Army captain and full back Mal Roberts was named man of the match as his side cruised to a 53-16 victory over the Royal Navy at Twickenham to retain The Babcock Trophy. It was the Army’s sixth win in the last seven finals.

Roberts, a corporal in the Royal Logistics Corps, scored a try, two penalties and six conversions to leave the Royal Navy side floundering. They could not get the better of a strong Army pack, including former Scotland international prop Mattie Stewart, as well as the lively back row, with flanker Apolisi Satala and No.8 Isoa Damudamu getting through an immense amount of work.

Roberts scored the first of his two penalties within two minutes and topped and tailed the half with a second on 42 minutes when he slotted home the place kick to put his team 18-9 in front. In between, Fijian 7s international and centre Emosi Naisaramaki, had scored an exhilarating opener and fellow countryman Apolosi Satala had added a second, converted by Roberts, after the Army charged down a drop-goal attempt deep in their own half and swiftly counter attacked.

Roberts then gave his side the perfect start to the second half when Naisaramaki exploited the blind-side to send him on his way to the try line and to convert his own score. Army centre Howard Graham extended their lead and left wing Bruno Green also ran in for a touchdown before the Navy’s only try.

This followed a period of pressure inside the Army 22 with No. 8 Matt Parker eventually finding the gap in the Army defence from a quickly taken penalty. The Army hit back with two tries before the end when centre Edward Smith sliced through the last line of Royal Navy defence to go in under the posts, and replacement Saula Roko scored in the seventh minute of injury time, Roberts converting both.