Always a difficult game... and never at the right time in our Inter-Service build-up, but Duty calls!

This was a more interesting one... 

Standard Easyjet trip out to South of France. All the delights of a Tour party abroad! #sailorsandmarines

The training Ground just outside the Dockyard with our accommodation. No complaints.

Big day arrives - and we're at the Toulon stadium having completed all our preps - there is an expectant atmosphere.  As ever the dockyard siren blasts at the end of the working day and the French Navy stop work and march expectantly down to the stadium to cheer on their team. They've been told this is 'Le Crunch' - This is their Army Navy - and they expect Le Battle of Trafalgar! Needless to say - we understand the challenge, the history, the atmosphere that can be generated in this cauldron and the limitations of playing away - but the boys are up for the challenge. Why wouldn't they be?

Nice professional changing rooms and all the normal accoutrements prior to 'Le Crunch'. No French funnies yet .. but there's bound to be a few. 

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The pre-match Formalities - RN 1SL and his counter part exchange niceties and entente cordiale ...anthems and handshakes and a quiet muttering of  'think we should just let the ref handle the rest!' ....et voila! The standard Toulon Rallying call - Pelou Pelou from the tattooed man and we're off. 

France v Britain - a few French funnies at the start, offsides everywhere, high tackles and a blind ref, finally some control. The RN rock this professional scrum unit to their core - so much so the ref has to find a reason to reset it quickly... The Perpignon frontrow not happy with foreheads knocking, a bit of Cornish afters just to add to their disgruntlement and the ref looses control.. and we've got an international shindig! Pas Bon! The Scrums are going 'toe to toe' with lots of close quarter action while the extras are coming from flying backs. The RN lads stood their ground and gave no quarter - purely responding to the opposition antics. The French crowd are baying for blood - why wouldn't they! 

A few hasty directives from the naval seniors as the melee overspills from the playing field and eventually after a long while the ref regains some control. His subsequent red card to their loose head (the one not starting in the European Championship game that weekend) and our Tight head - was probably about 180 degrees out from where all the real action started - but heyho when in France! The French Half time chats suddenly had a senior Naval presence providing the Hearts and Minds, while we left it to the TSG knowing full well that this was part of our pre-match analysis, as was the refs sudden blindness - but the game continued in the feisty manner and although we offered a lot more attacking play, we were always on the backfoot and unable to regain control without our dominant scrum against their tight unit... and so they win - As they say in France - 'that's life!' 

So not the result we wanted, certainly not the kind of game required for our IS build-up ... but quite a memorable game for your first Cap in an RN shirt and certainly one to tell the grand kids. Ohh la la! #onwards #IS16build-up