RAF beaten by rugby union club side Rams in early season clash

The Royal Air Force have been beaten 19-5 by club side Rams RFC in Reading.

The RAF travelled to Old Bath Road for the early season fixture, with new faces in the starting lineup and only a couple of days of training together behind them.

Their opponents, a development side from a club whose top team is unbeaten in the English National One League, scored a try in the opening quarter through Morgan McRae.

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Soon after, home flanker Barnaby Thomas was sin-binned for a deliberate knock-on.

Despite a greasy surface making handling more challenging, the RAF looked to play quite an expansive game, but it was the Rams who led 5-0 at half-time.

Soon into the second half, the home team looked to press home their territorial advantage and Harry Bicknell's try, running over after a dominant rolling maul, was converted to put the Rams up 12-0.

Soon after, the visitors finally got on the scoreboard, with the light blues backs shipping the ball through the hands, finding space on the left wing for Jiute Tapua to exploit and finish off the move, for an unconverted try.

The home side had the last say in the scoreline, yet another try from Harry Bicknell, and a brace on the night, another rolling maul from a lineout close to the RAF tryline.