1978 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and France

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

The 1978 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and France comprised the

Great Britain, winning the third and deciding Test match.[1] The tourists then moved on to France where they were narrowly beaten in both Tests, the last series the Kangaroos would lose until 2005.[2] In addition to these six internationals, the Australians played sixteen other matches against local club and representative sides in both countries. The 1978 Kangaroo tour followed the tour of 1973 while the next tour would be staged in 1982
.

Background

The 1978

Kangaroo tour was the first since 1973 and took place in the wake of Australia's rugby league season. Sydney's 1978 NSWRFL season, which contributed the vast majority of the tourists, ended later in the year than usual as it involved a grand final replay. For the English the tour was conducted during the first half of the 1978–79 Northern Rugby Football League season
.

Touring squad

The Australian team's coach was

Cronulla back rower Greg Pierce was named as vice-captain.[4] Manly-Warringah Grand Final winner John Harvey created some controversy when he declined selection for the tour due to personal reasons.[5] As a result, his Manly-Warringah teammate Bruce Walker was called in as a replacement.[6] Another Manly premiership winner Terry Randall also declined to tour citing exhaustion after Manly's arduous finals campaign in 1978 where the Sea Eagles played 6 matched in 24 days, including the drawn Grand Final against Cronulla-Sutherland, and the replay played just three days later. He later admitted regret in not touring.[7] One shock omission was Manly centre Russel Gartner, who had played two games for Australia in the 1977 World Cup including the Final
in which he scored a spectacular 65 metre solo try. Gartner, a speedy outside back who could play either centre or wing, had scored two tries in the Grand Final replay, one a 70-metre effort where he easily outpaced the Cronulla defence despite having torn his hamstring a week earlier, was considered unlucky not to tour.

Of the 28 man squad, only three Queensland based players were chosen - Souths Innisfail winger

St George back rower Rod Reddy
and Manly forward Bruce Walker.

The tour manager was

Canterbury-Bankstown Chief Executive Peter "Bullfrog" Moore, with Jim Caldwell as the co-manager.[8]

Craig Young was named 'player of the tour'.[9] Bob Fulton was the tourists' top try scorer with 9.[10] Michael Cronin was the tourists' top point scorer with 142.

Player Club Position(s) Tests Matches Tries Goals F/Goals Points
Chris Anderson
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs Wing 5
Queensland Kerry Boustead Innisfail Souths (Qld) Wing 5
New South Wales Les Boyd Western Suburbs Magpies Second-row, Prop 3
New South Wales Larry Corowa Balmain Tigers Wing 0
New South Wales Michael Cronin Parramatta Eels Centre 5 142
New South Wales Graham Eadie
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
Fullback 5
New South Wales Bob Fulton (c)
Eastern Suburbs Roosters
Five-eighth, Centre 5 9
New South Wales Geoff Gerard Parramatta Eels Prop, Second-row 5
Johnny Gibbs
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
Halfback 0
New South Wales Ron Hilditch Parramatta Eels Hooker, Prop 1
New South Wales Steve Kneen Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks Second-row, Lock 0
New South Wales Max Krilich
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
Hooker 2
New South Wales Steve Martin
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
Halfback 1
New South Wales Allan McMahon Balmain Tigers Fullback, Wing, Centre 0
Queensland Rod Morris
Eastern Suburbs Tigers
(Qld)
Prop 2
Queensland Greg Oliphant Redcliffe Dolphins (Qld) Halfback 0
Queensland Graham Olling Parramatta Eels Prop 3
New South Wales George Peponis Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs Hooker 2
New South Wales Greg Pierce (vc) Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks Lock, Second-row 0
New South Wales Ray Price Parramatta Eels Lock 5
New South Wales Tommy Raudonikis Western Suburbs Magpies Halfback 5
Queensland Rod Reddy
St George Dragons
Second-row, Lock 3
New South Wales Steve Rogers Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks Centre 4
New South Wales Ian Schubert
Eastern Suburbs Roosters
Fullback, Wing 0
New South Wales Alan Thompson
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
Five-eighth 3
New South Wales Ian Thomson
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
Prop 2
New South Wales Bruce Walker
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
Prop, Second-row 0
New South Wales Craig Young
St George Dragons
Prop 5

Great Britain leg

Test Venues

The three Ashes series tests took place at the following venues.

