Australia To Attempt a Grand Slam

The Australian Rugby Union and Rugby Football Union have agreed to terms for a test match November 7 at Twickenham, which will now be the first match of a rare Grand Slam series against the Home Nations.

This occurs 25 years after Alan Jones and Andrew Slack’s famous team became the first and only Australian test team to whitewash the four home unions.

Many believe that this was the genesis for the rise of Australian rugby.

The achievement was all the more remarkable for the circumstances leading into the tour. Jones, whose only top-level coaching experience had been with the Manly Marlins, took over from incumbent Bob Dwyer and would lead the squad to glory.

Despite being unable to break the All Blacks Bledisloe Cup stranglehold midyear, Jones eyed the end of year tour with the goal of sweeping the North, despite the Wallabies only winning one from four in 1981-82’s tour of Britain.

The expedition was a stunning success, with the Wallabies beating England 19-3 on  November 3rd at Twickenham, downing Ireland 16-9 on the 10th of November at Lansdowne road, smashing Wales 28-9 in Cardiff Arms Park on the 24th of November, and then at Murrayfield, on the 8th of December, completing the Slam with a 37-12 triumph over Scotland.

Mark Ella scored a try in every match, and the Wallabies also won nine of their provincial tour matches, while only losing four.

Now in 2009, Robbie Deans' rapidly improving Australian team will have the opportunity to become just the second-ever such side to complete a historic Slam, a year after the All Blacks completed their third last year.

The Springboks still hold the record achieving four Grand Slams (1912-13, 1931-32, 1951-52, and 1960-61).

The match against England replaces the English’s match against Fiji.

The RFU has stated that a significant portion of the profits from their match against the Wallabies will go to the Fiji Rugby Union, who are in financial dire straits, and recently lost their principal sponsor.

Fiji will play the United States in November instead, and will play the Wallabies in Australia in June next year.

"Moving around our autumn schedule is not ideal but to be able to offer Fiji substantive support we needed to find a multi-union approach," RFU chief executive Francis Baron stated.

"Playing a Test against Australia in replacement for the Fiji Test will allow us to generate additional revenue to provide meaningful financial support to the Fiji Rugby Union as part of the global package."

It is estimated that there will be a 7 million pound surplus from the match.

For the English, they will play test matches against the Pumas and All Blacks, before themselves being due in Australia in 2010 for a two-match test series.

ARU boss John O’Neill is obviously enthused about the end of year arrangements.

"We're pleased to confirm that a Grand Slam tour, after all these years, is back on our calendar again," O'Neill said.

"The long trips to the U.K. and Ireland to play all four Home Unions are an integral part of the rich history and tradition of the Wallabies.”

"I'm delighted the footsteps of the 1984 Grand Slam Wallabies will, for the first time in 25 years, be retraced by our current national side."

Grand Slam tour dates:

November 7 - Wallabies V England, London
November 15 - Wallabies V Ireland, Dublin
November 21 - Wallabies V Scotland, Edinburgh
November 28 - Wallabies V Wales, Cardiff

Australia HEAD TO HEAD V home Unions

England: Played 36, Australia 21, England 14, Drawn 1

Last match: 15th November 2008, Australia 28 – 14 England @ Twickenham, London

Ireland: Played 27, Australia 19, Ireland 8

Last match: 14th June 2008, Australia 18 – 12 Ireland @ Colonial Stadium Melbourne

Scotland: Played 25, Australia 18, Scotland 7

Last match: 25th November 2006, Australia 42 – 15 @ Murrayfield, Edinburgh

Wales: Played 28, Australia 17, Wales 10, Drawn 1

Last match: 29th November 2008, Wales 21 – 18 Australia