1966–67 Australia rugby union tour of Britain, Ireland and France

Between October 1966 and March 1967 the Australia national rugby union team – the Wallabies – conducted a world tour on which they played five Tests and thirty-one minor tour matches. Under the captaincy of John Thornett they toured UK, Ireland, France and Canada winning nineteen matches, losing fourteen and drawing three. At one stage they failed to win in four successive matches although in the Test match against England they gave the home side its heaviest defeat in 16 years. The tour marked the climax of the successful "Thornett Era" of Australian Rugby, buoyed by the leadership skills of skipper John Thornett and the outstanding abilities of greats of the game like Ken Catchpole, Peter Johnson and Rob Heming. Dick Marks and Peter Crittle also toured and would later become among the most influential administrators of Australian rugby.[1]

1966–67 Australia rugby union tour of Britain, Ireland and France
ManagerBill McLaughlin
Tour captain(s)John Thornett
Summary
P W D L
Total
36 19 03 14
Test match
05 02 00 03
Opponent
P W D L
 Wales
1 1 0 0
 Scotland
1 0 0 1
 England
1 1 0 0
 Ireland
1 0 0 1
 France
1 0 0 1

The squad's leadership

Bill McLaughlin a 1936 two Test cap Wallaby who would later serve a term a President of the Australian Rugby Union, was the tour manager. His test came early when after the Oxford University match – the 2nd match of the tour – Queensland hooker Ross Cullen was accused of biting the ear of Oxford front-rower Ollie Waldron. Waldron's ear needed treatment and McLaughlin acted to ban Cullen from the tour as punishment. Cullen was put on the next flight to Sydney and never played for his country again.[2]

Alan Roper was the Assistant Manager, the traditional coaching role of the touring party. Roper had been a schoolboy coach at Riverview in Sydney in the 1950s but had coached at the top-level in Australia since at least 1962 having success with the 1963 Australia rugby union tour of South Africa and again against the Springboks in a two Test domestic series in 1965.[3]

John Thornett an exceptional leader of men, was the squad captain. Thornett had at the tour's beginning already made 36 Test appearances for Australia, 15 as captain. He had been entrenched as Wallaby captain since 1962, leading the side more times than any player to that point in Australia's rugby history. He was making his eight Wallaby tour, his fourth as the team leader.

Matches of the Tour
Scores and results list Australia's points tally first.
Date Opponent Location Result Score
1 19 October North-Eastern Counties[2] Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne Lost 14–17
2 22 October Midland Counties East[4] Leicester Lost 9–17
3 26 October Oxford University RFC[2] Iffley Road, Oxford Won 11–9
4 29 October Neath & Aberavon[5] The Gnoll, Neath Won 9–3
Match 2 November Ebbw Vale & Abertillery[6] Ebbw Vale Won 25–6
Match 5 November Cardiff[7] Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff Lost 8–14
Match 12 November London Counties[8] Twickenham Stadium, London Lost 9–14
Match 16 November Glasgow - Edinburgh[9] Hughenden Stadium, Glasgow Won 18–11
Match 19 November South of Scotland[10] Mansfield Park, Hawick Lost 0–13
Match 23 November Newport[11] Rodney Parade, Newport Drew 3–3
Match 26 November Swansea[12] St Helens Ground, Swansea Lost 8–9
Match 29 November Pontypool, Cross Keys & Newbridge[13] Pontypool Park, Pontypool Lost 3–12
Test 3 December Wales Cardiff Arms Park Won 14–11
Match 7 December Leinster Rugby[14] Lansdowne Road, Dublin Won 9–3
Match 13 December The North[15] Linksfield Stadium, Aberdeen Won 6–3
Test 17 December Scotland Murrayfield Stadium Lost 5–11
Match 21 December North Western Counties[16] White City Stadium, Manchester Lost 3–8
Match 31 December Southern Counties Iffley Road, Oxford Won 27–6
Match 3 January Cornwall & Devon[17] Camborne, Cornwall Won 11–6
Test 7 January England Twickenham Stadium Won 23–11
match 11 January Midland Counties West[18] Moseley, Birmingham Lost 9–17
match 14 January Western Counties[19] Memorial Stadium (Bristol) Lost 0–9
Match 17 January Llanelli[20] Stradey Park, Llanelli Lost 11–0
Test 21 January  Ireland Lansdowne Road Lost 8–15
Match 25 January Munster[21] Musgrave Park, Cork Lost 8–11
Match 28 January Barbarians[22] Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff Won 17–11
Test 11 February France Stade de Columbes Lost 14–20
Match 16 February University of B.C[23] Varsity Stadium, Vancouver Won 11–6
Match 18 February British Columbia[23] Empire Stadium, Vancouver Won 24–11

