From a quick glance at the scorelines, it would be safe to assume victory for the army women in this season’s Inter-Services Rugby Union Championships was a walk in the park.
A 96-0 demolition of the Royal Navy at Twickenham was followed by a 47-12 win over the Royal Air Force at Gloucester’s Kingsholm Stadium – results that saw the soldiers retain their title in style. But for skipper SSgt Jade Mullen (AGC (SPS)) it felt anything but straightforward as the strain of a long campaign, coupled with the burden of captaincy, took its toll.
“I properly hit the wall after the RAF game,” the 33-year-old told SoldierSport. “While the rest of team were celebrating, I struggled to get in the mood.
“When we first looked at the season everything seemed so spread out, but by the end it was a heavy block with a training camp in Gibraltar and then matches against the French Army and Wales under-20s before the Inter-Services.
“I don’t think the score reflected how hard the RAF match was – they have some talented players and we knew it would be physical.
“It was only in the 74th minute, when I looked at the scoreboard, that I realised they couldn’t score enough tries to catch us.
“As captain I want the Inter-Services to be a special occasion for the players and that brings added pressure.
“It is about making sure they feel loved, and that also applies to those not selected in the final 23. I’ve been in that position and have felt left out, so it is really important that everyone in the squad is involved.
“It is a burden you take on in this role, but it is worth it if they are happy and showcase that by winning matches.”
The army served up an attacking masterclass in a one-sided contest at Twickenham – with Gdsm Manuqalo Komaitai (IG), Spr Lauren Brooks (RE), Lt Hannah Gilmour (RE) and LCpl Courtney Pursglove (RLC) all crossing for braces. The result maintained a run of resounding victories over the senior service and while Mullen was thrilled with the outcome, she said there was a sense of disappointment at the team not facing a sterner challenge on such a big stage.
“It is frustrating,” she added. “We want people to come and watch us. I looked at the score at half-time and thought ‘would I stay to watch this?’.
“It is hard, and the navy have talented players. Are their coaches setting the right standards? Are they concentrating on the correct things in camp?
“I don’t know the answers to those questions, but it is a shame.
“This has almost become a dress rehearsal for the RAF game – that should not be the case.”
Komaitai added four further tries to her tournament haul in the soldiers’ clash with the light blues, which saw forward WO2 Rae Metters (REME) become the first player to reach the milestone of 40 army caps.
“That was the best game I’ve seen Rae play,” Mullen, who herself scored in both fixtures, continued. “She had five strong carries that got us past the gain line and was always quick to the ball.
“Koms was great and carried hard; she even outgassed one of their wingers to score. “Our physicality and relentlessness were key. We had the mindset that whenever we had the ball, they would fear tackling us and when they had the ball, they would fear being tackled. That was the difference.”
Former England international LCpl Semesa Rokoduguni (Scots DG) rolled back the years as a hat-trick of tries helped the army to victory in the concluding fixture of this season’s Inter-Services Rugby Union Championships.
The 37-year-old’s output fired the soldiers to a 38-31 triumph over the Royal Air Force in Gloucester – a result that softened the blow of losing to the Royal Navy two weeks earlier.
The 37-33 reverse at Twickenham saw the senior service crowned champions and while disappointed with the outcome, army skipper Bdr Pete Austin (RA) believes the tight nature of the games is good for the tournament.
“It shows how close the Inter-Services has become,” he told SoldierSport.
“When I first came into the team, we knew the matches would be competitive but also knew we’d probably come out on top.
“Nobody wants to turn up knowing they are going to win – this makes it far more exciting for us, the crowd and everyone involved.”
Two first-half tries from forward Gnr Senitiki Nayalo (RHA) put the army on the front foot against the navy and they found themselves 21-19 ahead in the second period before going on to concede 15 points without reply.
Further scores from Sgt Nathanael Titchard-Jones (REME) and Spr Cameron McDonald (RE) gave them hope, but with their rivals slotting a penalty in between the deficit could not be closed as the clock ticked down.
Rokoduguni switched from centre to the wing for the RAF clash and the move paid off as his efforts, together with another brace from Nayalo, edged the soldiers to victory.
“We were so eager against the navy and too excited to score tries,” Austin said.
“At half-time we talked about getting back to basic rugby but they were more composed and had the better way of playing on the day.
“We tried to change our approach against the RAF as we knew they would have more of a forward game.
“It was great having Roko back on the wing. It gave us a bit more in attack and it is a position that allows him the freedom to just go.”
