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Time to remember the great Wallaby sides

31st August, 2016
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The Wallabies need to remember their proud, winning history. (AAP Image/Dean Lewins)
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31st August, 2016
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Enough of the current Wallabies, who have serious trouble with the basic rugby essentials. Time to recall the days when the Australian side not only played superb rugby, but in all these examples, history-making rugby as well.

The 1949 Wallabies in New Zealand
Led by Trevor Allan – to this day the greatest centre I’ve ever seen with his dancing feet, express speed, and devastating defence – the Wallabies won the Bledisloe Cup for the first time, and better still, on New Zealand soil.

I had to go to the newsreel at the top of Wynyard ramp in Sydney’s George Street to watch grainy, black-and-white footage of the three Tests.

Allan was my idol, I watched him often at Chatswood Oval when he played for Gordon, the first rugby back I’d ever seen wearing headgear.

The Wallabies beat the All Blacks 11-6 at Wellington, and 16-9 at Eden Park.

Wallabies
(1) Bevan Wilson (2) Nev Cottrell (3) Jack Baxter (4) Rex Mossop (5) Nick Shehadie (6) Dave Brockhoff (7) Col Windon (8) Keith Cross (9) Cyril Burke (10) Nev Emery (11) Ralph Garner (12) Jack Bromley (13) Trevor Allan capt (14) John Solomon (15) Ray Cawsey.

The 1963 Wallabies in South Africa
The Wallabies won the second and third of four Tests, the first time the Springboks had been beaten in successive Tests on home soil since the 1896 Lions.

The Boks won the first Test 14-3 at Pretoria, the Wallabies won the next two 9-6 and 11-9 at Newlands and Ellis Park, but lost the final Test 22-6 at Port Elizabeth.

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Wallabies
(1) Jon White (2) Peter Johnson (3) John Thornett capt (4) Rob Heming (5) Peter Crittle (6) Jules Guerassimoff (7) Greg Davis (8) John O’Gorman (9) Ken Catchpole (10) Phil Hawthorne (11) Jim Boyce (12) Beres Ellwood (13) Dick Marks (14) John Williams (15) Terry Casey.

The 1979 Wallabies against the All Blacks at the SCG
For the first time in 30 years the Wallabies regained the Bledisloe Cup, and for the first time on home soil, with a tryless 12-6 game that was played at a cracking pace with tremendous defence on both sides.

Wallabies
(1) Stan Pilecki (2) Peter Horton (3) Chris Handy (4) Peter McLean (5) Tony Shaw (6) Andy Stewart (7) Greg Cornelsen (8) Mark Loane capt (9) Peter Carson (10) Tony Melrose (11) Brendan Moon (12) Geoff Shaw (13) Andrew Slack (14) Phil Crowe (15) Paul McLean.

The 1984 Wallabies in the UK
The only time the Wallabies have won the Grand Slam, beating England 19-3 at Twickenham, Ireland 16-3 at Lansdowne Road, Wales 28-9 at Cardiff Arms, and Scotland 37-12 at Murrayfield. They let in only one try in the four games, while scoring 12 themselves.

Mercurial Mark Ella set an unbreakable record by scoring a try in every game.

Wallabies
(1) Topo Rodrigues (2) Tommy Lawton (3) Andy McIntyre (4) Steve Williams (5) Steve Cutler (6) Simon Poidevin (7) Steve Tuynman (8) David Codey (9) Nick Farr-Jones (10) Mark Ella (11) Peter Grigg (12) Michael Hawker (13) Andrew Slack capt (14) David Campese (15) Roger Gould.

The 1991 Wallabies win their first Rugby World Cup
The campaign very nearly ended in the quarter-final against Ireland at Lansdowne Road, but an opportunist try by Michael Lynagh out wide got Australia home 19-18.

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The Wallabies had no trouble sending the All Blacks packing 16-6 in the semis, which set up the final at Twickenham for the Aussies’ 12-6 victory.

The highlight was coach Bobby Dwyer, sitting immediately in front of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, with only the walkway separating them. At a very tense moment in the second half, with the Wallabies having trouble clearing their line, Dywer’s booming voice could be heard all over the home of rugby with “Kick it to the shithouse!”

Lynagh did just that, the Queen didn’t move a facial muscle.

Wallabies
(1) Tony Daly (2) Phil Kearns (3) Ewen McKenzie (4) John Eales (5) Rod McCall (6) Willie Ofahengaue (7) Simon Poidevin (8) Troy Coker (9) Nick Farr-Jones capt (10) Michael Lyhangh (11) David Campese (12) Tim Horan (13) Jason Little (14) Rob Egerton (15) Marty Roebuck.

The 1999 Wallabies won their second Rugby World Cup
The Wallabies cruised home 24-9 over Wales in the quarters, but looked vulnerable in a penalty shootout in the semis against the Boks – Matt Burke landed eight, Jannie de Beer six, and it took a monster first-time drop goal from flyhalf Stephen Larkham to seal the 27-21 victory.

Australia then gave the French a 35-12 rugby lesson in the decider.

Wallabies
(1) Richard Harry (2) Michael Foley (3) Andrew Blades (4) David Giffin (5) John Eales capt (6) Matt Cockbain (7) David Wilson (8) Toutai Kefu (9) George Gregan (10) Stephen Larkham (11) Joe Roff (12), Tim Horan (13) Daniel Herbert (14) Ben Tune (15) Matt Burke.

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The 2001 Wallabies that beat the British and Irish Lions
The historic 2-1 series victory saw the retirement of the Wallabies’ most successful coach, Rod Macqueen. At the time the ARU trophy cabinet was at capacity, with the Rugby World Cup, the Bledisloe Cup, and the Tri-Nations.

The defining moment in the three Tests was the 238th minute, a Lions lineout just two metres from the Wallaby tryline. With the men in gold leading 29-23, a converted try gave the Lions the series.

Lions hooker Keith Wood fed the lineout, but Justin Harrison pinched the ball from Martin Johnson’s grasp, Andrew Walker cleared and Wallaby history was made.

Lions aggro winger Austin Healey had earlier called Harrison an “ape, a plank, and a plod” – Harrison had by far the last laugh.

Wallabies
(1) Nick Stiles (2) Michael Foley (3) Rod Moore (4) Justin Harrison (5) John Eales capt (6) Owen Finegan (7) George Smith (8) Toutai Kefu (9) George Gregan (10) Elton Flatley (11) Joe Roff (12) Nathan Grey (13) Daniel Herbert (14) Andrew Walker (15) Matt Burke.

And the best of the best
(1) Jon White (2) Peter Johnson (3) Ewen McKenzie (4) Rob Heming (5) John Eales (6) Simon Poidevin (7) George Smith (8) Mark Loane (9) Ken Catchpole (10) Mark Ella (11) Brendan Moon (12) Tim Horan (13) Trevor Allan capt (14) David Campese (15) Matt Burke.

Bench:
(16) Phil Kearns (17) Topo Rodrigues (18) Steve Cutler (19) Col Windon (20) Greg Davis (21) Nick Farr-Jones (22) Phil Hawthorne (23) Joe Roff

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