Match Report

ACT Vets v Australian Command and Staff College - Sunday 2 May 2010

Another magnificent autumn day greeted the Vets for their match against the ACSC officers.  A large contingent of Vets turned out, so many in fact that some players had to 'hot jersey' and swap when they came off the field.

The ACSC players were preparing for their ASRU curtain raiser match and came flying out of the blocks from the kick-off, dominating in both territory and possession.  The early pace led to the ACSC winger Dave Nathan scoring a couple of tries in the corner.  The Vets forwards countered with a few good ruckings and in a brave but possibly foolhardy manoeuvre, Pudge successfully rucked out an SAS bloke.

At half time Mark 'Fiddy' Woods came off complaining of being rucked in a sensitive area.  Tagger noted that following the black eye in the Wests game, this was the second time Fiddy had copped one in the head.

The second half saw the Vets enjoying more possession and the forwards were matching up well against their ACSC counterparts.  The backs also saw more ball and made a few good runs. Defence was hard work against the fit and fast ACSC backs and Will Allen's crunching tackle on the ACSC outside centre left him on the deck.  His injury required a trip to A&E following first-aid treatment and the match moved across to Kapyong Field. Will was able to go home after observation but he will be out for a few weeks.

The move to Kapyong Field appeared to help the Vets, as many seemed to think it was like the usual Wednesday training sessions.  The improved possession paid dividends, with Wayne Small scoring in the corner but getting winded in the process after landing on the ball.  Nick Drew claimed the 'assist', saying his shove against the tackler got Wayne over the line.  Wellsy scored a popular try, running (or should that be shuffling) 40 metres to put the ball down under the posts.

The Vets came home with a wet sail in the third half, scoring two tries in quick succession.  One try involved excellent ensemble play by the backs, with all of them getting their hands on the ball before Bulldog on the wing touched down.  The forwards played well close in with rucks and mauls and competed well in the lineouts.

ACSC countered with a try following a line break and a 50 metre run to the line, shrugging off a cover defence tackle near the posts.  Possession then moved back and forth between the two teams over the final few minutes of the match but neither were able to get back over the line.

Both teams adjourned to Olims for a drink and a sandwich (or two, in Crock's case).  The customary Vets player of the day awards went to Jeff Allen and Mick Trotter.  Other performances worth mentioning were Mick Pope, Jason Smith, Matt and Tommy who were frequently involved in the action in the forwards.  For the backs, Dan Carter played to his usual high standard, Fiddy saw a lot of ball and made a number of good breaks, and Nick Drew made an excellent try saving tackle in the first half.

Overall it was a fast and tough game that gave the ACSC players a good workout prior to their match against RMC.

Craig 'Contact' Wilkes (match observer through a 70-300mm lens)

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