1958 Great Britain Lions tour

The 1958 Great Britain Lions tour was the Great Britain national rugby league team's 11th tour of Australia and New Zealand and took place from May to November 1958. The Lions played 26 games on tour including the three test Ashes series against Australia and two tests against New Zealand.[1]

The Great Britain squad was coached by Jim Brough. The team captain was Alan Prescott from St Helens while Phil Jackson from Barrow was the tour vice-captain. The team managers were Mr B. Manson and Tom Mitchell.

The tour saw a record AU£78,417 in gate receipts with the Lions taking home a profit in excess of £40,000.

Touring squad

During the tour, players used numbers 1–26 in alphabetical order.

Player Club Position(s) Tests Games Tries Goals F/Goals Points
Alvin Ackerley Halifax Hooker 1
Harry Archer Workington Town Stand-off
Eric Ashton Wigan Centre 4 116
Dave Bolton Wigan Fullback, Stand-off 2
Frank Carlton St Helens Wing 1
Jim Challinor Warrington Centre, Wing 2
Alan Davies Oldham Centre, Stand-off 4
Brian Edgar Workington Town Prop, Second-row 2
Eric Fraser Warrington Fullback 5 238
Dennis Goodwin Barrow Centre, Prop, Second-row 2
Tommy Harris Hull Hooker 4
Dick Huddart Whitehaven Second-row 4
Ken Jackson Oldham Prop
Phil Jackson (vc) Barrow Centre, Stand-off 1
Vince Karalius St Helens Second-row, Loose forward 4
Mick Martyn Leigh Second-row 1
Brian McTigue Wigan Centre, Prop 4
Glyn Moses St Helens Fullback
Alex Murphy St Helens Scrum-half, Centre 4
Frank Pitchford Oldham Scrum-half 1
Alan Prescott (c) St Helens Centre, Wing, Loose forward 2
Ike Southward Workington Town Wing 4 165
Mick Sullivan Wigan Wing 5 114
Abe Terry St Helens Prop 2
Johnny Whiteley Hull Second-row, Loose forward 4
William Wookey Workington Town Wing

Australian leg

Test venues

The three Ashes series tests took place at the following venues. As per normal to maximise the gate, two tests were played at the 70,000 capacity Sydney Cricket Ground.

Sydney Brisbane
Sydney Cricket Ground Brisbane Exhibition Ground
Capacity: 70,000 Capacity: 35,000






The final match before the first Test was often viewed by the home side as a chance to soften up the tourists and that was certainly the case in a violent clash which saw four players dismissed by referee Col Pearce – Vince Karalius (Great Britain); Greg Hawick, Rex Mossop and Peter Dimond (NSW).


The Ashes

The three Ashes series tests drew an aggregate attendance of 171,060.

1st Test

Saturday 14 June
Australia  25–8  Great Britain
Tries:
Brian Carlson
Ross Kite
Rex Mossop
Kel O'Shea
Norm Provan
Goals:
Gordon Clifford (5)
Database[5]
Program
Tries:
Dave Bolton
Ike Southward



Goals:
Ike Southward (1)
Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
Attendance: 68,777
Referee: Darcy Lawler
Australia
Great Britain
FB1 Gordon Clifford
WG2 Ross Kite
CE3 Harry Wells
CE4 Brian Carlson
WG5 Ian Moir
FE6 Tony Brown
HB7 Keith Holman
PR13 Bill Marsh
HK12 Ken Kearney
PR11 Brian Davies (c)
SR10 Rex Mossop
SR9 Norm Provan
LF8 Kel O'Shea
Coach:
Norm Robinson
FB9 Eric Fraser
WG22 Ike Southward
CE14 Phil Jackson
CE7 Alan Davies
WG23 Mick Sullivan
SO4 Dave Bolton
SH19 Alex Murphy
PR21 Alan Prescott (c)
HK11 Tommy Harris
PR24 Abe Terry
SR8 Brian Edgar
SR16 Mick Martyn
LF25 Johnny Whiteley
Coach:
Jim Brough

After going through the tour undefeated before the test, the Lions ran into a hungry Australian side who led 10–0 after just 10 minutes and led 18–0 at halftime in front of 68,777 fans at the SCG.







