Ross Land/Getty Images
That was the year that many believed was the genesis for the Wallabies elevation to legitimate world powers, when a marvellous Australian team under Coach Alan Jones arrived at Twickenham on Nov. 3, 1984, and would go on to record a famous Grand Slam.
The tour, which was 25 years ago, was the seventh Grand Slam attempt by an Australian side.
This tour will be the 24th such tour by any Tri Nations power and at its conclusion will see the Wallabies join the All Blacks and Springboks as having undertaken eight such visits.
In 1927-'28, the team would tour as New South Wales, with Queensland Rugby Union effectively a non-entity at the time (the QRU was disbanded in 1919 and reformed in 1928). Despite beating Ireland 5-3 in the first game—the first ever test match between the sides—and Wales, 18-8, they would lose narrowly to Scotland, 8-10, and England, 18-11.
In 1986, the ARU would declare the matches as full internationals.
That New South Wales team would contain legends such as Alex Ross, Johnnie Wallace, and Cyril Towers, and be captained by Tom Lawton, the latter of whom would captain Australia to their first series whitewash of the All Blacks in 1929.
In 1947-'48, the Wallabies would embark on a mammoth 41-match tour, captained by Bill Mclean, a former Australian commando. Australia would beat Scotland, 16-7, and Ireland, 16-3, in their first two tests, but would be shut down in a dour match by Wales, 0-6.
They would beat England, 11-0, and finish their account against the home nation test sides with the notable record of not having their try line breached.
The 1957-'58 tour represented a nadir in Australian rugby, with the side travelling to Britain, Ireland, France, and Canada. Of the 41 matches played, the Wallabies would win only 22 and would lose all five tests on the tour.
England, the 1957 Five Nations champions, would celebrate the Australian victory as their first win over a Southern test power since the end of the second World War.
Nearly 10 years later, Ken Catchpole would take an impressive Wallabies team on tour. The 1966-'67 itineraries would see the Australians play 36 matches. Despite beating Wales, 14-11, to kick off their test matches, they would lose to Scotland and Ireland to deny them another opportunity at the home nation’s sweep.
However, they would beat England, 23-11, the heaviest defeat to the English in over a decade, where Catchpole’s performance was proclaimed by many to be arguably the greatest routine by a No. 9.
In 1975-'76, the Wallabies would head north buoyed after earlier beating the English, 2-0, on home soil. Despite this, they would again fail on their Grand Slam quest, losing their first three matches badly.
The 10-3 loss to Scotland, 28-3 thumping by Wales, and 23-6 reversal by England would be the heaviest succession of losses suffered by an Australian team.
In 1981-'82, a young Australian team would tour, containing then unknown players by the names of Simon Poidevin, Andrew Slack, and two brothers with the surname Ella.
4 Comments
Loading more comments...
This comment and all replies have been deleted This comment has been deleted Undo delete