French valiant in defeat
NZPA Sydney The French tricolour waved around in the 41,000 crowd at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday but not as bravely as on the field where the battered and blood ied mess of the captain, Jean-Pierre Rives, urged his countrymen on against Australia. The records show that Australia won. 24-14, but it would be a mean heart that would deny the great merit of the losers as they lost momentum time and again when the Welsh referee, Alun Richards, caned them with seventeen penalties. Both teams scored two
tries — Michael O'Connor and Duncan Hall for Australia, and Jean Pierre Elissadle and Pierre Lacans for France, but the deadly thrust for Australia and the downfall of France was the regenerated right boot of the fullback, Paul McLean, whose 16 points front four penalty goals and two conversions marked the difference. But after the game, when the injured Rives had stripped and torn away the padding, harness and sticking plaster he had worn to keep his right shoulder from popping out of its socket for the fifth time on tour, Gallic candour held the floor.
“It was not our injuries which beat us — it was the Wallabies,” said the 28-year-old symbol of French rugby courage. “The Wallabies were strong out there today and were better than us. They will go very well in Britain,” he said. For the Australian coach, Bob .Templeton, the wheel had turned full circle: “It was sweet revenge,” said the balding Australian coach as he thought back on the 1976 tour of France. It wasn't the best of trips for Templeton who presided over two international defeats, losing the first test,
15-18, and then a humiliating thrashing of 34-6 in the second test. Only four members of the 1976 touring team played in the second and final test on Saturday — Paul McLean, Mark Loane, Tony Shaw and Chris Carberry. Significantly the four had outstanding games and McLean's 16 points equalled Greg Cornelsen's four tries record 16 points tally for Australia in Auckland Australia has now won 14 of the last 17 tests played in Sydney and goes on the “Grand tour” in October with the best hopes ever of an Australian rugby tour side.
French valiant in defeat
Press, 13 July 1981, Page 32
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