Test matches

Wales
3 December 1966
Wales  11–14  Australia
(3 – 1t) Dawes
(3 – 1t) Morgan
(5 – 1pg, 1g) T Price		 Cardy (3 – 1t)
Lenehan (6 – 1t, 1pg)
Hawthorne (5 – 1fg, 1g)
Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff
Attendance: 50,000
Referee: KD Kelleher (IRFU)

AUSTRALIA: Jim Lenehan, Alan Cardy, Dick Marks, John Brass, Stewart Boyce, Phil Hawthorne, Ken Catchpole (c), Jim Miller, Peter Johnson, Tony Miller, Ross Teitzel, Rob Heming, Michael Purcell, Greg Davis, John O'Gorman.

WALES: Terry Price, Stuart Watkins, John Dawes, Gerald Davies, Dewi Bebb, Barry John, Allan Lewis, Denzil Williams, Norman Gale, John Lloyd, Brian Price, Delme Thomas, Ken Braddock, Haydn Morgan, Alun Pask (c).

Scotland
17 December 1966
Scotland  11–5  Australia
(3 – 1t) Boyle
(3 – 1t) Chisolm
(5 – 1pg, 1g) WIlson		 Brass (3 – 1t)
Lenehan (2 – 1g)
Murrayfield, Edinburgh
Attendance: 45,000
Referee: M Joseph (WRU)

AUSTRALIA: Jim Lenehan, Stewart Boyce, Dick Marks, John Brass, Alan Cardy, Paul Gibbs, Ken Catchpole (c), Jim Miller, Peter Johnson, Tony Miller, Ross Teitzel, Peter Crittle, Michael Purcell, Greg Davis, John O'Gorman.

SCOTLAND: Stewart Wilson, Sandy Hinshelwood, Jock Turner, Brian Simmers, David Whyte, David Chisolm, ALex Hastie, Norm Suddon, Frank Laidlaw, David Rollo, Peter Stagg, Peter Brown, James Fisher (c), Derrick Grant, Alasdair Boyle.

England
7 January 1967
England  11–23  Australia
(3 – 1t) Ashby
(8 – 1g, 2pg) Hosen		 Brass (3 – 1t)
Catchpole (3 – 1t)
Hawthorne (12 – 1pg, 3fg)
Lenehan (5 – 1g,1pg)
Twickenham, London
Attendance: 60,000
Referee: KD Kelleher (IRFU)

The Test marked Australia's best performance of the tour. With their halves Phil Hawthorne and Ken Catchpole in control the Wallabies gave England its heaviest defeat in 16 years.

AUSTRALIA: Jim Lenehan, Alan Cardy, Dick Marks, John Brass, Stewart Boyce, Phil Hawthorne, Ken Catchpole (c), John O'Gorman, Jules Guerassimoff, Greg Davis, Ross Teitzel, Peter Crittle, Roy Prosser, Peter Johnson, Jim Miller

ENGLAND: Roger Hosen, Keith Savage, Colin McFadyean, Christopher Jennins, Peter Glover, Richard Sharp (c), Clive Ashby, Phil Judd, George Sherriff, Budge Rogers, Dick Greenwood, Peter Larter, Mike Davis, Stephen Richards, Mike Coulman

Ireland
21 January 1967
Ireland  15–8  Australia
(3 – 1t) Duggan
(3 – 1t) Duggan
(3 – 1pg) Kiernan
(6 – 2fg) Gibson		 Boyce (3 – 1t)
Lenehan (3 – 1g)
Hawthorne (3 – 1fg)
Lansdowne Road, Dublin
Attendance: 54,000
Referee: M Joseph (WRU)

Ireland's first try was scored by Alan Duggan from a crossfield kick by Rea. A drop-goal followed by Ireland's Gibson from broken play deep in Australia's territory. Kiernan soon after kicked a penalty from out wide following an Australian infringement. Gibson followed with another drop-goal after a scrum close to the Australian line. Five minutes before half-time Hawthorne responded in kind and put the Wallabies on the board. The 3–9 scoreline at the break reflected Ireland's first-half dominance.

Australia pressed Ireland for a period after the break but a defensive lapse saw Gibson swoop for Ireland. Then the Australian back-line chimed and Boyce scored in the corner. Jim Lenehan kicked a tremendous conversion from the sideline putting Australia back in the match with the score 8–12. Ireland withstood the Australian effort in the final minutes before Gibson again showed coolness under pressure kicking another dropped goal for a 15–8 victory to Ireland.

