The fourth round of Corps Championship matches took place in the final week before the Christmas stand down period.
Cpl Ethan Riley smashed over a 45-metre penalty at the death to help Royal Logistics Corps snatch a nail-biting 26-25 home victory against REME in Division One of the Corps Championship.
RLC surged into a 10-o lead at Didcot thanks to tries from Pte Waqanidrola and irrepressible No. 8 Pte Salaresi, the latter having the easiest of finishes as he touched down at the back of a dominant scrum.
REME hit back as LCpl Solo Radianirova added the extras to a brilliant team try finished by LCpl Mac Raitokala, cutting the deficit to three points at the interval.
And the visitors hit the front early in the second period, LCpl Pita Ratukadreu crossing the whitewash before a Riley penalty pushed RLC back in front.
The kicker was again on target after hooker Sgt Brown cruised over, but the visitors hit back with 10 points to lead 22-20 as the game entered its final 10 minutes.
Riley landed a third penalty as the lead changed hands again, only for Radianirova to reply before RLC snatched the game in its final stages.
The result puts the hosts level on three wins from four matches with the Royal Artillery, the Royal Engineers having ending their opponents unbeaten start to the campaign with an emphatic 32-5 victory at Medway RFC.
The first try of the afternoon was a walk-in on the left for Engineers’ wing Spr Navurai, albeit the visitors hit back with a score from a powerful maul.
However, second-half five-pointers from RE replacement hooker Cpl Eyers, another from a strong carry off the base of a five-metre scrum and a final length-of-the-field set-up by Spr Ogunwole and finished by wing LCpl Graham, gave the Sappers a convincing win and keeps their top-two hopes alive.
The Gunners remain top with 15 points and a points difference of +8, RLC second on 14 and -1, and RE now with 13 and +58.
League Two leaders the Infantry continued their perfect campaign with a 36-0 home triumph against the Royal Armoured Corps, while the Royal Signals eased past the Army Air Corps 70-0.
In League Three, the Army Medical Services made it four wins from four with a 29-5 victory against the Royal Army Physical Training Corps.
The Medics’ tries came from Sgt Ryan McGealy, Pte Billy Roberts, Pte Fraser Green, LCpl Cameron Birnie and Pte Ben Hansford-Holt, Sgt James Irving and Cpl Ceri Jones with a conversion apiece.
The RLC picked up a first win of the Women’s event with a 34-15 victory against REME, but the latter gained a modicum of revenge in the Masters’ Competition with a 43-15 triumph – keeping their unbeaten run going.
Elsewhere in the Masters, RE overcame RA 29-5 for a second win of the season.
The penultimate round of the Corps Championship takes place on Wednesday, January 31.
Words © Richard Ashton
Header and featured image – Alligin Photography © Cat Goryn
