Navy sails to victory again
Forces rivalry is rife as the navy clinch the Rundle Cup by a whisker
IT took just seconds for Lieutenant Hiro Suzuki to break away with the ball on the immaculate Fisher Ground in the opening chukka and score, marking himself as the navy’s weapon in their quest to reclaim the coveted Rundle Cup.
The navy might have won the first Navy and Army Cup, played in Malta in 1909 and instigated by Sir Leslie Rundle, but until last year they had suffered three consecutive defeats at the hands of the army. This 7½ -7 victory proved that their renewed success on the field was no fluke.
SUZUKI ON FIRE
THE navy’s coach and former England player James Lucas, who stepped in for an injured Commodore Adrian Aplin, wielded the ball around the pitch, seamlessly setting up chances for Suzuki — ensuring the navy maintained the 1½-goal advantage they started with (due to a total handicap difference).
Skilful play by the army kept them breathing down the navy’s neck — with their legions of supporters glued to the action.
Lieutenant Johnny Sleeman of the Queen’s Royal Hussars swiftly responded to Suzuki’s opening goal with a fruitful neck shot (2½-1), and moments before half time the two-goaler closed the gap with a penalty to make it 4½-4.
A goal with 30 seconds to go in the final chukka put the army tantalisingly close to victory at
7½-7, but their final acceleration in play had come too late.
“It was a hard-fought game and so I’m disappointed,” said the army’s Captain Albany Mulholland, who was awarded the Most Valuable Player title. “It was extremely close but the navy had some very experienced players,” added the zero-goaler, who serves with the Life Guards and is based at the Household Cavalry’s Hyde Park Barracks in London.
“This was the first time we’ve played together as a four. If only we’d played like we did in the last two minutes at the start.”
A BRUISED EGO
“IT was a free-flowing game and, I imagine, exciting to watch,” said the navy’s Suzuki. “The army took a while to realise that when James [Lucas] went for a backhand, he wasn’t going to miss. We managed to turn the play around faster.”
Twinkle, the chestnut mare Suzuki played in the second was crowned the Best Playing Pony.
“She’s super-easy and willing to play,” he added, joking that a tumble that he took in the fourth had “only bruised his ego”.