The 1984 Wallabies, my favourite all-time team
Roar Guru By sheek, 6 Mar 2009 The Crowd is a Roar Guru
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- 1984 Wallabies, David Campese, Mark Ella, Rugby Union, wallabies
In my opinion the best ever team to be put on the field in Australian rugby history was the side selected to play England on the Grand Slam tour.
15. Roger Gould
What can I say. One morning I will wake up and say Matt Burke was the best ever fullback, the next morning I’ll say Gould. And so on. Big man, big skills, big talent.
14. David Campese
Mercurial winger, famed for the ‘goosestep’ sidestep. Excitement machine. Really needs no introduction.
13. Andy Slack
Captain of the team and much better than people think. Underplayed his hand, but had wonderful all round skills.
12. Mike Lynagh
Only his second Test at this time. Went onto glittering career as playmaker and goalkicker. In top three or four flyhalfs.
11. Brendan Moon
Broke his arm in this Test and out for rest of tour. One of the best four or five wingers to represent Australia.
10. Mark Ella
If you had to pick one guy to show how rugby could be played to its maximum potential, Ella would be your man. Scored a try in each of the four internationals.
9. Nick Farr-Jones
On debut in this match. Went on to become one of our best ever scrumhalfs.
8. Steve Tuynman
Just his third Test. A schoolboy sensation who went onto excellent senior career. Had all the skills, but perhaps lacked some mongrel.
7. Simon Poidevin
Yet another legend. Outstanding flanker who could play both sides of scrum. Heart of the team with his committed, never say die attitude.
6. David Codey
Second Test. Aggressive tight-loose backrower who gave the Wallabies extra choice of options in lineout as well as in general play.
5. Steve Cutler
Born for the moment when “giraffes” were required because of the ‘no lifting’ edict. Supreme lineout jumper, but he was much more than a one-trick pony.
4. Steve Williams
Hard working, 80 minutes playing lock who complemented Cutler, and was the forward leader.
3. Andy McIntyre
One of our best ever tight heads. Went about his business without fuss and held his own in the bowels of the scrum.
2. Tom Lawton
In his early days had it all: size, strength, skills, mobility, technique, nous. Lawton, Kearns, Lawton, Kearns. Not much in it.
1. Topo Rodriguez
“Cometh the hour, cometh the man”. What he did to lift Aussie forward play goes beyond the playing pitch. Would have to be one of the greatest sporting emigrants to our country.
Bench
22. Peter Grigg
Pips the other Matt Burke (b.1964) for the outside back position. Whole hearted winger.
21. Mike Hawker
Says something about the depth of the Aussie backline that he couldn’t make the starting seven. Wonderful all round skills, gutsy and clever player.
20. Phil Cox
Played the domestic Tests against the All Blacks before being bumped. Ella said he felt most comfortable playing with Cox.
19. Chris Roche
Awesome fetcher and scavenger. But lack of size and height was his downfall. Totally committed team player.
18. Ross Reynolds
Like Tuynman, had the full package of height, size, skills and mobility, but probably lacked sufficient mongrel.
17. Cameron Lillicrap
Only 21 at the time, but considered an awesome loosehead prop prospect. Unfortunately, untimely injuries stunted his career.
16. Mark McBain
Unfortunately, like Roche, it was a case of the good little man losing out to the good big man. In his case, Lawton.
In a perfect world, it would have been great to consider the following, who were all capable by age and ability to be part of this grand adventure and the 22 man squad.
Mick O’Connor
Centre/Wing. Australian Rugby really missed his breathtaking play, but he had defected to league. I would have played him at 13, moving Slack to 12, and Lynagh to the bench. Could also kick goals.
Mark Loane
Eightman. Dr Loane, who would have just turned 30 in 1984, often told Alan Jones he retired too early. Although a folk hero in Queensland as captain of the State team, I would have retained Slack as skipper.
David Hillhouse
Lock. Gave up a lot of Test rugby to train as a commercial jet pilot. Had freakish jumping skills, outreaching taller opponents and had a marvellous all round game.
Tony D’Arcy
Prop. His decision to defect to league was ill-advised, as he was totally unsuited to the game. Like Topo, could play both sides of scrum, and was a brute of a man, naturally strong. Had he still been around in 1984, would he have kept Topo out?
