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Thread: Army Battle Headlines Big Saturday at Coogee Oval

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    Army Battle Headlines Big Saturday at Coogee Oval

    Army Battle Headlines Big Saturday at Coogee Oval

    Tuesday, 15 May 2007
    NSWRU Media Unit


    Coogee will play host to international Rugby on Saturday with the Australian Army taking on its British counterpart in a battle for the Qantas International Cup.

    A big crowd is expected with the international fixture serving as a curtain raiser to the Tooheys New Shute Shield match of the round between Randwick and Gordon.

    The match is the continuation of a long and proud history of Australia v Great Britain Army fixtures, and there's expected to be no shortage of passion on the field.

    "There'd be no two Armies that have been closer over the years," Australian Army Rugby Vice President, Colonel Roger Noble said.

    "Australia and Great Britain have shared history, experience and even recent operations, from Iraq and Afghanistan to East Timor.

    "That closeness means you're going to get a fairly tough match, it'll be like two brothers fighting, and it'll be just short of open warfare.

    "There's no doubt this will be the toughest test the Australian side will get this year, if not ever."

    The match will be watched by the Chief of the Army, Lieutenant General Peter Leahy; and the President of Australian Army Rugby Lieutenant General David Hurley, along with Colonel Noble.

    The Australian Army side will wrap up its preparation with a clash against a Randwick selection at Victoria Army Barracks on Wednesday at 3pm, after which the squad for Saturday will be finalised.

    The touring British team has an experienced look about it, with a number of players boasting international experience.

    Included in the touring squad is team captain, Sergeant Mal Roberts, a talented kicking fullback who has twice captained Combined Services to victory against the Barbarians; Highlander Isoa Damudamu, a Fijian born number eight who was recently selected to represent England at Sevens; Lance Corporal Ledua Jope, a flanker who has represented Fiji at Sevens and is a past captain of the Fiji Rugby Academy, and Lieutenant Mark Lee, a flanker that has captained Scotland in Sevens at two Commonwealth Games.

    The British finalised their tour preparations with a 39-25 victory over Navy at Twickenham on May 7, the win their seventh in succession against their old rivals.

    Saturday's match kicks off at 1.35pm and will be followed at 3.10pm by the Tooheys New Shute Shield clash between Randwick and Gordon.

    QANTAS INTERNATIONAL CUP - AUSTRALIAN ARMY V BRITISH ARMY

    Coogee Oval, Saturday 19 May, 2007 - 1.35pm

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    Champion Contributor Mtbeaver's Avatar
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    Oooo. I'll probably be watching that bad boy.

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    Veteran Contributor frontrow's Avatar
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    Anyone know who won this match?

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    Champion Contributor chook's Avatar
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    The poms won , something like 50 to nil. Some of the pomlandians play professionally in England apparently.

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    "He who conquers others is strong; he who conquers himself is mighty." – Lao Tzu

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    Can't find anything mate so I'm tipping we lost...
    I did notice that the team in Red jersey's formed a guard of honour tunnel when the Premier teams ran out though.

    Edit: Ah, super chook clucks in while I was "researching"

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    Legend Contributor fulvio sammut's Avatar
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    I recognise some of the UK Army professional 7's tournament players in that list. These guys are part of the army, but are continiously on the 7's circuit, playing in Singapore, Middlesex etc. Rugby is their job.

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    Veteran Contributor frontrow's Avatar
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    Cheers chook, and that sounds about right Fulvio, send our aussie boys off to war while they fly around the world playing rugby, bloody poms,reeks of gallipoli all over again...

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    Legend Contributor fulvio sammut's Avatar
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    Steady, FW. Last I heard there were more Poms in Iraq and Afghanistan than Aussies!

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    Player Contributor Flat-top's Avatar
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    You do yourselves an injustice, it was only 36 -0 see the report here if interested. Click on "postcards from downunder" to open another window then choose "dispatches from downunder" for the reports. Have to say at least the Kiwi Academy managed to put 15 points on the board!

    Played for the Army myself many moons ago, it certainly is pretty much these guys day job and the Army use it as a great publicity tool...fair play to them i say.

    The biggest criticism the Army RU get over here from the other services is that we draft in quite a few Islanders to the squad, the Fijians are particularly impressive at the moment...all are serving soldiers though, no professionals in the squad.

    http://www.army.mod.uk/aru/match_reports.htm

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    Legend Contributor fulvio sammut's Avatar
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    More power to UK army, Flat top. But these guys ARE professional if they are paid to play rugby, never mind if they are good enough to play for their country of origin or not. I dare say as a 6th grade coach I could develop a fair team out of my charges if I had them under training 30-40 hours a week!

    By the way the UK army teams (both of them) at the 2006 Singapore 7s were made up almost entirely of Fijians, there was not more than 4 UK born players in the entire 20-25 players they brought with them.

    Nothing wrong with that, but to claim them as "chance" rugby playing members of the UK armed forces is ridiculous (not that Flat Top is trying to do so).

    By God though, it's a priviledge and a revelation to play against highly trained and skillful players such as these.

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