Match Reaction - Infantry return to Corps League 1 with Finals victory

Infantry skipper Capt Giles Bromley-Martin revealed it was ‘massive’ for his side to return to the top flight of the Corps Championships following their 24-16 Division Two final win against Royal Signals.

In a remarkable game which featured seven yellow cards , Infantry full back Pte Muritoki and Sig Kevin van der Leest exchanged early penalties before the eventual winners moved in front with a sumptuous try, a dashing break from scrum-half Rfn Vili Salusalu setting-up Hbdr Vula on the left.

Muritoki’s conversion made it 10-3, but after Vula was sin-binned, two van der Leest penalties and a converted try – scored despite Signals No. 8 Kola Kalewabau being carded for a high tackle – had his side 16-10 up just after the break.

Fly-half van der Leest then blotted his copybook with a yellow, but Infantry then had three within a 10-minute period as they were reduced to 12 men.

They valiantly dealt with the situation, though, and tries from LCpl Koroiadi and Fus Wara secure the win before another late yellow for Signals.

Commenting on victory, Capt Bromley-Martin said: “It feels very good and I’m happy. I wouldn’t say the performance was quite there, but I can’t fault the guys.

“For everyone in the group it was a massive thing to win because we believe the Infantry belongs in the top league.

“From coming down the aim was to get back into Division One and then compete as much as we can next year.”

In a see-saw game which mixed superb attack with questionable discipline, the skipper continued: “We’re lucky to have some flair, X-Factor players who we try to get the ball into their hands – when they have a bit of space they’re going to score, but the Signals did very well to stop us doing that a lot of the time.

“It was a stop-start second half, but we just kept trying to get back to our shape as best we could – in defence we talked about just leaving the ball alone and working hard, and that just about kept us in the game.

“We spoke when we went down to 12 about giving it everything we had left, and the guys showed great heart right to the end.”

And while pleased with the whole squad effort, the inside centre saved his last words for a key part of the backroom team as he ended: “I’ve got to thank Woody, he’s been around for years and given so much to both Infantry and Army rugby, so he’ll be missed.”

Words © Richard Ashton

All images – Alligin Photography © Andrew Fosker

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