The result of the Grand Slam internationals was as follows: England, won 19-3; Ireland, won 16-9; Wales, won 28-9; Scotland, won 37-12; (Barbarians, won 37-30).
Those were the days!
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- 1984 Wallabies, David Campese, Mark Ella, Rugby Union, wallabies
March 6th 2009 @ 9:29am
Reg said | March 6th 2009 @ 9:29am | Report comment
back in the old days, I think I’m right in saying only 18 players were used in the 4 games, including replacements? Moon obviously injured and replaced by Matt Burke (no, the other one). I think Burke then started the next test, before Griggy played the last two? And then Roche played one test (dual flyers!) v Ireland, with Codes playing the other three.
March 6th 2009 @ 9:31am
Thurston said | March 6th 2009 @ 9:31am | Report comment
Mine, too, Sheek. I was at Twickenham for the England game. There were quite a few heros that day. Moon, the man they called the One Man Stampede, came in off his wing and was crunched close to the scrum. Grigg came on and did well, and it was he who made the intercept against Scotland, passed to Campo who passed to Bird who passed back to Campo and Campo went 75 to score and brought everybody out of their seats.
Ella, showing wonderful hands, took a wild pass from NFJ off his shoetops, and later scored a try which Billy Beaumont insisted was a crossing infraction. (Wrong.) Cutler brought off a great covering tackle which the team put down to his track speed (apparently he’d run what was then the 880 at high school or uni. Any info on this?). But England kept the Wallabies away from the try line for the entire first half, and I can’t recall Campo scoring in the second half, either.
The big difference between the ’84 team and today’s is that we had an outstanding pack to complement an outstanding back line. Our front row was regarded as the best in rugby. I can certainly see us having terrific backs next season, once the positions are solidified, and we find the right halfback – maybe try Giteau there again because we’ve got a surfeit of fine centres – but putting together eight forwards of the highest quality won’t be easy.
March 6th 2009 @ 9:56am
sheek said | March 6th 2009 @ 9:56am | Report comment
Reg, you’re right.
And adding to that – from the ABs tests, Farr-Jones replaced Cox; Lynagh replaced Hawker; Tuynman replaced Reynolds & Codey replaced Roche. The very first test of the year (1st of
against Fiji, saw Campo at fullback & Grigg on the wing.
Lynagh was at centre in place of Hawker getting married, while Campbell & Holt replaced Cutler & Williams, both unavailable.
For 1984: Gould (7), Campese (8), Moon (5), Grigg (3), Burke (1 + 1R), Slack (8), Hawker (3), Lynagh (5), Ella (8), Farr-Jones (4), Cox (4), Tuynman (4), Reynolds (4), Poidevin (8), Roche (5), Codey (3), Cutler (7), Williams (7), Campbell (1), Holt (1), McIntyre (8), Rodriguez (8), Lawton (8).
March 6th 2009 @ 11:08am
Frank O'Keeffe said | March 6th 2009 @ 11:08am | Report comment
The side Bill McLaren rates the greatest touring side ever to visit the British Isles.
The reason I rate that side the greatest Aussie side is because of the forward platform. People talk about the pushover try against Wales, but I like to remember an earlier moment in that Test where Wales were about 5m from their line, scrum formed, and they were pushed about 5-10m backwards. The crowd went silent. Everybody knows what the singing and noise at the Cardiff Arm’s park is like, but the crowd went SILENT.
My favourite moment of that tour was Mark Ella’s performance against Ireland. He potted two drop-goals, and on both occasions Ella wanted to run the ball… but as soon as he realised it wasn’t on, he’d re-ajust and slot a drop-goal. The only other player I’ve seen do that is Nass Botha. Players like Jonny Wilkinson, if they go for a drop-goal, they brace themselves and prepare themselves.
But the best Ella moment was his try against Ireland. His support was just phenominal. He knew all the short cuts. He offloaded to Lynagh with a little slip of a pass, the ball found it’s way to Matt Burke, and Ella shadows Burke pretty well. Then Burke threw the long pass to Campo, and Ella was again the first person in support – it’s how he scored the try. Ask yourself: where was Ella when he passed to Lynagh? He was on the right hand side of the field. Where did he score the try? In the left corner! Nobody else was close to Campo in support. Poidevin wasn’t too far behind (he normally wasn’t with his tremendous fitness), but Ella read the play the whole way.
