Kiwi Juice
CASRL crushes NZ in curtain-raiser

By Andrew Stackpool

LAC Jay Brookfield pushes through the New Zealand line during the Anzac Day game, held as the curtain raiser to the Australia vs New Zealand test match.

Photo by Jason Weeding

EIGHT Air Force players and five officials were part of the victorious Combined Australian Services Rugby League (CASRL), which defeated the visiting New Zealand Defence Force team 30-0 in Brisbane on April 22.

The match, which was noted for its strong attacks by the ADF forwards and strong play control by the ADF hooker and halfs, was the curtain-raiser for the Australia versus New Zealand Anzac Day test match.

It was the first time the combined ADF team has played a curtain-raiser to a high profile test match and against a foreign visiting team on Australian soil.

The team was selected after the ADF’s national carnival, held from April 12-17.

CASRL began training for the first ever Anzac Test between the two Defence forces the morning after the national carnival ended. Both sides were extremely confident of coming away with the silverware.

The game started at a frantic pace with both sides determined to assert their dominance. Both sides defended strongly but the pace was wearing on stamina. Just ten minutes into the first half, Leading Seaman Mick Cross found the gap and slammed over for the first ADF try, but the conversion was unsuccessful.

The no-holds-barred play continued until a beaut inside ball from Corporal Mick Green, from RAAF Base Williams, allowed Leading Aircraftman Jay Brookfield, from RAAF Base Amberley, to slide home untouched under the black dot. After a successful conversion, CASRL led 10-0.

Undaunted by the scores, the Kiwis launched a series of assaults on the CASRL defence. CASRL repelled them with a series of bone-jarring defences, which forced many errors from the Kiwis. CASRL was ahead 14-0 at half-time.

In the second half, both sides put in some big hits and the game could have gone either way. ADF ball security was the telling factor as the team completed most sets of six and gained valuable yardage.

The Kiwi defence was becoming frail and CPL Green was quick to capitalise and turn the second half into his own point-fest. He sliced through and then converted, taking the score to 20-0.

The Kiwis then started throwing the ball around in their determination to cross the ADF line. All they succeeded in doing was coughing up the ball on the first or second tackle, giving the ADF a huge possession rate.

CPL Green seized the opportunity this play presented and slammed in for the second of his tries, followed by his second conversion. Only seconds remained and he went over again, out wide. This time his conversion was unsuccessful but at the final whistle the Aussies walked from the field 30-0.

7 Brigade CO Brigadier Dave Chalmers attended the post-match presentations and presented the Trans Tasman Challenge to CASRL.

CASRL is now planning to compete in the affiliated States carnival in Adelaide over the June long weekend and is investigating playing in New Zealand in October.

Meanwhile, the 2006 ISS will be played in Townsville in February or March and the committee is looking at the possibility of playing a second curtain-raiser in Sydney.

 

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