Army Women Match Reports - 2006-2007
The Women's 10th Season

Fitzpatrick scored a try and converted three for a personal tally of eleven points. Her all round presence in attack attracted the Blues defence away from the proven strike force of 'Sonic' Homer who touched down for the final try and Titilia Bani who surged powerfully to score in the 23rd minute. Bani was always on the lookout for work and popped up in places that must have given coach Dean Lewis nightmares.

2Lt Rebecca (Sonic) Homer (ball carrier) and Cpl Titilia Bani (behind)
Army Navy match 2007

The ever present flanker Amie Williams, centre Sarah Roper and fly half Sarah Hudson scored second half tries that ensured the Army again collected the silverware.

This is an Army side with all-round strength that has had an unbeaten season against proven opposition. Such performances must encourage the players and their coaches realistically to challenge the best non-professional teams in the country.

Other Army team scores:

Army (39) v Navy (25) - Read Report

Army Veterans (53) v Ancient Mariners (0) Read Report

Posted: 10 May 07

Army (46) v RAF (0)
25 April 2007 - Aldershot

Army Women sprint to victory

Reporter/Photographer: Roger Thompson

The Army took the Inter Service Championship by the scruff of the neck when they demolished a brave RAF side by 46pts-nil at Aldershot. The RAF having already beaten the Royal Navy were looking for their first Championship but had not counted on the power of a rampaging Army pack where the ball carriers were queuing up to have a crash at the Light Blue defences.

This was another sensational result for an Army side that, this season, remains unbeaten. And, as they say, despite the apparent difficulties.

The long serving coach Gareth Ivory had left the Service and there were eight new caps to savour the cut and thrust of the Inter Services. Also Spr Jane Leonard was on England 'A' duty in the European Championships in Madrid.

Up stepped the reinforcements led to the white touchline by coach WO2 Deano Lewis and a new skipper Capt Kat Woods.

The Reds attacked from the very start. England international hooker Ann OFlynn set the tone crashing over for an unconverted try followed by Sarah Wilkinson, a dynamic lock who was to make her mark on the Army as well as most of the RAF pack.

The most welcome return to fitness and form of Maj Jules Parke-Robinson showed how she won thirteen caps for Wales. She thundered off the back of tight and loose play to set up forward bases from where the mercurial Cpl Kerry Fitzpatrick launched the backs. Working in harmony with Cpl Sarah Roper, 2Lt 'Sonic' Homer was again in dazzling form. She is such a gifted sprinter that, given a sniff of space on the outside, she is almost impossible to stop.

There is a ferocious quality about this Army side in both attack and defence. 'Clearing -out' is regarded as an 'art form', tackling to put the opposition down to stay down is universal and running in support is quite endemic. It was this non-stop battering from players committed to the Red shirt that finally broke a spirited RAF team that has advanced in leaps and bounds in the past six seasons.

Tries were scored by Ann O'Flynn, Sarah Wilkinson (2), Jojo Joubert, Sonic Homer (2) Alvi Beanie and the veteran but no less inspired Sam Shepherd.

There were a number of contenders for 'Player of the Match' which on a fine balance went to Sarah Wilkinson. She scored two exceptional tries and was, according to coach Deano Lewis, "on fire throughout the match".

This is a reborn and very effective Army side . Under the leadership of skipper Kat Woods and coach Deano Lewis it remains unbeaten this season but there is the weighty matter of the Royal Navy at Kneller Hall on Saturday 5 May if this combination is to produce the Army's first ever clean sweep. Kick Off 10:30 am

Army (15) v Ulster (0)
10 January 2007 - Northern Ireland
Army women's rugby team triumphs in Northern Ireland

Reporter/Photographer: DGMC News Desk (dponi@btconnect.com)

In less than perfect conditions the Army women's rugby team took on the might of the Ulster ladies and beat them 15 points to nil.

The match, which was played at the Cooke Rugby Ground in Shawsbridge, Northern Ireland, featured a number of international players on both sides and was one of the Army team's warm-up matches before they defend their unbeaten Inter Services Title.

The players started the game in squally conditions which continued to deteriorate throughout the whole of the match. Kicking and line-outs on occasion were a hit-and-hope affair as the wind played havoc with the ball. Both teams were initially evenly matched with possession and territory equally fought over. Any loose ball was heavily contested for and rucks heavily committed to.

After a skirmish just inside Ulster's 22 the Army turned over the ball for No 13, Rebecca 'Sonic' Homer, to break through the Ulster defence and score a great try under the uprights 15 minutes into the first half.

The Army did not have it all their own way though as Ulster pressurised them ten metres from their line with Ulster's No 14, Jessica Elliot, unlucky not to score in the corner.

Then, in a similar move to the earlier try, 'Sonic' again broke through the Ulster defence to score another try just before half-time making the score Army 10 - Ulster 0.

The second half started with a number of changes to both teams as a result of the physicality of the first half; notably Army No 7, Jane Leonard (England Elite Squad), moved to the No 8 position and immediately made her presence felt by continually harrying the Ulster defence.

The Army piled on the pressure for most of the second half, their dynamic back row creating many chances but, to Ulster's credit, their defence was rock solid. In particular, No 4, Keva Vallely-Gilroy, proved to be a formidable opponent and made crucial high impact tackles against the Army side.

In the end though it was Jane Leonard (who had moved into the No 8 position) who sealed victory for the Army when she crossed the line in the corner in the 72nd minute to make the score Army 15 - Ulster 0.

