Wallabies start with record win

Press, 5 November 1984, Page 35

Wallabies start with record win

NZPA staff correspondent London

Australia seized a desperately needed win in the opening test of its British rugby tour when the former captain, Mark Ella, inspired second-half tries through all-out backline attack at Twickenham on Saturday. The 19-3 record Australian victory over England came after the Wallabies squandered points-scoring chances and a determined effort from the home side held the match to 3-3 at half-time.

In a shaky first spell, Ella muffed two straightforward dropped goal attempts and a new cap, Michael Lynagh, sent three penalty shots and a field goal astray. But from the opening minutes of the second half Ella, aged 25, the first fiveeighths, spurred the team to three tries with his brilliant running. He worked the doubleround to cross between the posts in only the fourth minute of the second half,

sparking a spell in which the Australians flung the ball more often and more fluently. The inside centre, Lynagh, crossed in the corner for Australia’s second try 10 minutes from the end after another slick backline move. The Brisbane centre, aged 21, punched the air and leaped for joy — signalling the better fortunes for him and the team in an adventurous second-half approach. The Sydney flanker, Simon Poidevin, scored Australia’s third try five minutes from the end, after a movement made possible by Ella’s deft hands. The first five-eighths retrieved a long pass at speed from Twickenham’s plush grass, and sent the winger, David Campese, away on a boisterous run which ended with a one-handed flick inside to Poidevin at the corner flag.

Australia went into the match with a mediocre record from the first five tour games, including a loss and a draw, and the player who

has taken over the captaincy this year, centre Andrew Slack, acknowledged that a “few people have been rusty.” “We put it together today. I hope we go from strength to strength,” he said, .as Australia looked towards the second of the home union tests, against Ireland in a week. The Wallabies coach, Alan Jones, said England, whose forwards robbed Australia of possession in the first half, had played “manfully” and that it had taken his side some time to establish their authority. The Wallabies forwards, who had a considerable height advantage, took control in the second half, particularly at the line-out.

Jones said Steve Cutler, the 1.98 m New South Wales lock who posed big problems for the All Blacks in Australia this year, was tired in the early tour games but got off the ground on Saturday.

England, an experimental combination including five new caps, was always going to struggle against the taller tourists up front, but held its own and often dominated in the first 40 minutes. The number eight, Chris Butcher, had an aggressive game, and lock Jim Syddall, a member of the 1979 North of England side which beat the All Blacks, gave Australia some trouble in <the line-outs. The new captain, Nigel Melville, had a solid game at scrumhalf and showed, some of the dash which he produced for the British Lions last year in New Zealand. The 23-year-old Melville and his first five-eighths, and fellow new cap, Stuart Barnes, look a promising pairing. . In the centres new cap Rob Lozowski, the I.BBm Wasps 23-year-old who has. kept former All Black, Jamie Salmon, out of the

England lineup, was a determined tackler, stifling some of the tentative Australian moves in the first half. Australia lost Brendan Moon 26 minutes into the second half with a suspected broken arm, and coach Jones said later the blow was a particularly sad one for a player who had planned to soon bow out of touring. The Brisbane winger had a “magnificent game,” said Jones. He had made several strong bursts as the Australian fine found its form. The referee, controlling his first major international, was Bob Francis from Wairarapa-Bush. With a high error rate by players for a test match, he often whistled up infringements, particularly in the first half. Scorers: ’ Australia 19 (Ella, Lynagh, Poidevin tries, Lynagh two conversions, one penalty goal). England 3 (Barnes penalty goal).