Lions test fullback Eric Fraser kicked 15 goals from 18 attempts in the match. Dick Huddart crossed for 4 tries while Eric Ashton and Mick Martyn each scored 3 tries.


2nd Test

Saturday 5 July
Australia  18–25  Great Britain
Tries:
Brian Carlson
Peter Dimond
Keith Holman
Bill Marsh
Goals:
Gordon Clifford (3)
Database[7]
Team[8]
Tries:
Ike Southward (2)
Jim Challinor
Alex Murphy
Mick Sullivan
Goals:
Eric Fraser (5)
Brisbane Exhibition Ground, Brisbane
Attendance: 33,563
Referee: Darcy Lawler
Man of the Match: Alex Murphy
Australia
Great Britain
FB1 Gordon Clifford
WG2 Peter Dimond
CE3 Brian Carlson
CE4 Greg Hawick
WG5 Ross Kite
FE6 Tony Brown
HB7 Keith Holman
PR13 Bill Marsh
HK12 Ken Kearney
PR11 Brian Davies (c)
SR10 Rex Mossop
SR9 Norm Provan
LF8 Kel O'Shea
Coach:
Norm Robinson
FB9 Eric Fraser
WG22 Ike Southward
CE3 Eric Ashton
CE6 Jim Challinor
WG23 Mick Sullivan
SO4 Dave Bolton
SH19 Alex Murphy
PR17 Brian McTigue
HK11 Tommy Harris
PR21 Alan Prescott (c)
SR25 Johnny Whiteley
SR12 Dick Huddart
LF15 Vince Karalius
Coach:
Jim Brough

Inspired by captain Alan Prescott who played on until the end despite breaking his right arm in just the 3rd minute of the game, Great Britain leveled the series at 1–all with a 25–18 win over Australia in Brisbane. The injury ended Prescott's tour as a player. At half time, Prescott was offered a pain killing injection but refused, telling team manager Tom Mitchell "I just can’t got off, Tom. We would be two men short. We have got to win, so I had better help the boys". Great Britain also lost Dave Bolton with a broken collar bone after just 17 minutes.

With Vince Karalius and Brian McTigue providing the muscle and teenage scrum-half Alex Murphy providing the class, the Lions had the measure of Australia this day.




3rd Test

Former Australian captain Ken Kearney played his 31st and last test.

Saturday 19 July
Australia  17–40  Great Britain
Tries:
Greg Hawick
Keith Holman
Norm Provan



Goals:
Gordon Clifford (4)
Database[9]
Program
Scorers[10]
Tries:
Mick Sullivan (3)
Alan Davies
Alex Murphy
Ike Southward
Abe Terry
Johnny Whiteley
Goals:
Eric Fraser (8)
Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
Attendance: 68,720
Referee: Jack Casey
Man of the Match: Alex Murphy
Australia
Great Britain
FB1 Gordon Clifford
WG2 Ian Moir
CE3 Brian Carlson
CE4 Harry Wells
WG5 Peter Dimond
FE6 Greg Hawick
HB7 Keith Holman
PR13 Bill Marsh
HK12 Ken Kearney
PR11 Brian Davies (c)
SR10 Rex Mossop
SR9 Norm Provan
LF8 Kel O'Shea
Coach:
Norm Robinson
FB9 Eric Fraser
WG22 Ike Southward
CE3 Eric Ashton
CE6 Alan Davies
WG23 Mick Sullivan
SO4 Phil Jackson (c)
SH19 Alex Murphy
PR17 Abe Terry
HK11 Tommy Harris
PR24 Brian McTigue
SR25 Johnny Whiteley
SR12 Dick Huddart
LF15 Vince Karalius
Coach:
Jim Brough

Great Britain wrapped up The Ashes with a comprehensive 40–17 win over Australia in front of another 68,000+ crowd at the Sydney Cricket Ground. As he had done in the second test in Brisbane, 19 year old St Helens scrum-half Alex Murphy tormented the home side and was awarded the Man of the Match. Following the game, Lions players chaired injured captain Alan Prescott (carrying The Ashes cup) on a lap of honour of the ground.


The following matches took place after the New Zealand leg of the tour.