Next match is against RMAS on 7 Feb 07

Posted: 17 Jan 07

Army Women (20) v British Police (5)
12 December 2006 - Aldershot
'Army outgun Police' or 'British Police Cop it at Aldershot'

Reporter/Photographer: Roger Thompson

The Army Women gave their supporters three tries that they will remember for the rest of the season when they overcame the British Police 20pts-5 at Aldershot.

The Reds opened their Centenary year into a fearsome wind that saw handling difficult, kicking a near impossibility and the lines-out an utter lottery. Nevertheless the Army stuck to their guns and ran some great ball when the opportunity presented itself—which wasn’t that often against a Police side that boasted a number of internationals including England’s Susie Appleby at scrum half.

The Police were clearly intent on preserving their recent record in this annual fixture, mauling and rucking ferociously, producing copious quantities of ball which the Army defence gobbled up somewhere between the Blues No 9 and outside centre. None of the 'scragging' a few years back-hard tackling that made most of the men sheltering in the stand wince.

Fabulous Reds tackling prevented the Police forming any sort of a pattern to their play. The back row Maj Sam Shepherd, Sgt Kristen Taylor and, for the last hour, Spr Jane Leonard closed with the enemy and were immediately in the thick of the action, with newcomer Leonard showing why she is being considered for England recognition.

The Police opened the scoring when the Blues pack rumbled over. That being a clear signal, and with so many experienced players, they failed to understand that the place for the ball was up in the air and on the wind to land where it hurt the Army the most.

Their lead was demolished against the run of expectation when scrum half Cpl Nancy Tuva made an instinctive break close to the scrum and turned on the gas to beat the Police backs poised to attack. Through many hands the ball was recycled for Jane Leonard to touch down close in. SSgt Martina Ashton, wind or no wind, realized the significance of the conversion and slotted the ball home.

In the second half with a 7pts-5 lead and with the gale behind, the Army was able to move forward. They also took risks some of which came off and some had their supporters reaching for the grog. Eventually it was the good old fashioned speed of the ball in the hand and the attacking flair of debutante centre Sonic Homer that unzipped the Police defence Homer has pace and poise and an acceleration that could only be God given. She made the second try for long striding LCpl Titilia Bani and then with a squadron of Reds shirts as escort out gunned the defence for 2Lt Emillie Astley-Arlington to crash over for the third. Great stuff and the small but noisy crowd went nuts.

Martina Ashton who had cemented the team, and provided most of the sealing wax and string when the going as tough in the first half, converted a penalty in the closing minutes for a 20pts-5 victory. She had also taken a lot of the stick with some brave forays into the Blue defence when possession and yardage were vital.

In 10 years of watching the Army Women this was their finest hour-and a half. The Army Reds tackled like Tigers and put on an attacking show which was a great credit to the players and their coaches. After the match Chairman Lt Col Eilean Cunningham said "It was an absolutely cracking game. We've waited 8 long years to beat the British Police, gradually closing the gap until we overcame them in such a spectacular fashion. We played six newcomers tonight which shows that Women's rugby is going from strength to strength".

Posted: 15 Dec 06

Army (30) v Salisbury Sabres (0)
Salisbury - 15 Nov 06

After the trials on the weekend 27-29th October we have whittled the squad down to 25 players.

The Army had 14 players on duty with the Combined Services the evening of the 12th November none of these players were called upon to play on the following evening.

The Army squad arrived at the Salisbury's ground after two days training. This being the third and final trial game the players realised that a place in the squad was up for grabs.

It was a wet evening and slightly windy, the emphasis this season is to play fast attacking expansive rugby. And the team did not let us down.

From the first whistle the army probed both flanks of the Salisbury team and also punched up the middle Salisbury held firm until the 25th minute when after 5 phases Pte Jo Joubert squeezed in the corner for her first try.

After the score, Salisbury started to build pressure through rolling mauls and quick rucks but the army defence stood strong through the amount of pressure applied by the army eventually Salisbury made mistake and through quick hands Pte Jo Joubert scored her 2nd try. With the score line of 10-0 to the army, this took us to the half-time whistle.

With a couple of injuries to Lt Kat Jones and Cpl Kelly Pearson. We re-jigged the back line with Lt Emillie Astley-Arlington coming on at fullback and Pte Jo Joubert moving to the left wing and OCdt Sonic Homer moving to inside centre.

So the 2nd half begun with a confident mood which carried on from the 1st half and the introduction of Lt Emillie Astley-Arlington at fullback cutting a superb line on the outside centre on our 22 and racing away to score in the corner.

Salisbury spurred on and determined to apply pressure on the army through scrums and trying to beat the army out wide, they kept attacking and it was not for another 5 minutes until the army got the ball in there hands and when they did it was Lt Emillie Astley-Arlington who popped up on the outside to score in the corner. This led to the army scoring another 2 quick trys by Cpl Kaye Hewitt and Capt Helen Cook.

Unfortunately Major Claire Philips was un -successful with the boot all evening but given the position and the weather conditions it would have been difficult for even a regular kicker.

With 10 minutes to go the Salisbury team where camped in the army 22, scrum, mauls rucks and lineouts they tried them all but could not get over the white wash then the army team went into penalty mode and gave Salisbury penalty after penalty but the defence held strong.

The game ended shortly after with the Army 30 - Salisbury 0, a good result for the team. And now we can look forward to taking on the British Police at Aldershot on the 13th December.