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FLYING HIGH: ABET Shane Halliday throws the ball to LSSN Jason Harrington in the lineout against a Victorian Representative side in a trial rugby match in Melbourne. |
Volume
49, No. 15, August 24 2006
The RAN Rugby Union team took on a Victorian Country representative side in the lead-up to the Commonwealth Navies Rugby Cup in South Africa next month.
The trial match on July 30 was the culmination of a training exercise to prepare the squad for the international competition.
The match was vigorously contested on a fine but blustery Melbourne day. The forward exchanges were physical with LSSN Jason Harrington leading the forwards with scything runs and an impeccable lineout performance. ABCD Max Gunn had an immediate impact by injecting some much-needed aggression when he took the field in the second half.
The Navy Breakers only gained an edge on their opponents in the backs where LSET Chris Bohan showed how much he had been missed against Army earlier this year by scoring three tries. In a solid debut ABCD Darren Sheather demonstrated both composure and flair at fullback. The Breakers scored six tries to one in the final score of 37–7.
Team Captain LSPT Matt Hilyard said “the match was great preparation for the South African tour. There were a number of teenage players who showed they can compete at the right level”.
Three days earlier, the squad assembled at HMAS Cerberus for rigorous training under the coaching of WO Geoff Stokes and CMDR Mike Hogan.
“The team arrived with the right attitude and the exercise was a crucial yardstick for selection,” WO Stokes said.
The team now looks forward to pre-departure training at HMAS Penguin before flying to Cape Town to take on the Royal Navy, Royal New Zealand Navy and South African Navy.
