Unofficial Selection – Royal Navy v Royal New Zealand Navy
A little fun before Andy Kellett announces his team (and that’s the only one that matters) before the RN’s first match. Gaz will not enjoy being put at tight head but it allows Chris Thompson to be another powerful ball carrier. Similarly Tom Davies at full back moving Jon Humphrey to outside centre allows Seti to roam (destroy) from open side. I do not expect this to be the side for one moment not least because I haven’t seen any of the training but hey ho it allows me to put a pair of brothers in the back three – Underwoods for England, Evans for Scotland – its worked before.
Postscript:
Andy Kellett has announced his team which is on the RNRU website.
Starting XV
Terry : Gaught : Cowie * : Cormack *: McLaren *: Puleston : Raumakita *: Evans *: Pascoe (C) *: Huntley *: Welling : Sleeman *: Davies (Tom) : Blackburn (Loz) : Humphrey *
Replacements
McArdle : Beasley *: Davies (Chris) : Thompson : Holliday : Clay : Blackburn (Josh)
* capped players
Congratulations must go to Scott Puleston on achieving his notable first. Likewise on Ewan Cowie becoming the oldest player to wear the RN jersey in a cup match.
4 Responses
John Walton
Wot no subs!!!
Geraint
John, That why you were so good at your job – observation skills par excellence. I think the team and the bench make up will be intriguing. There are a number of the players in the squad who are very versatile so Andy has many options. A fair number of the players I have never seen play though Scott was a handlful in the Navy Sevens and you may well remember Greg Wellings from the U23s a couple of seasons back. We should no the answer fairly soon. G
Michael Coates
My son is the head coach of RN rugby yet you never seem to mention him in any of your blogs, is this as you don’t rate him or that you don’t respect the work he does for them ? I know as his father how much time and effort he puts into this and also how highly he speaks of the time he worked under you as your analyst so don’t really understand the lack of recognition you aford him.
Geraint
Michael, thank you for the comments and observations which are well made. You will find that the theme throughout my blogs is as follows: the main focus is on players and what they are achieving; usually this is current players but I am trying to build up keeping in touch with what former players achieve. In support of this I usually refer to the lead backroom staff member on each team with regard to the playing side. For the Senior XV this is usually Andy Kellett, it was Sam Cuff for the Women but this coming season will be Bali Salisbury, Sam Cuff for the Sharks and currently Scott Ashley for the U23s. Occasionally I take retrospective looks back where coaching teams I have managed are mentioned in more detail. This I am only able to do because I have insight in to what went on. I achieve this without any support of Navy Rugby, it is my very unofficial view as to what is going on. I do not believe anyone involved in Navy Rugby or those of us who though no longer involved but still follow would doubt the amount of effort Ash has and continues to put in nor indeed what he has achieved and has enabled others to achieve and if it helps then I am more than happy to publically acknowledge those achievements. I am more than happy to discuss this further but would naturally prefer to do so on a private network