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Kangaroo
Tour: 1952-1953
Sean Fagan of RL1908.com
 After
Australia's memorable Ashes clinching victory in Sydney in 1950,
the team went into a dramatic downturn losing to France (1951) and
New Zealand (1952).
The
Kangaroo touring team of 1952/53 was under enormous pressure to
perform to the level expected of Australia's best footballers. With
21 NSW players and 7 from Queensland, the tourists were captained
by 25 year old Clive Churchill. The team's youngest player was a
19 year old Brian Carlson.
The
Kangaroos' record at the end of the tour provides impressive reading
- 33 wins from 40 games, 1117 points for and 373 against. Unfortunately
four of the losses were in Tests and were enough to ensure that
Britain and France both beat the Aussies.
In
the First Ashes Test the British outplayed the Kangaroos easily
by 19-6. Hopes were high for the 2nd Test after Australia crushed
some of England's best club sides. However, the Kangaroos again
failed to perform in the Test atmosphere and were humbled by 21-5.
The Ashes were once again back with England. In a brawling and spiteful
3rd Test Australia won by 27-7 to salvage some pride.
The
tour then moved to France where there was no drop off in quality
in the opposition - this was a golden era of French rugby league.
Australia started well by winning the First Test in a fine display
in Paris by 16-12. In the 2nd Test France scored a converted try
in the opening minutes to take a 5-0 lead and held it for the rest
of the game. The Kangaroos felt aggrieved at the referee's performance,
but things only got worse in the 3rd Test.
The
Australians were beaten by 13-5 as the French were given free reign
in obstructions and second tackles. In a bizarre incident Keith
Holman was sent off for swearing at the referee. He refused to leave
the field claiming he'd done no such thing. After Australia's team
manager and an interpreter came onto the field, the matter was settled
and Holman was allowed to stay.
There is no doubt that the Kangaroos were a good side - with players
such as Churchill, Holman, Stanmore, Wells, Carlson, Hall, Davies,
Schubert and Kearney they had the talent. But in the end they simply
failed to win the games that mattered.
Upon
returning home the Kangaroo tourists opened the 1953 season with
a game against "The Rest" at the SCG, before 20,000, winning 33-21.
Tour
Details:
1952/53
v Great Britain & France
GREAT
BRITAIN
1st Test - 4 October : lost 6-19 / Headingley, Leeds (34,305)
2nd
Test - 9 November : lost 5-21 / Station Road, Swinton (30,509)
3rd Test - 13 December : won 27-7 / Odsal Stadium, Bradford (30,509)
RECORD:
P: 27 W: 23 D: 1 L: 3 FOR: 816 AGST: 248
TEST SERIES: Lost 1-2
AGGREGATE
ATTENDANCE: 385,689
v
Keighley W 54-4 7,431 Keighley
v Hull W 28-0 15,364 Hull
v Barrow W 26-2 16,045 Barrow
v Whitehaven W 15-5 9,253 Whitehaven
v Oldham D 7-7 19,370 Oldham
v Halifax W 39-7 18,773 Halifax
v Wigan W 23-13 16,223 Wigan
v St Helens L 8-26 17,205 St Helens
v Featherstone Rovers W 50-15 3,700 Featherstone
v GREAT BRITAIN L 6-19 34,305 Headingley, Leeds
v Bradford Northern W 20-6 29,287 Bradford
v Warrington W 34-10 21,478 Warrington
v Leigh W 34-5 8,409 Leigh
v Swinton W 31-8 10,269 Swinton
v Hunslet W 49-2 3,273 Hunslet
v Workington Town W 27-15 11,341 Workington
v Doncaster W 41-13 2,452 Doncaster
v Huddersfield W 27-9 25,494 Huddersfield
v GREAT BRITAIN L 5-21 30,509 Station Road, Swinton
v Wakefield Trinity W 58-8 7,239 Wakefield
v Hull Kingston Rovers W 31-6 5,817 Hull
v Lancashire W 36-11 5,863 Warrington
v Leeds W 45-4 29,335 Leeds
v Yorkshire W 55-11 3,737 Huddersfield
v Dewsbury W 22-7 2,485 Dewsbury
v Widnes W 18-7 7,411 Widnes
v GREAT BRITAIN W 27-7 30,509 Odsal Stadium, Bradford
FRANCE
1st Test : won 16-12
/ Paris
(18,327)
2nd
Test : lost 0-5 / Bordeaux (23,419)
3rd Test : lost 5-13 / Lyons (17,454)
RECORD:
P: 13 W: 10 L: 3 FOR: 301 AGST: 125
TEST SERIES: Lost 1-2
AGGREGATE
ATTENDANCE: 113,025
v FRANCE W 16-12 18,327 Paris
v FRANCE L 0-5 23,419 Bordeaux
v FRANCE L 5-13 17,454 Lyons
v French XIII W 45-2 4,320 Nantes
v Villeneuve W 18-11 2,262 Villeneuve
v Albi W 31-22 4,900 Albi
v French XIII W 19-13 9,301 Perpignan
v Carcassonne W 18-5 4,881 Carcassonne
v French XIII W 39-7 3,518 Nimes
v Marseilles W 14-10 11,133 Marseilles
v Cannes W 62-0 780 Cannes
v Paris-Lyons L 10-12 5,532 Roanne
v Selection Midi W 24-13 7,107 Toulouse
EASTERN
SUBURBS 2
(Ferris Ashton, Col Donohue)
SOUTH SYDNEY 2
(Clive Churchill Capt., Greg Hawick)
NORTH SYDNEY 0
NEWTOWN 1
(Col Geelan)
BALMAIN
1 (Tom Tyrell)
WESTERN SUBURBS 3
(Arthur Collinson, Keith Holman, Frank Stanmore)
ST GEORGE 3
(Ken Kearney, Noel Pidding, Tommy Ryan)
CANTERBURY 1 (Ron Willey)
MANLY 2 (Roy Bull, Kevin Schubert)
PARRAMATTA 1
(Harold Crocker)
QUEENSLAND 7
(Ken McCaffrey, Des McGovern , Jack Rooney, Denis Flannery, Duncan
Hall, Noel Hazzad, Brian Davies)
NSW COUNTRY 5
(Brian Carlson, Charlie Gill, Albert Paul, Harry Wells, Rees Duncan)
Copyright
© 2006 - Sean Fagan. All rights reserved - the article above may
not be reproduced (in full or part) in any form without written
permission.
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