Army - The Soldiers' Newspaper

ASRU Warriors lock Cpl Adam Monson breaks through fierce oppostion during the recent Weary Dunlop Cup match against Australian Universities at Ballymore Oval in Brisbane. Photos by Michael Weaver, Service newspapers

ASRU Warriors vice captain LCpl Paul Yates makes a charge at the try line.

Students squash ASRU’s 2003 run

By Michael Weaver
THE Australian Services Rugby Union (ASRU) men’s team was beaten, but far from disgraced, by Australian Universities in their annual clash for the Weary Dunlop Trophy at Ballymore Oval in Brisbane on June 29.

The students have kept a firm grip on the trophy since its inception, but this year’s ASRU side had learnt some lessons and was highly competitive in an entertaining game.

Though the final score went 54-34 in Unis’ favour, ASRU coach Wg-Cmdr Graham King said the team achieved its objectives during the four-match tour, easily winning the first three games.

“I thought the guys fought it out against Unis’ and it’s by no means a shellacking, and it’s important for Australian Services that the players and the hierarchy understand that this year’s tour is the first step back in our rebuilding phase,” he said.

“For too long ASRU has been used to losing, so this was a good test of mettle for our guys. We were competitive, which is all I could hope for and to win would have been a bonus. We were valiant and quite competitive in defeat.

“We did very well considering we came back and worked hard in the second half. We put some tactical replacements on that were creative players rather than the defensive set we started with and we scored some lovely tries.”

The building crowd for the Queensland Reds v Fiji main game fully appreciated the entertaining action, getting behind the ASRU players each time they scored.

However, tries to Unis’ within the first three minutes of each half were telling factors in the final result.

“It’s difficult to play behind a 14-point margin and at the end of the day there was 20 points in the result, so you take away those two converted tries and you’re down to six points, so the game would have been evenly poised.

“They [Unis] are a very well drilled outfit – very young and very fast but certainly no more skilful than the ASRU guys.”

He added that the team’s preparation was spot on, with all players feeling immense pride in being part of a tri-service unit representing at the highest level. ASRU also has a tour of Canada and USA planned for 2004.

“The most pleasing aspect was the tri-service nature of the team and when I use the word team I mean 26 footballers and not the 15 that run on.

“The bonus of the game and the whole tour was that for the first time in a long time there was no Navy, Army or Air Force. It was ASRU and we were a team of rugby players that supported each other all tour.”

Try scorers against Australian Universities were: LS Brad Simmons, LAC Brenden Christensen, PO Sean Guppy, Flg-Off Nick Leseberg and Lt Peter Burnheim (2).

2003 tour best and fairest: LS Brad Simmons, wing (Navy); team captain Capt Spencer ‘Nipper’ Norris, open side flanker (Army); AB Jason Cook, wing/fullback (Navy).