A FRIENDLY between the 11th Royal Malay Regiment and Club gave local rugby some much needed sparks last week.

The army side are preparing for their own regional tournament at the end of this month between the three Royal Malay Regiments based in Sarawak to select the top two sides for the National Royal Malay Regiments tournament in Perak next month.

The army side are basically new with only three or four having some experience and still a bit raw. Their commitment and enthusiasm could not be faulted although their tackling, technical and tactical nous are still off the mark.

According to the officer who came with them, they had only trained for about a month, and hence are still a bit rough around the edges.

The game last week was the first competitive play for them and it basically allowed them to benchmark themselves against an established side to gauge their play, identify technical and tactical shortfalls and rectify them.

The game kicked off at around 4.45pm and Club, with their better experience, were soon encamped in the army’s half but the latter’s defence did not yield.

Their tackling was a bit ragged with some over enthusiastic and over-the-top tackles which were soon rectified by the match official with some explaining. As expected of a new side, there were some niggly fumbles and unforced infringements, rendering the game less free-flowing.

Club’s players did not help with their frequent fumbles and knock-ons either. But their better experience finally told when they scored the first try about 15 minutes into the match.

At the break, the score was 26-0 to Club but it was not a lead that came easy, as Club struggled to impose themselves with the players not coordinating among themselves.

The second half saw Club adding one more try while the army side came back with a converted try of their own from a infringement by Club. From a quick tap-off, one of the more experienced army players scooted down the left side to score, catching most of Club’s players out of position. Final score: 31-7.

Overall, the game was quite fast with some good tackling although both sides fumbled a lot — which is quite acceptable for the army side as they are new with just a month’s training behind them. But for Club, the infringements, fumbles and mistakes were not acceptable as they have been playing together for a long time.

Club’s forward pack were non existent — except during the lineouts and scrums — with the loose forwards not linking and supporting the backline, and were very slow to the breakdowns at rucks and mauls.

Club won their scrums only because they had the experience. That’s all. But the lineouts were a different story altogether with the ball not being thrown straight most of the time, especially during the second half.

After the break, the army side were the fresher although Club still dominated territorially and possessionwise but were not able to capitalise on their domination which saw them losing the second half, 5-7.

The army side have promised to be back for another game before their tournaments starts.

Congratulations are in order for two of Club’s members who welcomed new additions to their family during the Raya festivities.

Club’s secretary Ghafar Arshad (Dun) and his lovely wife welcomed their second child before Hari Raya while last Sunday, Mohd Riduan (Benjo) and his lovely wife also welcomed their second child. I join Club’s president Dick B and members in extending heartiest congratulations to Ghafar and Mohd Riduan.

On a sad note, I extend my deepest condolences to the family of the late Yi Lee Kong — Lee Siew Hoon and their son Nathan Jesse — on their bereavement.

The late Yi, who passed away on Monday, was an editor with The Borneo Post, and I first met him when he was with The Sarawak Tribune. He was the one who encouraged me to write my weekly columns starting with The Sarawak Tribune during the mid 90s.

I actually did not start this column but Tim Wong, a former Club member, now in Singapore. And Yi encouraged me to continue where Tim left off.

Yi was a nice bloke, always with a smile on his face, and time for me.

He always encouraged me by giving me pointers on what to write. And his wife Siew Hoon is also very friendly and gracious, always with a smile and good word whenever we meet each other. To Siew Hoon, be strong and take care.

For those, if any, who have been reading my column, you will think that I’m being too hard and harsh on Club’s present set of players … and maybe I am. But as a member who’s been with Club for 20 over odd years and have won a number of tournaments and trophies with Club, it really disappoints me to see the stuff dished out by the present set of players every week during the games and tournaments.

I don’t mean to knock them but after playing for so long with Club, they do not seem to have improved one iota. In the beginning I gave them the benefit of the doubt as they were new, having made the transition from schools rugby to senior level but that reason does not hold water anymore now … after three or four years.

Most of the players seem to have reached a plateau in their game and can’t make that step up to another level. Except for a few players like Noel, Wan Safuan and Azsfa who have improved since joining Club, the rest seem to have stagnated.

The same mistakes are being repeated week in week out without any effort to cut them out and improve.

The forwards are in name only as they are a non-existent entity during a game except at the lineouts and scrums, without anyone leading them. The loose forwards do not link between the forwards and the backs, are not at the mark during breakdowns at mauls and rucks.

The backline can’t run straight — instead they run diagonally, and all of them seem unable to string more than three passes together before knocking on or dropping the ball.

If Frank were alive, his ‘jari mentega’ would ring out loud and clear across the field. Ball retention, possession, tackling, and passing, the game’s basics, are very poor, and there’s no one who can impose himself on the game and change the complexion of the game during the course of a match.

Game reading is non-existent — what they do is get the ball and just run and hope they can score.

Support for the ball carrier is patchy at best. And some of them are so injury prone that they seem to spend more time recovering from one injury before getting another injury after playing one or two matches and then have to lay off for the next two or three weeks.

The French Top 14 league and English Guinness Premiership are having a break for the first round of the Heineken Cup which started last week.

Match-ups this week saw Glasgow Warriors meeting Toulouse yesterday. Today’s fixtures: Benetton Treviso vs Leicester Tigers, Stade Francais vs Llanelli Scarlets, Harlequins vs Ulster, Ospreys vs Perpignan, Biarritz vs Cammi Calvisano, Castres vs Edinburgh Rugby and Leinster vs London Wasps.

Tomorrow’s matches: Sale Sharks vs defending champions Munster, Bath Rugby vs Gwent Dragons Newport, Montauban TG 15 vs Clermont Auvergne and Cardiff Blues vs Gloucester. The next round will be in December.

Today’s game is another friendly versus the 11th Royal Malay Regiment.

The 8th Regiment from Pakit Camp in Sri Aman were supposed to be the opponents today but after calling Dick to arrange for the match earlier in the week, there have been no further calls from them — so apparently that’s off.

All Club players who are looking for a game, PLEASE turn up at the field by 3.30pm latest so that Club veep and coach Yusop can pen in his line-up.

See you all at the field.