Wigan Bradford Leeds
Central Park Odsal Headingley
Capacity: 35,000 Capacity: 40,000 Capacity: 30,000
Saturday, 30 September Blackpool Borough 1 – 39
Australia
Borough Park, Blackpool
Tries:
Goals:
[11] Tries:
Goals:

Attendance: 2,700

Sunday 1 October Cumbria Cumbria 4 – 47
Australia
Craven Park, Barrow
Tries:
Goals:
[12] Tries:
Goals:

Attendance: 5,964
Referee: Stan Wall

Wednesday 4 October
Great Britain U/24
8 – 30
Australia
Craven Park, Hull
Tries:
Goals:
[13] Tries:
Goals:

Attendance: 6,418
Referee: Fred Lindop

Sunday 8 October
Bradford Northern
11 – 21
Australia
Odsal, Bradford
Tries:
Goals:
[14] Tries:
Goals:

Attendance: 15,755

Wednesday 11 October Warrington 15 – 12
Australia
Wilderspool, Warrington
Tries:
Goals:
[15] Tries:
Goals:

Attendance: 10,143

A controversial late Alan Gwilliam try gave Warrington a 15–12 win over Australia, with Steve Hesford kicking six goals. In the tourists' first lost match of the tour Warrington's packmen Tommy Martyn, Mike Nicholas, Tommy Cunningham and Roy Lester were in superb form, ably supported by replacement half backs Gwilliam and Clark. This was Warrington's eighth win over Australia since .[16]


Wales

The Kangaroos played a non-test international against

St. Helen's Ground
. As of 2017 this was the 13th and final rugby league international played at the ground.

Sunday, 15 October
Wales  3 – 8  Australia
Tries:


Goals:
David Watkins (1)
Field Goals::
David Watkins
[17]
Tries:
Bob Fulton
Tommy Raudonikis
Goals:
Michael Cronin (1)
Wales
Australia
FB 1 David Watkins (c)
RW 2 Clive Sullivan
RC 3 David Willicombe
LC 4 Eddie Cunningham
LW 5 John Bevan
SO 6 Bill Francis
SH 7 Paul Woods
PR 8
Jim Mills
HK 9 Tony Fisher
PR 10 Mel James
SR 11 Glyn Shaw
SR 12 Trevor Skerrett
LK 13 Roy Mathias
Substitutions:
IC 14
IC 15
Coach:
Wales Kel Coslett
FB 1 Graham Eadie
LW 2 Ian Schubert
RC 3 Michael Cronin
LC 4 Steve Rogers
RW 5 Kerry Boustead
FE 6 Bob Fulton (c)
HB 7 Tommy Raudonikis
PR 8 Graham Olling
HK 9 George Peponis
PR 10 Ian Thomson
SR 11 Greg Pierce
SR 12 Rod Reddy
LF 13 Ray Price
Substitutions:
IC 14 Craig Young
IC 15 Alan Thompson
Coach:
Australia Frank Stanton

Kangaroos' vice captain Greg Pierce injured his knee in this match and made no more appearances on the tour.[18]


Tuesday 17 October Leeds 19 – 25
Australia
Headingley, Leeds
Tries:
Goals:
[19] Tries:
Goals:

Attendance: 9,781

1st Ashes Test

This year Great Britain had the opportunity to re-gain the Ashes title on home soil. The Ashes series was styled the "Forward Chemicals Test series" due to sponsorship reasons.

Saturday 21 October
Great Britain  9 – 15  Australia
Tries:
George Fairbairn
(3)
[20]
Tries:
Kerry Boustead
Bob Fulton
Goals::
Mick Cronin (4)
Field Goals::
Bob Fulton
Central Park, Wigan
Attendance: 17,644
Referee: Ron Campbell United Kingdom
Player of the Match: Rod Reddy
Great Britain
Australia
FB 1
George Fairbairn
RW 2 Stuart Wright
RC 3 Eric Hughes
LC 4 Eddie Cunningham
LW 5 John Bevan
SO 6 Roger Millward (c)
SH 7 Steve Nash
PR 8 Jimmy Thompson
HK 9 David Ward
PR 10 Paul Rose
SR 11 George Nicholls
SR 12 Len Casey
LK 13 Steve Norton
Substitutions:
IC 14 John Holmes
IC 15 Phil Hogan
Coach:
England Peter Fox
FB 1 Graham Eadie
RW 2 Kerry Boustead
RC 3 Steve Rogers
LC 4 Michael Cronin
LW 5
Chris Anderson
FE 6 Bob Fulton (c)
HB 7 Tommy Raudonikis
PR 8 Graham Olling
HK 9 Max Krilich
PR 10 Craig Young
SR 11 Geoff Gerard
SR 12 Rod Reddy
LF 13 Ray Price
Substitutions:
IC 14 Steve Kneen
IC 15
Coach:
Australia Frank Stanton

