Wednesday morning got going with three individual shoots before the main team event of the day, the RSA International Match taking place in the afternoon. The Jack Mitchley held at 300 metres, in which Andy Daw, Ant Ringer and Tom Shaw all scored 50’s. The President Cup which aggregated scores from two ten round shoots at 800 metres and 900 metres saw both James Lewis and Phil Chapman-Sheath score 50’s in the 800 metres, with James Lewis going on to score a 47 at 900 metres for a very respectable 97 ex 100.
Experience was the name of the game with the appointment of Jon Ford as Match Captain and Ant Ringer named Main Coach for the RSA International. Four target teams comprising a target coach plus four firers were assembled to represent England in what promised to be a tricky long range competition held at 800 metres and 900 metres. The format is two and fifteen shots at each range.
The afternoons at General de Wet range in Bloemfontein tend to see the trickiest winds, with fishtails switching wind direction at the drop of a hat, often catching the less experienced coaches out.
800 metres was not easy, with only two out of sixteen England shooters achieving a maximum possible score of 75, being Nigel Ball and Tom Shaw. 900 metres was no easier, with only one shooter, Paul Sykes, achieving a 75. Top score of the day went to Tom Shaw, who scored a total of 149.11 ex 150 in very challenging conditions. Overall results from the RSA International: South Africa on 2362.237 achieved a convincing win by ten points over Great Britain on 2352.218. USA was third on 2333.207 and England came fourth on 2258.161.