In this game against the NSWRFL's Representative Colts (U/21), future Australian captain Reg Gasnier played his first game against Great Britain.




New Zealand

1st Test

Saturday 26 July
New Zealand  15–10  Great Britain
Tries:
Rex Percy (2)
Tom Hadfield
Goals:
Cyril Eastlake (3)
[11] Tries:
Phil Jackson
Mick Sullivan
Goals:
Eric Fraser (2)
Carlaw Park, Auckland
Attendance: 25,000
Referee: Vic Belsham
New Zealand
Great Britain
FB1 Cyril Eastlake
WG2 Tom Hadfield
CE3 Reese Griffiths
CE4 George Turner
WG5 Neville Denton
FE6 George Menzies
HB7 Keith Roberts
PR13 Joe Rātima
HK12 Jock Butterfield
PR11 Henry Maxwell
SR10 Cliff Johnson (c)
SR9 Trevor Kilkelly
LF8 Rex Percy
Coach:
Travers Hardwick
FB9 Eric Fraser
WG5 Frank Carlton
CE3 Eric Ashton
CE6 Alan Davies
WG23 Mick Sullivan
SO4 Phil Jackson (c)
SH20 Frank Pitchford
PR17 Brian McTigue
HK1 Alvin Ackerley
PR10 Dennis Goodwin
SR8 Dick Huddart
SR25 Johnny Whiteley
LF15 Vince Karalius
Coach:
Jim Brough

Just a week after their Ashes triumph over Australia, Great Britain were brought back down to earth by a committed New Zealand side 15–10 at Carlaw Park in Auckland.


2nd Test

Saturday 9 August
New Zealand  15–32  Great Britain
Tries:
Tom Hadfield
Rex Percy
Keith Roberts
Goals:
Cyril Eastlake (3)
[12] Tries:
Mick Sullivan (3)
Eric Ashton (2)
Alex Murphy
Goals:
Eric Fraser (7)
Carlaw Park, Auckland
Attendance: 25,000
Referee: Vic Belsham
New Zealand
Great Britain
FB1 Cyril Eastlake
WG2 Tom Hadfield
CE3 Reese Griffiths
CE4 George Turner
WG5 Neville Denton
FE6 George Menzies
HB7 Keith Roberts
PR13 Joe Rātima
HK12 Jock Butterfield
PR11 Henry Maxwell
SR10 Trevor Kilkelly
SR9 Cliff Johnson (c)
LF8 Rex Percy
Coach:
Travers Hardwick
FB9 Eric Fraser
WG5 Ike Southward
CE3 Eric Ashton (c)
CE6 Jim Challinor
WG23 Mick Sullivan
SO6 Alan Davies
SH19 Alex Murphy
PR8 Brian Edgar
HK11 Tommy Harris
PR17 Brian McTigue
SR8 Dick Huddart
SR10 Dennis Goodwin
LF15 Vince Karalius
Coach:
Jim Brough

With Alex Murphy returning from injury, Great Britain outclassed New Zealand 32–15 in front of 25,000 at Carlaw Park.


References

  1. 1958 Great Britain Lions tour at Rugby League Project
  2. "English League Team Wins At Wollongong". The Canberra Times. Canberra: National Library of Australia. 19 May 1958. p. 12. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  3. "West Holds U.K. Side To Draw". The Canberra Times. Canberra: National Library of Australia. 22 May 1958. p. 24. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  4. "Englishmen Challenged". The Canberra Times. Canberra: National Library of Australia. 29 May 1958. p. 3. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  5. 1st Ashes Test
  6. "England Has Easiest Win Of Tour". The Canberra Times. Canberra: National Library of Australia. 23 June 1958. p. 9. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  7. 2nd Ashes Test
  8. "Hawick Chosen To Play In Second Test". The Canberra Times. Canberra: National Library of Australia. 30 June 1958. p. 12. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  9. 3rd Ashes Test
  10. "England Wins Test With Record Score". The Canberra Times. Canberra: National Library of Australia. 21 July 1958. p. 12. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  11. 1st Test – New Zealand vs Great Britain
  12. 2nd Test – New Zealand vs Great Britain
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