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Aviation History
1925
1925 - 0169.PDF
MARCH 19, 1925 INTER-SERVICES RUGBY FOOTBALL Royal Air Force v. Army THE last of the three Inter-Services matches was played at eccentric team, the Stadium, Wembley, on Saturday, March 14, and ended in a draw of 2 tries (6 points) all. The match was a most interesting and exciting one, played at a terrific pace right up to the end, and full of very good play, and also very bad play. On the run of the play, the Air Force may be congratulated on having avoided defeat (though only by a few inches in the last place kick) ; and yet, when all points of the game are considered, it is not at all easy to put one's finger on the reason why the Air Force did not win. They were much the better balanced team of the two, and they were good at all points—at full back iit three-quarter, at half-back, and forward. There was no point at which they failed, or were open to serious criticism, except the tendency to give the other side free kicks. They only gave away six this time, as against 10 when playing the Navy ; but a side which gives away 16 free kicks in two matches, and has no penalty goal scored against it, must be possessed of a very fine mascot. Mr. Vile, the best referee who ever blew whistle, did not have to penalise the Army at all. Perhaps the best praise which can be given to the R.A.F. XV is to say that in the second half of the game, when they were mainly on the defensive, they played harder and more skilfully than they did at the beginning. That being so, it was obviously the eccentricities of the Army team which determined the run of the game. And the Army was a very The outstanding^feature of the game was the really very bad passing of the Army centre three-quarters. It spoilt the possibility of innumerable scores, and no team so weak at such a vital point can deserve to win a champion- ship. R. K. Millar, the Scottish international, who twice scored against the dread All Blacks, never got a decent opening all through this game. G. J. Bryan, on the left wing, was slightly more fortunate, and made the very most of everything which came his way. But it was the Army forwards who made the difference between the first and second halves of the game. In the first, the Air Force pack had the best of them, but in the second the military were inspired with a red fury which overwhelmed everything. Both packs played in the Irish style—that is to say, not by scientific screwing and rushing all eight in unison, but in hectic dashes by two or three individuals who trusted to luck plus skill to get the ball on somehow. In this battle of forwards the Air Force badly missed G. R. Beamish, who was helping Ireland to beat Wales at Belfast ; and W. F. Brown, of the Army, was likewise wearing the green. The day was fine and the turf perfect. A very large crowd of spectators was very audible, but scarcely visible in the seats round the Stadium. The first incident of note was a touch down by the Air Force behind their own lines. Soon, however, they were into the Army's 25, and Wale dropped at goal, but the ball hit a soldier. The Air Force kept up the pressure and, after a quarter of an hour's play, R.A.F. v. ARMY RUGGER MATCH Above, a tough fight in the Army 25 areabreak away from a line-out. 169 and below, the RAJ.
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