NOT IN THE SAME LEAGUE
Overwhelmed but far from disgraced

Air Force’s Dean Davis attempts to shrug off two Navy tacklers during the opening match of the ADF National Rugby League Carnival at Seiffert Oval. Navy won 22-12. Photo by Ben Caddaye

By Ben Caddaye

A WEAKENED Air Force side was outclassed by Navy and Army during the 2003 ADF National Rugby League Carnival at Seiffert Oval in Queanbeyan, losing both matches and conceding 64 points.

Air Force lost 22-12 in the opening clash with Navy and were thumped 42-4 by a polished Army outfit in the second match.

But given the obstacles his side faced, Air Force rugby league coach Sergeant Aaron Smith wasn’t overly disappointed with his team’s showing, particularly the first-up 10-point loss to Navy.

SGT Smith was still searching for players to bolster his squad on the morning of the match and was forced to approach the Federation Guard for reinforcements.

He also lost his skipper and halfback, Leading Aircraftman Kaine Tessier, to injury in the first-half

Trailing 14-0 at halftime, a shellacking looked on the cards, but the side fought back to win a tight second half, eventually adding some respectability to the scoreline.

“The way we came back in the second half was a credit to the guys out there,” SGT Smith said.

“When we lost our captain and found ourselves 14-0 down, it could have been easy for the players to lie down. But to their credit they started controlling the ball and went forward and won the half.”

In a lopsided opening, Air Force struggled to maintain possession and spent the bulk of the half camped in its own territory.

“I think the fact that we had to do a lot of defending and tackling put us on the back foot in the first half,” SGT Smith conceded.

He said the fact that his squad had been together for less than a week and some of his best forwards had been lost to operational commitments also played a part in the poor start.

“If you don’t have your best forwards, it’s hard to go forward,” he said.

Navy hit the lead 10 minutes after a build-up of sustained pressure. Another four-pointer eight minutes later was duly converted and Air Force suddenly found itself 10-points in arrears.

When Navy crashed over again just before half time to make it 14-0, and the Air Force skipper was taken to Queanbeyan Hospital after suffering a heavy knock and blurred vision, a blowout looked probable.

But, in a much more even second stanza, Air Force fought back to score three tries to two, with the last couple coming from well-worked kicks.

In the match against Army two days later, Air Force defended well to keep out the opposition, with 19 minutes elapsing before Army touched down for the first try.

From that point, however, Air Force struggled to contain the tournament favourites, with Army eventually piling on nine tries to one and blowing many other opportunities.

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