Great Britain were trailing 6-7 with fifteen minutes remaining when an Australian pass went to ground and Welsh winger John Bevan kicked the ball ahead. It was then a foot race between him and Australian fullback Graham Eadie to reach the ball which was slowing within Australia's in-goal area. Both players stumbled and dived, with Bevan getting a hand on the ball and claiming the try which was awarded, giving the home side a 9-7 lead. The Kangaroos then worked their way up to the other end of the field and moved the ball through the hands out to the right wing where Kerry Boustead crossed for a try, regaining his side the lead 9-10. In the final minutes Australian captain Bob Fulton forced his way over for a try which was also converted, so the match ended with the scoreline at 9-15.


Wednesday 25 October Widnes 11 – 10
Australia
Naughton Park, Widnes
19:00
Tries:
Stuart Wright
Goals::
Mick Burke (4)
[21] Tries:
Michael Cronin
(2)

Attendance: 12,202
Referee: Ron Moore

Widnes:

(c). Coach - Doug Laughton

Australia:

Widnes, the reigning British champions, were leading 7–2 half time. Up to and including the last Kangaroo tour in which Australia played English club teams as part of their schedule in

1994, this was the last game the Kangaroos lost to an English club side. This was also the only time in what would be 15 tour games between 1909–1990 that Widnes would defeat The Kangaroos. Their previous best result was a 13–all draw on 21 October 1937 during the 1937–38 tour
.


Sunday 29 October Hull F.C. 2 – 34
Australia
The Boulevard, Hull
Tries:
Goals:
[22] Tries:
Goals:

Attendance: 10,723

Wednesday 1 November Salford 2 – 14
Australia
The Willows, Salford
Tries:
Goals:
[23] Tries:
Goals:

Attendance: 6,155

2nd Ashes Test

Several changes were made to the Great Britain team, including a completely new front row. This match was broadcast live.[24]

Sunday 5 November
Great Britain  18 – 14  Australia
Tries:
George Fairbairn
(6)
[25]
Tries:
Ray Price
Steve Rogers
Goals:
Mick Cronin ( 2 ) Steve Rogers (2)
Odsal, Bradford
Attendance: 26,761
Referee: Mick Naughton United Kingdom
Player of the Match: Brian Lockwood
Great Britain
Australia
FB 1
George Fairbairn
RW 2 Stuart Wright
RC 3 John Joyner
LC 4 Les Dyl
LW 5 John Atkinson
SO 6 Roger Millward (c)
SH 7 Steve Nash
PR 8
Jim Mills
HK 9 Tony Fisher
PR 10 Brian Lockwood
SR 11 George Nicholls
SR 12 Phil Lowe
LK 13 Steve Norton
Substitutions:
IC 14 John Holmes
IC 15 Paul Rose
Coach:
England Peter Fox
FB 1 Graham Eadie
RW 2 Kerry Boustead
RC 3 Steve Rogers
LC 4 Michael Cronin
LW 5
Chris Anderson
FE 6 Bob Fulton (c)
HB 7 Tommy Raudonikis
PR 8 Graham Olling
HK 9 Max Krilich
PR 10 Craig Young
SR 11 Geoff Gerard
SR 12 Rod Reddy
LF 13 Ray Price
Substitutions:
IC 14 Alan Thompson
IC 15 Les Boyd
Coach:
Australia Frank Stanton

In the final minutes of the first half the British had just made their way into Australia's half of the field when they made a break up the middle through Roger Millward. He then kicked the ball ahead as he was being tackled and his winger Stuart Wright was chasing through to get a hand on it and score. The try was converted so the home side led at the break 11 – 4.

In the second half Britain's right centre John Joyner made a break and popped a pass over to his winger Stuart Wright to cross once again. They won the match 18–14 to bring the series to 1-all.

This would be the last time Great Britain beat Australia in a Test match for another ten years.[26]


Wednesday 8 November Wigan 2 – 28
Australia
Central Park, Wigan
19:30
Tries:

Goals:
George Fairbairn
(1)
[27] Tries:
Michael Cronin
(5)

Attendance: 10,645
Referee: Peter Massey

Wigan:

Australia:

At half time Wigan trailed Australia 2 – 5.[28]


In a Leeds bar, a member of Surrey rock band The Jam, Paul Weller, glassed the face of Jim Caldwell, the team manager from Queensland.[29] Australian player Larry Corowa ran to defend the bloodied Caldwell, was punched from behind himself and raced into a nearby bar to get teammates to provide reinforcements for the brawl that ensued. One member of The Jam landed in hospital with broken ribs and another was reported at the time to have been charged with assault. The official police statement cleared the Australians of any wrongdoing.[30]


Sunday 12 November St. Helens 4 – 26
Australia
Knowsley Road, St. Helens
Tries:
Goals:
[31] Tries:
Goals:

Attendance: 16,352

The game against St Helens saw the largest non-test attendance of the tour of 16,532.


