A dominant first half performance by the Fleet team laid the platform for the victory although a strong last quarter by the FAA threatened a repeat of last year’s result.
The match started off in reasonably good weather but the forecast of heavy showers was very accurate and the twenty minutes either side of half time were played in heavy showers with the light being reduced so much that the floodlights had to be switched on.
The first half belonged to the Fleet team who had far more possession and retained the ball far better than the FAA team. Prop Adam Birkett opened the scoring after only seven minutes as his team made great use of scrum possession following an error by the opposition, Nick Bell converted well from distance, 6-0. Fleet skipper Jack Basher crossed for his side’s second try to the left of the posts and Bell once again converted doubling his sides lead. The next score went to the Fleet side on the back of repeat penalties, Basher went over again with another well taken conversion for hooker Bell. At 18:0 the Fleet side were cruising and this was reinforced when replacement James Parry touched down this time Basher was on target with a straight forward conversion. As the half drew to a close it looked al done at 24:0 but finally the FAA got the breakthrough, literally, second Row Jack Savage broke the Fleet cover in midfield to outpace the defence sprinting 40 metres to touch down unchallenged under the posts, Sam Carter’s conversion was the last play of the half leaving the Fleet team with a 24:6 lead. The opening minutes of the second half were affected by the weather with both sides making unforced errors but the deadlock was broken by the Fleet team in the shape of newcomer Tom Binns who had only been on the field for a few minutes before making his mark with a well taken try, another conversion for Hooker Bell stretched the home teams lead to 30-6 and that appeared to be that. However a repeat of last year’s dramatic comeback by the FAA seemed on the cards as fullback Craig Sutton bagged a brace of try’s out wide in a matter of minutes to give Lewis Taylors side some hope. Unfortunately the conversions were missed so into the last ten minutes the Fleet team still had a 16 point cushion. This lead was pegged back again by the FAA when centre Ben Anderson touched down under the posts making Sam Carters conversion an easy one, 30:20. This unfortunately for the FAA was to be the last score of the match with ref Phil Rigby bringing the match to an end.
Credit to both sets of players and the officials who had to contend with sometimes horrendous conditions to provide the spectator’s with an exciting and eventful match. Fleet Coach Chris Reeves was justifiably proud of his men who took this fixture for the first time in three years.
Fleet Command : Josh Foster-Hale, Josh Coupland, McCoy Turner, Conor McMelan, Lloyd Williamson, Jono Bethwaite, Jack Basher (C), Matt Southern, Nick Bell, Adam Birkett, Jack Drury, Mark Humberstone, Andy Parrott, Tom Binns, Matt Selstrum, Oscar Russell, Chris Heart Paul Cartwright, James Parry
Scorers: T Basher (2) Birkett, Parry, Binns
G Bell (4 Conv.) Basher 1 (Conv)

Flee Air Arm: Craig Sutton, Richard Binns, Luke Cooper, Ben Anderson, Paddy Marsh, John Clay, Sam Carter, Richie Metcalfe (C) Paul Saberton, Matt Holland, Jack Savage, Sam Vernon, Alistair Auld, Martin Wilkinson, James McInnes, Toby Norwood, Chris Warner
Scorers: T Sutton (2) Savage, Anderson
G Carter (2 Conv)