising that they should go down so very badly in the second half. The final result justified the prophets, but the game itself almost confounded them. It was a great and exhilarating game to watch. The explanation seems to be that the Navy outsides did not find their true form in the first half. But the Navy wing three-quarters could easily outpace Hodder and Manton, with the result that, when either of the latter got the ball, a score did not look very likely; while in the second half every movement by the Navy third line boded danger to the Air Force lines. The only R.A.F. runner who ever gave the Navy any frights was Coote. They found him uncommonly hard to stop, and his judgment in running has much improved since last year. But when he ran he was almost always on his own. The R.A.F. backing up left much to be desired. Williams played a brilliant individual game, but he and Coote did not work together at all well. In fact, the R.A.F. three-quarter line was not a well-oiled machine. At scrum half the Navy held an advantage. Delap did many good things for the Air Force, but his passing out from the scrum was slow, and not too accurate, and when he ran himself he lacked the pace to get far. Odbert played well enough, but was very well marked. His pass ing to the men behind was not too good, and when the passes were good they were not too well taken. Finally, there was the difference between the full backs. In cool ness and steadiness there was not a great deal between Sellar and levers. But length in his kicks to touch is Sellar's great virtue, and an absence of that length is lever's great fault. He can kick the ball far enough, but it always crosses the touch line too soon. Practice, one would think, could cure that fault. Group Capt. H.R.H. the Duke of York (one of the heroes of Jutland) was present to see the struggle between the two Services to which he has belonged. Early in the game Coote gave the Navy a fright, but Lee got away with a long run down the left wing, and the ball went across to Lane, who scored in the right corner. Forrest missed the kick, and the Navy led by 3 points after only a few minutes' play. The Air Force pressed, and usually got the ball in the scrums, but the passes out went anywhere except where they should have gone. A free kick was given to the Air Force, and Coote placed the ball exactly in the centre of the ground, and had a splendid shot at goal. It was quite straight, and not short by very much. Then the Navy attacked, and forced the Air Force to touch dfnvrt. Suddenly we Saw Coote dribbling very fast. He got clear of the press, picked up as he went, and com menced a wonderful long run from about halfway. He had made his opening, and the defence was spreadeagled. Man after man tried to reach him and tackle him, but his weight and dash shook them all off, and though he was visibly tiring and slowing up, he just reached the line and hurled himself over with a couple of Navy men hanging round his waist. It was a glorious try, and Williams kicked the goal, thus putting the Air Force ahead. Spurred on by finding themselves in the lead, the Air Force forwards kept up the pressure. The Navy passing at this stage was as bad as that of the Air Force, and there was no sting in their movements. The Air Force forwards worked up to the Navy line, and Reynolds and Christie in turn made great efforts to force their way over. The ball went over the line, and the Navy touched down. Presently the ball went to Lane, who ran strongly down the right wing, and it took a very good tackle to save the R.A.F. lines. Half-time came with the Air Force leading by 5 points to 3. The Second Half The Navy forwards went off with a rush, and Benson had a jinking run which ended by his passing to an Air Force man. Play was in the Air Force 25 when Coote suddenly went off with another run. He started by sell ing a dummy, and broke clear. Sellar dived at his ankles, but Coote side-stepped and left the full back lying all by himself on the grass. But Coote had too far to go. Speedy foemen, unencumbered with the ball, caught him up, and there was nobody to take his pass. Good back ing up then should have meant another score. About five minutes later, when Delap was trying to get the ball away from a scrum, a Navy man got round very smartly on to him. From the Press box it looked very like an offside tackle, but the whistle did not go. The ball was passed to Lane, who ran very fast down the right wing and scored in the corner. Forrest converted with an extremely fine kick, and the Navy led by 8 points to 5. This was the beginning of the end. Shortly afterwards the Navy three-quarters found their form. levers was fielding a punt when Lee followed up hard and shoved him into touch, about the R.A.F. 25 line. Almost imme diately the Air Force was penalised for lying on the ball in front of goal, and Forrest made no mistake about add ing another 3 points with the penalty kick. It was now 11 to 5 against the Air Force. A rush by the Air Force forwards ended in the ball being kicked dead, and soon after an exchange of kicks between the full backs brought the Navy to the halfway line. The Navy then heeled and an absolutely perfect move ment by their three-quarters sent Lane in for another try. The Air Force simply could do nothing against such work as that. It was the best football seen so far that afternoon. Forrest missed this kick. Then the Air Force defence broke down, and the Navy ran about as they liked. Benson indulged in an absolutely comic run, to and fro, not getting anvwhere, but absolutely uninterfered with. He ended with "what looked like a very futile drop at goal. With a few minutes to go, Sellar hurt his knee badly, and had to be carried off the field on a stretcher. Lee was put back in Sellar's place, and Hodgkin came out of the scrum to play on the left wing. The Navy kicked straight down the field, and the ball bounced right away from levers. That was sheer bad luck. The Navy forwards swarmed down to the line, and Forrest's weight and strength carried him over for a try, which he could not convert. It was now 17 to 5 ; but worse was in store for the Air Force. Benson made a right good run, and passed just at the right moment to Hodgkin. Surely, we thought, a forward playing substitute on the wing should not be too much for the R.A.F. defence! Hodgkin, however, thought otherwise. He ran like a three-quarter, shook off a half-hearted attempt to tackle him and scored a try. Forrest kicked another goal, and brought the Navy score up to 22. The Air Force XV must have been quite glad to hear the whistle go for no side" F. A. DE V, R. The teams were : — Roval Navy.—-Lt. K. A. Sellar (Victory) ; Sub. Lt. H. J. F. Lane (Restless), Lt D St C Ford (Dolphin), Surg. Lt. L. C. Benson (Victory), Lt. T. S. Lee (Dolphin); Mid. J. S. W. Walsham (R.N.E. Coll.), Sub.-Lt. G. Webster (Champion) ; Mid. E. G. Nixon, Lt. J. C. Bacon (Furious), Marine E. Light (R M Plymouth), Lt. J. W. Forrest (Royal Sovereign) (capt.)., Lt. J. J. Casement (Excellent), Sub.-Lt. R. S. Hawkins (R.N.E. Coll.), Sub.-Lt. G. C. M. Falla (Dryad), Lt. R. K. Hodgkin (Renown). Royal Air Force.—F./O. G. M. levers (58 B.S.) ; Fit. Lt. F. S. Hodder (Henlow) P./O. P. B. Coote (Cranwell), L. A./C. S. Williams (Boscombe Down), P./O. G. A. L. Manton (Digby) ; Fit. Lt. R. V. M. Odbert (Uxbridge). F /O. M. V. Delap (Henlow) : Corpl. M. G. Christie (Waddington), F./O. G E S Williams (58 B.S.), Fit. Lt. B. V. Reynolds (Leuchars), F./O. H, A. Constantine (C.F.S.), Sergt. J. Lewis (Uxbridge), Fit. Lt. H. L. Patch (Bircham Newton), P./O. G. E. Valentine (Digby), and F./O. C. Beamish (Gosport). 162
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