52 NAVY NEWS, APRIL 2008
Next month
Lord’s a-leaping
Top bombing
part 1 –
a day with
HMS
Vengeance
Top bombing
part 2 –
the Naval
Strike Wing
return to sea
HEADING the fi eld at
Sandown, the ‘Galloping
Padre’ makes history as the
May the
Sweet victory in
fi rst naval chaplain to race in
the Grand Military Cup.
Norse be
Sadly, shortly after LA(Phot)
Dave Jenkins took this
photograph, the Galloping
with you
Padre – aka Father Simon
Beveridge – was run out of the
– the art
race by two loose horses as
the lion’s den
he continued to head the pack
of Viking
past the grandstand at the
famous course.
warfare
But the Bish, based at RNAS
Yeovilton, is unbowed – and
has entered his name in the
RN history books on his mount
PPluslus
Feeling Better.
YOU have to feel sorry for the
freedom and tempo that was a joy to watch. outstanding performance given that these
“It was going very well until
French.
Time and again they troubled the French two players had only that week returned from
I got taken out by two loose
by attacking from everywhere and keeping deployment overseas.
horses and run into the rails,”
OK, actually you don’t.
the ball alive and in hand even when under Number 8 Matt Parker (CTCRM) merits
he said.
But losing on home turf twice in the space
pressure. special mention: he assumed the captaincy in
“I’ve come off horses
of 24 hours to their greatest rivals in rugby
Deft handling from the forwards ensured the second half and his leadership was key in
before, but not in that way.
union must have been a bitter blow.
that the backs were often able to run at an ensuring the RN’s composure in the face of
It’s not uncommon, but it can
The second victory came courtesy –
unstructured defence and it was therefore no the French onslaught.
happen.
to a large extent – of the boot of Jonny
surprise when centre Callum McCrae (Cdo With the French storm blowing itself out,
“I was really looking forward
Wilkinson.
Logs Regt) picked a lovely, out-to-in angle to the Senior Service team showed that they
to the race – it’s something
The first, less-publicised triumph was no
score a well-worked try close to the French were always awake to the opportunity of
I’ve been working towards for
less sweet – and the home crowd no less
posts. With the successful conversion from playing rugby with ball in hand.
several years.
hostile.
Lloyd, the RN were well placed at half time In a rare foray into their opponent’s half,
“While I’m very
Twelve months ago, Les Bleus were toppled
with a 15-3 lead and the local crowd largely they again busted the fi rst line of defence and
disappointed, I’m pleased that
by a strong RN side in Portsmouth to lift the
silenced. forced the penalty as the French tried in vain
I’m still in one piece.”
Babcock Challenge trophy.
If the confi dent French crowd was quiet to slow down the play. Rob Lloyd landed the
The padre has already made
This year, the fixture switched to Paris and
just before half time then the early play of penalty to give the RN some breathing space
racing history as the first
the home of Stade Francais.
the second half woke them up and reignited as the clock ran down. minister of the church to win a
The right note was set from the outset,
French hopes. The fi nal score of 18-13 meant that the point-to-point – he enjoyed a
the French naval choir ensuring that an
A lovely break down their right-hand 15m Senior Service had become the fi rst team to 50-1 victory at Wadebridge in
intimidating atmosphere was created as the
channel resulted in an excellent score wide out win away from home and successfully defend December.
fi nal notes of La Marseillaise died away.
which unfortunately they couldn’t convert. the trophy. Simon, who’s been a
It was therefore perhaps no surprise that the
The score was now 8-15, the crowd were Though naturally jubilant with the victory, naval chaplain for 15 years,
Marine Nationale, playing in their traditional
cheering and singing for their beloved Les the Royal Navy team, through their President developed a taste for horse
blue, were the stronger of the two sides in the
Bleus and the home team duly responded by Admiral Neil Morisetti, acknowledged it had racing while serving at
early exchanges.
raising the intensity of their game. been a very close contest. Lympstone when he was
Birth of a
Their clever mix between hard forward-
Further French pressure saw their forwards The match had been superbly staged by the introduced to a course and
driving play and incisive lines from their back
gaining just rewards for their efforts by driving French Navy and match co-sponsors Thales began riding for a local trainer.
division ensured that the RN’s defence was
nation – the
over from short range to bring the scores even and Babcock. By 2005 he had progressed
fully tested. However with 15 minutes gone,
closer at 13-15. Everyone agreed that this was comfortably sufficiently to complete
the only success for this early pressure was a
The forward exchanges were such that the best match thus far in the series and that his Amateur National Hunt
Navy in the
sweetly-struck penalty.
the match referee, who was managing the the Marine Nationale continued to make Jockey’s course at Newmarket
Having weathered the early storm it was
game very well, decided that two of the front rapid progress with their rugby, both on and and apply for his Category A
Palestine
the turn of the British to exert pressure
row needed some time for self refl ection; off the fi eld. racing licence.
of their own, with the half-back pairing of
a particularly fi ercely-contested ruck had The reasons why they were French “I’ve been racing for just
emergency
‘Cowboy’ John (Bulwark) and Rob Lloyd (42
developed into a forwards’ version of Entente military champions were evident for all to one season, but I’d like to race
Cdo) orchestrating the back play, forcing the
Cordial. see and they will undoubtedly mount a very some more,” Simon added.
60 years on
French to show their mettle in defence. With the momentum now fully with the strong challenge when the teams next meet, “I’m a chaplain, not
However it wasn’t long before the powerful French, the RN had to absorb sustained provisionally scheduled for April next year. a jockey, but racing is
running of the Navy’s back three resulted pressure on their own goal line. The annual challenge has quickly matured something I like to do.”
in the fi rst try for wing Josh Drauniniu Immense commitment from the pack into an event that is eagerly anticipated by When not seeing to the
(CTCRM) which was not converted. ensured that the Royal Navy often had the both teams who, although they share so many spiritual needs of personnel
Further pressure from the RN provided nudge forward at a series of 5m scrums, values as sailors, marines and sportsmen, at Yeovilton, the padre can
Rob Lloyd with the opportunity for an easy whilst the second row pairing of Justin Doney know that for the 80 minutes of the Babcock be found practising most
three points. (814 NAS) and Marsh Cormack (845 NAS) Challenge there is no Entente Cordial but weekends at John Ryall’s farm
By now the Brits were playing with a maintained an impressive work rate – an plenty of healthy respect. in Rimpton.
100%
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Published by Navy News, HMS Nelson, Portsmouth and printed by St Ives (Andover) plc.
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