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During the Rod Macqueen era when the Wallabies won every trophy it was possible to win, a feature of the pre-test foreplay was John Williamson singing ‘Waltzing Matilda’.
The anthem started as the Wallabies took off their track suits before lining up for the kick-off. There was the weathered Williamson, with his gold Wallaby scarf draped around his neck, singing out Australia’s unofficial anthem. And the crowds around Australia would join in with a resonant and patriotic fervour.
Rod Macqueen, ever the master of strategy, wanted some sort of counter to the All Blacks haka. After the haka the All Blacks took the field all fired up. But their opponents had been standing around for some minutes.
Macqueen decided to put his players in track suits. After the haka the Wallabies were told to take off their track suits as slowly as possible. Now it was the All Blacks turn to wait around. And to compound the pressure on the All Blacks, John Williamson, a great Wallaby supporter, was asked to sing ‘Waltzing Matilda.’ After his stirring rendition, backed up by a full-throated crowd, the emotional charge had shifted to the Wallabies from the All Blacks.
For reasons unknown Williamson’s wonderful turn was dropped from Wallaby games in Australia. Is it a coincidence that the Wallabies started to lose home tests that were won in the Macqueen era?
On Saturday night, though, at Melbourne, John Williamson is back. The minstrel of the Wallabies will be there in his gold scarf after the haka to lead the huge crowd in song, in the battler’s anthem, ‘Waltzing Matilda.’
John you’ve been sorely missed …