30 October 2024
Army’s rugby league team focused on dominating the ruck and leveraging their forwards to wear down Air Force at the ADF interservice match held in Sydney in early October.
Their game plan proved successful, leading to a 38-12 victory.
Half-back of the Army team, Sergeant Joshua Stevenson, said they started strong and worked hard offensively and defensively.
“We knew if we just stuck to our game plan, we'd get over them,” he said.
“We aimed towards getting out of our own end and towards the middle of the field using our forwards to punch the lines, get them tired and roll them over.
“That way they condensed their defence and we could play some ball out the back and use the space.”
Their forwards laid a solid foundation, allowing the backs to exploit gaps and secure their first try within the opening 10 minutes of the match.
Army team second-rower, Craftsman Isaac Carpenter, said they stuck to their guns and trusted the forwards to lay the foundation.
“Doing that allowed us to capitalise on the opportunities out wide and secure the win,” he said.
It wasn’t all about brute force – it was about strategy, staying patient and waiting for the right moments to strike.
“Every player on the field contributed, from the forwards creating momentum to the backs finishing off, it was a complete team effort,” Craftsman Carpenter said.
Full-back for the Air Force team Corporal Mitchell Simington said despite the loss, the team showed resilience and potential.
“We had a solid game plan going in, but unfortunately we drifted away from it at key moments,” Corporal Simington said.
“We’ve got a great group of new players, and while this was a tough day, there’s a lot we can build on.”
Looking ahead, Corporal Simington was confident that with more experience and cohesion, the Air Force team could come back stronger.
“The Army played a strong game, but we’ll take away important lessons from this match,” Corporal Simington said.
Aircraftsman William Braddick, an Air Force team front-rower, said they gave it everything they had.
“The biggest challenge was dealing with the big forward pack,” he said.
“We spoke about it all week; just how tight we had to be and get our numbers into the tackle.
“I was very proud of our performance; we love each other and I'm excited for the future.”
