Following last week’s encouraging narrow loss to the Army at Aldershot, the Men’s Blues were looking to build on that performance as they welcomed the Royal Navy to Iffley Road on Wednesday evening. The home side certainly started the stronger of the two Dark Blues teams, and were rewarded with an early try from a catch & drive line-out with Captain for the night John Aaron Henry (Somerville) touching down, for fly-half Louis Jackson (Oriel) to convert. The seaman hit back with two tries of their own to go in at half time 10 points to 7 ahead. The second period saw a lot of ‘huff & puff’ for not much return, but it was the visitors who eventually go on the scoreboard with a converted try with the last play of the match, to take the win 17 points to 7.

The Men’s Blues welcome invitational side Crawshays Welsh to Iffley Road next Wednesday 13th February, kick off 1915.

Team Ben Parker, John Aaron Henry, Conor Hennessy, Jasper Dix, George Warr, Euan Friend, Ryan Jones, Sam Ridgway, George Tresidder, Louis Jackson, James Dempsey, Sebastian Haddock, Daniel Barley, Rob Quinlan, Louis Pincott

Subs Louis Wright (on for John Aaron Henry), Barnaby Vaughan (on for Ben Parker), Abhijeet Oswal (on for Conor Hennessy), Will Garson (on for George Warr), Eddie Gillow (on for Euan Friend), Dylan McGagh (on for George Tresidder), Michael Dunn (on for Sebastian Haddock), Henry Hackett (on for Louis Pincott)

Scores T: John Aaron Henry (1) C: Louis Jackson (1)