Tuesday 14 November York 2 – 29
Australia
Clarence Street, York
Tries:
Goals:
[32] Tries:
Goals:

Attendance: 5,155

3rd Ashes Test

Warrington's John Bevan came into the centres for Leeds star Les Dyl, while Hull F.C. prop Vince Farrar made his Great Britain debut in place of second test Man of the Match, Hull Kingston Rovers' forward Brian Lockwood who was unavailable due to injury. The Kangaroos maintained the same backline from the 2nd Test, but brought George Peponis, Rod Morris and Les Boyd into their forward pack.

Saturday 18 November
15:00
Great Britain  6 – 23  Australia
Tries:
John Bevan
Roger Millward


Goals:
[33]
Tries:
Tom Raudonikis
Goals:
Mick Cronin (5/6)
Field Goals:
Bob Fulton
(1)
Tom Raudonikis
Great Britain
Australia
FB 1
George Fairbairn
RW 2 Stuart Wright
RC 3 John Joyner
LC 4 John Bevan
LW 5 John Atkinson
SO 6 Roger Millward (c)
SH 7 Steve Nash
PR 8
Jim Mills
HK 9 Tony Fisher
PR 10 Vince Farrar
SR 11 George Nicholls
SR 12 Phil Lowe
LK 13 Steve Norton
Substitutions:
IC 14 John Holmes
IC 15 Paul Rose
Coach:
England Peter Fox
FB 1 Graham Eadie
RW 2 Kerry Boustead
RC 3 Steve Rogers
LC 4 Michael Cronin
LW 5
Chris Anderson
FE 6 Bob Fulton (c)
HB 7 Tommy Raudonikis
PR 8 Craig Young
HK 9 George Peponis
PR 10 Rod Morris
SR 11 Geoff Gerard
SR 12 Les Boyd
LF 13 Ray Price
Substitutions:
IC 14 Alan Thompson
IC 15 Ian Thomson
Coach:
Australia Frank Stanton

The deciding test attracted the largest attendance of any match on the tour. After two penalty goals by Mick Cronin Australia led by 4 points to nil. The Kangaroos then got the first try of the match with a close-range dive from George Peponis at dummy-half. The conversion by Cronin was successful so Australia led 9 – 0. The visitors scored another try when the ball was passed from dummy-half to a steamrolling Les Boyd who raced through to score under the goal posts, bringing the lead to 12 – 0. Later, after making a break and crossing the half-way line Raudonikis passed to Geoff Gerard who ran the remaining metres to score untouched, making the score 17 – 0.

Australian fullback Graham Eadie crossed early in the second half but the try was controversially disallowed for a forward pass. Bob Fulton took the Australians' lead out to 20–0 with a drop-goal early in the second half.[34] Great Britain scored the first try of the second half when 31-year-old Roger Millward, captaining Great Britain for the last time,[35] reached out of a tackle and bounced the ball off the turf of the Australian in-goal area. The home side scored again when they moved the ball through the hands out to the left wing where Bevan dived over in the corner. The Kangaroos scored next when Raudonikis, directly from a scrum win, ran through and put the ball down.

Australia therefore retained the Ashes with the first of a fourteen-year winning streak between these two sides that would last until 1988.[36]

France leg

Wednesday 22 November
Catalan XIII
15 – 26
Australia
Stade Gilbert Brutus, Perpignan
Tries:
Goals:
[37] Tries:
Goals:

Attendance: 2,270

1st Test

Steve Martin was selected to make his Test debut.[38]

