Servicemen battle in game of mud and guts

LEILANI HATCH/Manawatu Standard

GET DOWN AND DIRTY: The Royal New Zealand Air Force's Alcide Gosselin is about to do just that as he is tackled by the Army's Adaam Ross during their inter-services match at Linton Camp.

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Once a player hit the deck he became unrecognisable – so dreadful were the conditions that greeted the New Zealand Army and Royal New Zealand Air Force for their match at Linton yesterday.

The mud rendered every man indistinguishable.

The army ground out a 39-3 win in their King George V Cup match, but the conditions acted as a 16th man for whoever was on defence. The attacking side struggled to string phases together before they knocked the ball on.

Three tries in the final 10 minutes for the soldiers blew out the scoreline as the air force were overwhelmed by a bigger opposition.

Air force coach Tom Kelly said it would be a tough ask to back up against the Royal New Zealand Navy today, after a draining loss to the army.

"I'm pretty disappointed with the scoreline," he said.

"Pretty much the size of the army boys wore us down in the end."

The air force had their fair share of chances and a weight of possession when they were in touch on the scoreboard, but couldn't breach the defence, even when the army had a man in the sinbin for repeated infringing.

Army coach Pita Lloyd said the conditions didn't suit his side, who like to chance their arm in the backs.

"It's the simple things in rugby – in conditions like this – that win the game," he said.

"Our guys like to move the ball so I don't want to stop them."

He did manage to find one positive from the weather though.

"I'm glad the sun was out for the whole game."

Linton five-eighth Adrian Curry was one of the influential figures for the army, alongside Manawatu sevens rep Lloyd Carter, who played at fullback. They were captained by former Turbo Aaron James.

Blindside flanker Grant Robson was the army's man of the match, while Jimmy Peters was the best for the air force.

Air force and Te Kawau fullback Bryce Hesselin showed spark from the back and made an entertaining break in the opening passage of play.

Army play the navy tomorrow.

Army 39 (Lloyd Carter, Matty Oldridge, Adrian Curry, Mike Coom, Dane Berghan, Ben Herangi tries, Curry 3 con, pen) Air Force 3 (Scott Robinson pen) HT 10-3.

- © Fairfax NZ News