Army-Navy game will be a sell-out and rightly so — the players are awesome ...

He has proper pace, scored a hat-trick in this game last year and has an

outside chance of making the World Cup squad next year.

He is playing unbelievably well for Bath and I would love to see his back-flip

try-scoring celebration make its mark during an international — it would put

Chris Ashton’s swallow dive firmly in its place. .

But even during the good times and the celebrations, it is difficult to move

too far from remembering just what it is these players do for their real

job.

As an active officer in the British Army, Rokoduguni could yet return to

Afghanistan.

Even his acrobatic celebration last year carried a reminder for a friend who

was injured and in the process of having his body and life put back together

at the rehabilitation centre at Headley Court.

“It was a promise I made to an injured colleague,” Rokoduguni explained after

the game. “We were visiting Headley Court and he was in a bad way and very

low.”

It is good to know that rugby can be used to lift someone’s spirits at the

toughest of times, but then rugby and the Armed Forces have always had a

close relationship.

At its heart, the game is all about people of different shapes and sizes, from

varied backgrounds, doing specific jobs to reach a common goal. Along the

way, we make sure we look after each other.

Some of my favourite motivational quotes are all from the times I spent with

members of the Armed Forces: “dislocated expectations” for when things go

wrong; “the strength of the wolf is the pack, the strength of the pack is

the wolf” for the balance you need between the individual and the team; and

“when you are physically and mentally exhausted, up the pace or sit down –

you decide”, for when you need to toughen up a bit and stop whingeing.

It is not often that Martin Johnson and Lawrence Dallaglio are in awe of

people. To be honest, they do not really back down in front of anyone —

Irish presidents, All Blacks or hostile crowds.

But they do come over all star-struck every now and then though, to be honest,

I have only ever seen it in one setting; the Help for Heroes games with

which I have been lucky to be involved.

The matches are aimed at raising money for servicemen and women who have been

injured in the line of duty. Rugby players past and present get mixed in

with serving members of the Armed Forces and we have a proper game.

As a player, when you spend time with people who really risk their lives for a

living, you get taken aback – especially when you realise just how much they

love rugby and how they are some of the most staunch supporters of the game.

From their messages of support to national sides and the Lions, to staying up

through the night to watch a match in harsh and unforgiving places, they

devour their sport.

Before matches at Twickenham, it is members of the Armed Forces who get the

ball on to the pitch, abseiling from the roof, huge flags displayed. They

are a vital part of what happens and have been doing it for so long and so well

that we often take what they do as a given.

That is why Saturday is so important. It is an opportunity for the players to

do what they love doing, watched by their friends, families and fans.

In the Rugby Football Union set-up nowadays, Stuart Lancaster, Chris Robshaw

and Ian Ritchie, the chief executive, always talk about how the England team

need to be – and stay – connected with the people who play and who watch the

game and the team.

Never to forget why they are doing what they are doing and for whom they are

doing it.

The Army-Navy game sums up this sentiment perfectly. It is all about

connectivity, grass roots, understanding, heritage and community.

That is why Twickenham is a sell-out, and why it is worth taking a minute to

remember what makes the match so special.

Article source: http://www.loverugbyleague.com/news_14865-powell-will-be-wary-of-cup-upset-says-aston.html

Army-Navy game will be a sell-out and rightly so — the players are awesome ...