The Army Masters were beaten for the first time this season as they went down 47-28 to the English Fire Brigade.<\/strong><\/p>\n Freezing conditions in Aldershot meant a late venue change to Tidworth, and \u00a0it was the away side who came out hotter.<\/p>\n There were plenty of early handling errors in the cold conditions with a series of scrums in the opening five minutes, but it was the visitors who took the lead when full-back Lewis Allen sent Kieran Hewgill over on the right.<\/p>\n The Masters \u2013 who had previously beaten the Pacific Islanders (25-7) and HM Prison Service (32-20) \u2013 responded and had the opportunity to equalise via an interception, only for an inside ball to fail to go to hand five metres out.<\/p>\n The Red Shirts then had a couple of close range line-outs, but they were firstly stopped just short before then being held up over the line.<\/p>\n And they were made to pay for their profligacy, the Fire Brigade going up the other end of the pitch and forcing a goal-line drop-out of their own.<\/p>\n From there, they forced a penalty and after a strong carry from second row Callum Spires, a clever pass inside allowed impressive No. 8 Hewgill to double his tally to the left of the uprights.<\/p>\n Things got worse for the Army soon after, the visitors making the first mistake by overthrowing a line-out inside their opponents\u2019 22, only for a knock-on to gift the ball back before they crossed from close range.<\/p>\n A fourth try without reply arrived when Allen stepped inside before a strong hand-off ushered him over the whitewash, but the hosts got off the mark when they burrowed over from near the line.<\/p>\n However, the away side replied outside centre Zac Mann threw a couple of dummies en route to running in from 35 metres, albeit the Masters grabbed a second converted score again from close range.<\/p>\n With the Fire Brigade having landed four of their five shots at goal they led 33-14 at the interval, and despite the Army having a couple of scoring chances early in the second period \u2013 a long-range drop goal falling short and left before a turnover was conceded five metres out \u2013 they moved further in front when Spires took a nice pass from fly-half Mitch Pinkus to dot down under the posts.<\/p>\n The stand-off kept up his impressive night from the tee, but the hosts claimed a third seven-pointer with a nice move from a five-metre line-out reducing the deficit to 19 points.<\/p>\n Any hopes of a fabulous fightback were effectively ended when the Red Shirts were reduced to 14 men following a breakdown infringement, and the Fire Service\u2019s seventh try arrived when scrum half Luke Watson picked up a loose ball which came out the back of an Army set-piece to cruise home on the right.<\/p>\n To their credit the hosts battled right to the end, and they had the final word \u2013 albeit a consolation \u2013 when breaking a tackle from close range for another converted try.<\/p>\n Army Masters next travel to Torbay Sharks at Teignmouth RFC on Friday, February 9 (7.15pm).<\/p>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Words \u00a9 Richard Ashton<\/p>\n All images – Alligin Photography \u00a9 Lee Crabb<\/p>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div> \n<\/div><\/div>\n\t\t A full gallery of images from the match is available\u00a0HERE<\/a>\u00a0images are free to download for personal use.\u00a0 Create an account, use the add to cart function and follow the check out process.<\/p>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div> \n<\/div><\/div>\n\t\t Tickets for the 2024 Inter Service Championship matches are on sale now!<\/p>\n To purchase yours click the links below;<\/p>\n Saturday 4th May | Army v Navy | Twickenham | BUY TICKETS<\/a><\/p>\nMATCH GALLERY<\/h3>\n
INTER SERVICE CHAMPIONSHIP<\/h3>\n