British Police retained the Northgate Trophy by beating British Fire Service 39-3 in their annual fixture at Stourbridge's Stourton Park ground this afternoon.
Full-back Peter Deakin (South Yorkshire Police) shone in the Police's win by contributing 24 points including two second half tries. Deakin plays his club rugby at Doncaster.
But victory had to be earned the hard way after the Fire Service put up spirited first half resistance and kept their line intact until first half injury time. Then scrum-half Toby Handley (West Midlands Police) made the breakthrough when the Rugby Lions player rounded off an attack started with a break from the base of a scrum by number eight Ben Cole (Devon & Cornwall Police and Torquay Athletic).
Until then the scoring had been restricted to a penalty apiece from Deakin, after seven minutes, and Dan Phillips, the Fire Service's Welsh fly-half.
But Deakin, who converted Handley's try, powered over within two minutes of the re-start and the Police gradually assumed control.
The Police, jointly coached by former Scotland flanker Derek Turnbull and Neil Mitchell, Stourbridge's director of rugby, built on their lead with Deakin landing a second penalty midway through the second half which effectively decided the game.
Three tries in a seven minutes period from flanker Jason Pritchard (Dyfed & Powys Police), Deakin and left wing Mike Parsons (Central Scotland Police) capitalised on tiring defence from the Fire Service.
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