I think it’s the best example I can think of, in Mark Ella’s international career, of Ella supporting someone to perfection. Watch the try and keep your eye on Ella, not the ball. He was brilliant and shadowed everybody!
Probably my favourite rugby player ever. Ella or Campo.
March 6th 2009 @ 12:56pm
onside said | March 6th 2009 @ 12:56pm | Report comment
When rugby players were amatuer,and sporting genius went financially unrewarded.
March 6th 2009 @ 1:10pm
sheek said | March 6th 2009 @ 1:10pm | Report comment
Thurston/Frank,
That 1984 forward back demonstrates Jones incredible perception. He realised much quicker than Dwyer, that the key to a successful team was a powerful forward platform. And unlike Dwyer, he wasn’t tied down by dogma.
Although Dwyer had given Cutler, Lawton, McIntyre, Codey & Tuynman their test debuts in 1982/83 under his stewardship, Jones took these players to another level.
Three examples of Jones’ flexibility. One, after the disaster of the 3rd test against the ABs, when Ella, Hawker & Slack spent the afternoon arguing with each other, Jones put out the following edict – while Slack remained captain of the team, Ella would call the backline tactics. Very perceptive, very clever.
Two, it was a tough call to bump Roche out of the team & bring in Codey. However, Codey added a new dimension to the pack. He was aggressive, he added bulk to the scrum, rucks & mauls, & was a 4th lineout option. Very preceptive, very clever.
Three. Although Ella kicked some 5-6 penalties in that 3rd test against the ABs, Jones realised the importance of a regular, consistent goalkicker. He wasn’t frightened to drop Hawker & bring in Lynagh. Again very perceptive, very clever.
Jones wasn’t tied down by convention. He understood the basics of rugby union, & was willing to make personnnel changes that entailed successful, winning rugby. I have no doubt now, that had Ella found a way to co-exist with Jones, Jones would have kept Ella at flyhalf for as long as ella desired.
I would have to say Ella remains my favourite player. He demonstrated what a beautiful game rugby union could be. I shall always be grateful to him for that. Campo was his trusty lieutenant who kept the flame burning after Ella retired prematurely.
I just wish I could have seen Gould, Campese, O’Connor, Slack, Moon, Ella & Cox/Farr-Jones run around all at the same time. O’Connor defected to league far too soon.
March 6th 2009 @ 3:18pm
Harry said | March 6th 2009 @ 3:18pm | Report comment
Sheek Slack himself says that he would never have been picked ahead of O’Conner at 13 had O’Conner remained in rugby. A fine captain, player and man, I do not think Slack is being modest and agree with that truthful assesment.
As thriling as the 84 grand slam team was, the backline performance of the Wallabies in the 1980 Beldisloe decider reamins my high point of Australian backline play. The team that day also featured Darcy.
Jones’ moulding of a dominant forward pack – also seen in the NZ Bledisloe win in 86 – was his best achievement.
Now out to the SFS vicinity for the buildup of Qld/Tahs. Go Qld!
March 6th 2009 @ 3:35pm
sheek said | March 6th 2009 @ 3:35pm | Report comment
Harry,
I always thought (until recently) that had O’Connor remained in union, he would have made a straight swap with Slack. However, as we get older & hopefully wiser (!), we might be able to see other things that we ignored previously.
Slack may not have had the natural skills of either O’Connor, Lynagh or Hawker, but to borrow a cricketing analogy, you need one or two rocks in the batting order to compliment 4-5 rapiers. So it is with a rugby backline.
Slack was originally a flyhalf. When he broke into the Queensland team, the flyhalf was current Wallaby Paul McLean, & the inside centre former Wallaby Geoff Shaw, so Slack found himself at outside centre. When O’Connor first made the Wallabies in 1979, Slack moved to inside centre to accommodate him.
Besides, I’ve come to appreciate that Slack, like Eales, had a wonderfully calm, inclusive yet perceptive leadership style.
March 6th 2009 @ 8:32pm
onside said | March 6th 2009 @ 8:32pm | Report comment
Another thing I forgot to mention;apart from it being the last great amature team,
unlike todays Wallabies there was no Fijian or Pacific Islander influence.It would be
interesting to see if he AllBlack sides of that era had Pacific Islander representation.
March 6th 2009 @ 8:52pm
ohtani's jacket said | March 6th 2009 @ 8:52pm | Report comment
How was it the last great amateur side?