Fifty percent of the places in the Corps Championship finals have been confirmed following the latest round of results in Leagues 1, 2 and 3, and wins achieved by the Royal Engineers, Royal Artillery and Army Air Corps.
The Sappers cemented their place in the League 1 final with a comprehensive 47-5 win over REME. Playing on an artificial surface they might have been, but it was a classic forwards drive which opened the scoring, LCpl Booth coming off the back of a powerful maul to dive over.
LCpl Booth then turned provider for his team’s second, putting Spr Johnson over between the uprights after a REME attack had broken down in midfield, and when Spr Tabua collected a chip from Spr Michael McDonald to dot down and make the score 21-0 the Sappers were well on their way.
LCpl Eyres then finished off an expansive move, and the first half ended as it had begun, LCpl Booth crossing the whitewash.
Leading 33-0, the Sappers did not relent after the break. Spr Qaniuci capitalised on midfield turnover to sprint in from long range, and while REME did score a consolation try the final points of the contest came from the Sappers.
The other scheduled League 1 match between the Royal Logistics Corps and Infantry fell foul of the weather, but elsewhere there was a full slate of results.
The Royal Artillery continued their perfect League 2 campaign with a 28-8 bonus point win away to the Royal Signals. This result confirmed not just a place in the final but also top spot in the table, with the Gunners nine points ahead of the Signals.
However the other place remains in the balance, with the Signals five points ahead of the Royal Armoured Corps and the two teams going head-to-head in Round 6, with the RAC having home advantage. For their part the RAC had a walkover against the Army Medical Services, whose bottom place has also been confirmed.
In League 3 the Army Air Corps had their top spot confirmed with a walkover result over the Intelligence Corps, while the Adjutant General’s Corps put themselves in prime position to join the AAC in the final with a 64-19 win over the Royal Army Physical Training Corps.
With the AGC also having a Round 6 scheduled match against the Intelligence Corps and the RAPTC facing the unbeaten AAC, and the AGC having a five point advantage in the race for second.
In the Women’s Corps Championship the clash between the AGC and AMS was postponed, while in the Masters there was some revenge for REME against the Sappers, 36-32 the results.
Round 6 will be on February 15th, with Finals Day at Aldershot on March 8th.
Words © New Dogs, Old Tricks
Header and Featured Images © RE RFC
