Reporter: Roger Thompson

Two cracking tries by Pte Isoa Damudamu (Highlanders) in the last 15 minutes of a momentous match enabled the Combined Services to draw level with the mighty Barbarians and set the stage for a thrilling climax.

At 36 pts all, with the clock run down, it fell to skipper Cpl Mal Roberts (RLC) out on the right to attempt the conversion.

In a hushed Army stadium, the drizzle swirling against the floodlights added eerily to the tension. Had Mal felt the concentrated willpower of the 3000 spectators present, he could surely have knocked the ball, and a good sized divot, over with his nose.

The cheering started just behind the posts and reached a crescendo as the ball soared over the bar. It gave the Combined Services only their second victory in seven Remembrance Day encounters. Make no mistake, this was a fine Barbarians side, 'picked to do a job' in fine Barbarians style and it almost did!

The guests opened the scoring when England sevens international Nathan Baxter (Pertemp Bees) ran fully 40m to score far out. Quickly the Services countered with spirit, driving the ball down field to launch a series of bludgeoning attacks that were only just stemmed by the Barbarians.

The sustained pressure paid a dividend when the Army's pitbull prop LCpl Chris Budgen (RWF) emerged from a maul to clatter 10 m into the corner for a highly symbolic try.

It wasn't so much the five points to draw first blood but the strongest indication that the Services were to a man ' fired up for it'. The Royal Navy's LAEM Dave Pascoe converted from the touchline to gain a 7pts-5 lead.

Coach Lt Col Andy Hickling's emerging strategy was clearly to absorb and then counter the Barbarians' flamboyance, inserting the heavy infantry to drive the ball back into the attackers half. On a night when hanging on to the ball whilst making the hard yards was vital, it worked. With greater numbers committed to defensive ruck and maul the frequency of the Baa Baas attacks waned.

A 'ding-dong' period of thrust and counter thrust followed. Either side might have taken a winning lead but more importantly the increasingly fierce exchanges made it clear that both sides really wanted to win this particular contest. The Barbarians, mindful of a defeat two years previously, gave notice that it was not to be running at any cost.

The Services came out of the 'stand-off' the stronger, the strategy was working and in establishing that measure of authority centre Martin Lacey scored a solid try . A rejuvenated Gnr Rory Greenslade Jones (7RHA) also bagged a brace and with the score 26pts-36 it became a matter of supreme forward graft to overhaul a 10 point deficit.

Early in the second half Andy Hickling brought on Cfn Daryl Slade-Jones (REME) at scrum half to add snap to the crackle and pop. Cpl Steve Trethewey(REME) and Sgt Charlie Bentley (7RHA) joined the front row and after 60 minutes Bdr Andy Dawling (7RHA) and his cohorts found fresh legs.

The faster service gave fly half Lt Jim Standen (Para), who unusually was winning Combined Services honours before an Army Cap, an extra yard for manoeuvre. The Services moved on to the offensive and the structure of the match changed. Big men such as Cpl Andy Smith (RLC) and Cpl Ben Hughes (RE) were suddenly rampaging with the ball deep into the Baa Baas territory. Sgt Charlie Bentley (7RHA) was screaming 'fire orders' and as the show moved forward, the possibility of winning flashed to the front of everyone's minds.

The last two Services tries came from just such play, Damudamu taking on when the heavies were eventually hauled down. The second was a peach with Steve Trethewey standing tall and very broad on the 25m line as Barbarian defenders unsuccessfully crashed in to wrestle the ball and man to the ground. Damudamu steamed up, taking the sweetest of slip passes to outsprint his international counterpart, Ian Boobyer, to the line.

For 80 minutes the result of this fine game of rugby mattered very much-then it moved into the archives. No money, no league points and no recriminations on a great night for rugby but it is vital to remember that it was the professional overlay of skills and fitness from both sides that made this match one for the memory bank.