ASRU down not out
Weary Dunlop trophy remains in North while ASRU take moment to rebuild

ASRU forward LS Craig Shankland bursts through the pack in a game aginst the touring UK PTIs at Victoria Barracks Sydney. ASRU won 56-0. Photo by Bill Cunneen

LS Jason Harrington (No.4) v Aust Unis at Ballymore. Photo by Michael Weaver

AB Brad Simmons weaves some magic agains Aust Unis at Ballymore. Photo by Michael Weaver

The Weary Dunlop trophy. Photo by Michael Weaver

The Sir Edward ‘Weary’ Dunlop Trophy The late Sir Ernest Edward ‘Weary’ Dunlop distinguished himself as a rugby player and as a doctor with the Australian Imperial Forces. As a prisoner of war in Burma he saved the lives of hundreds of fellow prisoners, operating with crude instruments under lamplight. As a rugby union player, he represented both his university club and Commonwealth Combined Services against Britain and was part of the Wallabies in 1932. It is fitting that this perpetual trophy honours him.

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 Wing Commander Graham King said the team achieved its objectives during the four-match tour, easily winning the first three games (see results above right).

“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,” said WGCDR King.

“I think 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,” said WGCDR King.

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,” said WGCDR King.

“The absolute 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.”

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

ASRU tour 2003 results at a glance

• June 18 - ASRU def British Army PTIs 56-0
• June 22 - ASRU def Brisbane Combined Universities 78-10
• June 25 - ASRU def QUT/Norths 30-17
• June 29 - Australian Universities def ASRU 54-34
  

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