Sunday 26 November
France  13 – 10  Australia
Tries:
Michel Naudo

Goals:
José Moya (5)
[39]
Tries:
Michael Cronin
Graham Eadie

Goals:
Michael Cronin (2)
Stade d'Albert Domec, Carcassonne
Attendance: 7,000
Referee: Andre Breysse France
France
Australia
FB 1 Francis Tranier
RW 2 José Moya
RC 3 Christian Laumond
LC 4 Michel Naudo
LW 5 Philippe Fourcade
SO 6 Éric Waligunda
SH 7 Ivan Grésèque
PR 8 Henri Daniel
HK 9 André Malacamp
PR 10 Delphin Castanon
SR 11 Didier Hermet
SR 12 Charles Zalduendo
LK 13 Michel Maïque (c)
Substitutions:
IC 14
IC 15
Coach:
France Roger Garrigue
FB 1 Graham Eadie
RW 2 Kerry Boustead
RC 3 Michael Cronin
LC 4 Steve Martin
LW 5
Chris Anderson
FE 6 Bob Fulton (c)
HB 7 Tommy Raudonikis
PR 8 Craig Young
HK 9 George Peponis
PR 10 Rod Morris
SR 11 Geoff Gerard
SR 12 Les Boyd
LF 13 Ray Price
Substitutions:
IC 14
IC 15
Coach:
Australia Frank Stanton

France won the first Test 13–10 at Stade Albert Domec in Carcassonne.


Wednesday 29 November Côte d'Azur 7 – 29
Australia
Parc des Sports, Avignon
Tries:
Goals:
[40] Tries:
Goals:

Attendance: 645

Sunday 3 December Les Espoirs (Colts) 20 – 5
Australia
Stade Municipal d'Albi, Albi
Tries:
Goals:
[41] Tries:
Goals:

Attendance: 1,600

Wednesday, 6 December Midi-Pyrénées XIII Midi-Pyrénées 7 – 36
Australia
Tries:
Goals:
[42] Tries:
Goals:

Attendance: 1,627

2nd Test

Sunday 10 December
France  11 – 10  Australia
Tries:
Michel Naudo

Goals:
José Moya (3)
Field Goals:
Jean-Marc Bourret (1)
Éric Waligunda (1)
[43]
Tries:
Michael Cronin
(2)
Stadium Municipal, Toulouse
Attendance: 6,500
Referee: P Laverny France
France
Australia
FB 1 Francis Tranier
RW 2 José Moya
RC 3 Christian Laumond
LC 4 Michel Naudo
LW 5 Gerard Borreil
SO 6 Éric Waligunda
SH 7 Jean-Louis Castel
PR 8 Henri Daniel
HK 9 André Malacamp
PR 10 Delphin Castanon
SR 11 Didier Hermet
SR 12 Charles Zalduendo
LK 13 Michel Maïque (c)
Substitutions:
IC 14 Jean-Marc Bourret
IC 15 Joël Roosebrouck
Coach:
France Roger Garrigue
FB 1 Graham Eadie
RW 2 Kerry Boustead
RC 3 Steve Rogers
LC 4 Michael Cronin
LW 5
Chris Anderson
FE 6 Bob Fulton (c)
HB 7 Tommy Raudonikis
PR 8 Ian Thomson
HK 9 Ron Hilditch
PR 10 Craig Young
SR 11 Geoff Gerard
SR 12 Rod Reddy
LF 13 Ray Price
Substitutions:
IC 14 Graham Olling
IC 15 Alan Thompson
Coach:
Australia Frank Stanton

The referee was Mr Laverny from Bordeaux. France were coached by Roger Garrigue. Their line-up included world class players, lock, Joël Roosebrouck[44] and prop, Didier Hermet from Villeneuve-Sur-Lot, and Jean-Marc Bourret in the centres. Ron Hilditch played at hooker in place of Max Krilich who was injured.[45] France claimed a 2–0 series win over the touring Kangaroos with an 11–10 result at the Stade Municipal, Toulouse in front of 6,500 spectators.

France thus became the last team to record successive victories against Australia in a single series.

2005 Tri-Nations.[47]

Statistics

Leading Try Scorer

Leading Point Scorer

  • 142 by
    Michael Cronin

Largest Attendance

Largest Club Game Attendance

References

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  2. ^ AFP (27 November 2005). "Kiwis crush Kangaroos in Tri-Nations final". ABC News. Retrieved 9 February 2014.
  3. Sport Australia Hall of Fame
    . sahof.org.au. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
  4. Australian Rugby Football League
    . 2008. p. 57.
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  11. ^ Blackpool vs Australia
  12. ^ Cumbria vs Australia
  13. ^ Great Britain U/24 vs Australia
  14. ^ Bradford Northern vs Australia
  15. ^ Warrington vs Australia
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  17. ^ Wales vs Australia
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  20. ^ 1st Ashes Test
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  33. ^ 3rd Ashes Test
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  38. ^ wagga.nsw.gov.au. "Steve Martin". Sporting Hall of Fame. Museum of the Riverina. Retrieved 8 February 2014.
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