Dewsbury lad Lee plays part in Royal Navy series success

Ben Taylor better known as poet The Yorkshire Prose in action for the Royal Navy against the Australian Navy in the Armistice Series opener at Wakefields Belle Vue. Picture: Allan McKenzie

Dewsbury player Nathan Lee helped the Royal Navy Rugby League team record a 3-0 whitewash over the Australian Navy in the Armistice Series.

The Royal Navy won the series opener 36-20 at Wakefield’s Belle Vue on November 3 when Lee features at centre and he moved to the second row as they followed up with a 36-4 victory in the second game in Portsmouth last Wednesday when the Dewsbury man was among the try scorers.

Lee was not part of the squad who completed the whitewash with a 32-6 victory last Saturday.

Former Stanley Rangers player Ben Taylor captained the Royal Navy to a 36-20 victory over the Australian Navy in the series opener at Belle Vue.

Wakefield lad Taylor is also known online as ‘The Yorkshire Prose’. He has more than 60,000 followers - who follow him for his witty poems delivered in Yorkshire dialect - on his official Facebook page.

Australia took the lead in the opening game when captain Dan Harris scored between the posts but the Royal Navy hit back with three unanswered tries before the interval through full-back Sean Houghton, Darren Bamford and Silivenusi Buinimasi.

Impressive half-back Bamford doubled his try tally soon after the restart before the visitors responded through Matthew Pericic.

The Royal Navy stormed clear with two further scores from Houghton and Marika Tuinibunawa.

Australia reduced the deficit to 10 points following two more tries from Harris, who completed his hat-trick.

The Royal Navy sealed victory in the closing stages when Sean Casey strolled over on the right to round off an impressive performance.

Tries from centre Gavin Duffy, Houghton (two) prop Jonny Griffiths, Fijian Roko Kurusassa together with two Bamford goals put the Royal Navy 24-4 ahead in the second game of the series last Wednesday.

Lee then collected a neat short pass and beat the defence from 15 metres out to score another for the home side, which Casey improved before Bamford crossed on the stroke of full-time and Casey’s goal sealed a 36-4 win.