Aust, routs British in opening test

Press, 1 November 1982, Page 36

Aust, routs British in opening test

NZPA Leeds Australia's devastation of its traditional foe, Great Britain, in Saturday's first rugby league test has probably sabotaged competitive interest in the remainder of the 1982 Ashes series. So convincing was Australia's 40-4 rout at Hull's Boothferry Park that it appears inconceivable that the morale-shattered Britons can pick up the pieces and bounce back in three weeks time to win the second test at Wigan and rekindle the series. The ebullient Australian performance ascended to heights of excellence and broke new ground in Kangaroo tours of Britain. Australia's eight-try mauling maintains the Kangaroos’ unbeaten tour record after seven games, but more importantly, it has created a slice of history in becoming the first touring side to keep intact its unblemished status after an opening test. Previous Kangaroo teams in 1921, 1933 and 1973 were unconquered right up to the first test, only for Great Britain to halt the winning sequence.

The whopping 36-point winning margin ranks second only to Australia’s landslide 50-12 victory over Britain in the second test at Swinton on the 1963 tour.

The sell-out crowd estimated at 32,500 — the police shut the gates soon after the kick-off. leaving thousands of fans outside the ground — is the biggest English test attendance since 35,224 at Swinton 23 years ago. English critics heaped superlatives on the dynamic Australian outfit, with some, including the legendary Alex Murphy, rating the Australians the best team for 20 years, if not ever. The Kangaroo coach, Mr Frank Stanton, who has now steered Australia to 10 straight test victories since the French defeats in 1978, said: “It was a magic performance. They kept their cool and were disciplined just like we worked on."

The rampaging Queensland centre, Mai Meninga, playing in only his second

test rattled up 19 points (a try and eight goals from 10 attempts) and failed by only one to equal the shared record of Michael Cronin and Graeme Langlands for most points scored in a test. The 21-year-old Brisbane policeman could have shattered the scoring feat had he not spilled the ball over the tryline late in the game.

A Balmain youngster, Wayne Pearce, took the man-of-the-match award with an outstanding second row display of powerful running and fierce tackling, in his test debut, while the effervescent half-back, Peter Sterling, also playing his first test, seemingly bobbed up everywhere in a superb debut. “We just couldn't cope with them today," declared the British team manager, Mr Colin Hutton. “It was their incessant attacks we couldn't cope with.” “Once Australia got the ball out wide we were in trouble. “It was a team effort as good from an Australian side that I’ve ever seen... there was no weak link at all." Australia led 10-4 at halftime. Scorers: Australia 40 (Grothe 2, Pearce Kenny. Boustead, Reddy, Meninga. Boyd tries, Meninga 8 goals): Great Britain 4 (L. Crooks 2 penalty goals).