AUSTRALIA: Jim Lenehan, Alan Cardy, Dick Marks, John Brass, Stewart Boyce, Phil Hawthorne, Ken Catchpole (c), John O'Gorman, Jules Guerassimoff, Greg Davis, Ross Teitzel, Peter Crittle, Roy Prosser, Peter Johnson, Tony Miller

IRELAND: Tom Kiernan, Alan Duggan, Barry Bresnihan, Harold Rea, Paddy McGrath, Mike Gibson, Brendan Sherry, Philip O'Callaghan, Ken Kennedy, Thomas Moroney, Willie-John McBride, Mick Molloy, Mick Doyle, Noel Murphy (c), Ken Goodall

France
11 February 1967
France  20–14  Australia
(3 – 1t) L Camberabero
(17 – 4pg, 1fg, 1g) G Camberabero		 Davis (3 – 1t)
Johnson (3 – 1t)
Hawthorne (8 – 1pg, 1fg, 1g)
Stade Colombes, Paris
Attendance: 26,475
Referee: RW Gilliland (IRFU)

AUSTRALIA: Jim Lenehan, Stewart Boyce, Dick Marks, John Brass, Alan Cardy, Phil Hawthorne, Ken Catchpole, John Thornett (c), Peter Johnson, Tony Miller, Ross Teitzel, Rob Heming, Jules Guerassimoff, Greg Davis, John O'Gorman.

FRANCE: Jean Gachassin, Bernard Duprat, Jean-Pierre Mir, Claude Dourthe, Christian Darrouy (c), Guy Camberabero, Lilian Camberabero, Jean-Claude Berejnoi, Jean-Michael Cabanier, Arnaldo Gruarin, Benoît Dauga, Walter Spanghero, Michel Sitjar, Christian Carrère, André Herrero

Touring party

Squad
Name Tests Club Career caps Tour Apps Position Pts
Jim Lenehan 5 Wagga Wagga 24 23.[24] Full-back 74[24]
J Francis 0
Alan Cardy 5 Drummoyne DRFC 9 Three-quarter
Stewart Boyce 5 13 Three-quarter
Dick Marks 5 17 Three-quarter
A Moore 0 Three-quarter
John Brass 5 Randwick DRUFC 12 Three-quarter
Ken Catchpole 5 Randwick DRUFC 27 Half-back
Phil Hawthorne 4 Wanderers Newcastle 21 Half-back
Paul Gibbs 1 1 Half-back
John Hipwell 0 Armidale City 36 Half-back
John Thornett (c) 1 Northern Suburbs Rugby Club 37 Forward
Greg Davis 5 Drummoyne DRFC 39 Forward
Peter Johnson 5 Sydney University 42 Forward
John O'Gorman 5 18 Forward
David Taylor 0 Forward
R Taylor 0 Forward
R Tulloch 0 Forward
Peter Ryan Forward
Phil Smith Forward
Rob Heming 2 Manly RUFC 21 Forward
Peter Crittle Sydney University Forward
Tony Miller 4 Manly RUFC 41 Forward
Roy Prosser 2 Northern Suburbs Rugby Club 25 Forward
Richard Webb 0 Forward
Michael Purcell 3 3 Forward
Jim Miller 3 7 Forward
D O'Callaghan 0 Forward
Jules Guerassimoff 3 University of Queensland 12 Forward
Ross Cullen 0 1 Forward
Ross Teitzel 5 University of Queensland 7 Forward

Published sources
  • Howell, Max (2005) Born to Lead – Wallaby Test Captains, Celebrity Books, Auckland NZ

References
  1. Meares and Howell; Wallaby Legends; Lothian Books, 2005
  2. "Scrum.com October on this day". Scrum.com. Retrieved 14 August 2011.
  3. Roper at The Roar
  4. Midland Counties program
  5. Neath-Aberavon program
  6. "Ebbw Vale program". Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 14 August 2011.
  7. Cardiff program
  8. "Scrum.com November on this day". Scrum.com. Retrieved 14 August 2011.
  9. Glasgow program
  10. Sth Scotland program
  11. Newport program
  12. Swansea program
  13. Pontypool program
  14. Leinster program
  15. Midlands First and Last. John Methven. H.B. Rutherford publishers. 1989.
  16. Nth West Counties program
  17. Cornwall/Devon program
  18. Midland Counties program
  19. Western Counties program
  20. Llanelli program
  21. Munster program
  22. Barbarians program
  23. Vancouver program
  24. Howell pp. 179–181
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