1979 Great Britain Lions tour

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The 1979 Great Britain Lions tour was the Great Britain national rugby league team's 16th tour of Australasia and took place from May to August 1979. A total of 27 matches were played against local club and representative sides during the tour, including a three match Test match series against Australia and New Zealand respectively.

Contents

Touring squad

In March 1979, a 30-man squad was selected for the tour, with Doug Laughton appointed as captain. [1] The squad included Widnes prop Jim Mills, who was banned from playing in New Zealand due to an incident in 1975 when Mills played for Wales against New Zealand. [2] Despite an appeal to overturn the ban, the International Board confirmed the ban would be upheld. [3]

After the squad was selected, John Bevan and Stuart Wright were forced to withdraw due to injury, and were replaced by Roy Mathias and David Barends. [4] Ken Kelly also suffered an injury shortly before the tour departed, and was replaced by John Holmes. [5]

NamePositionClubAppsTestsTriesGoalsDrop goalsPointsNotes
Mick Adams Forward Widnes 16508117
David Barends Back Bradford Northern 162100030
John Burke Forward Wakefield Trinity 900000 [lower-alpha 1]
Len Casey Forward Bradford Northern 14540012
Steve Evans Back Featherstone Rovers 196160048
George Fairbairn Back Wigan 105318146 [lower-alpha 2]
Peter Glynn Back St Helens 15060018
Jeff Grayshon Forward Bradford Northern 1452006
Phil Hogan Forward Hull Kingston Rovers 14450015
John Holmes Back Leeds 1361207
Eric Hughes Back Widnes 17680024
Melvyn James Forward St Helens 1303009
John Joyner Back Castleford 14660018
Doug Laughton (c) Forward Widnes 510000
Graham Liptrot Forward St Helens 1101003
Brian Lockwood Forward Hull Kingston Rovers 1211003
Tommy Martyn Forward Warrington 503009 [lower-alpha 2]
Roy Mathias Back St Helens 171100030
Jim Mills Forward Widnes 512006 [lower-alpha 1]
Roger Millward Back Hull Kingston Rovers 300408 [lower-alpha 3]
Keith Mumby Back Bradford Northern 13018019
Steve Nash Back Salford 602006
George Nicholls Forward St Helens 1362006
Steve Norton Forward Hull 920000
Alan Redfearn Back Bradford Northern 1011003
Trevor Skerrett Forward Wakefield Trinity 1241003
Mike Smith Back Hull Kingston Rovers 11340012
Gary Stephens Back Castleford 15560018
Charlie Stone Forward Hull 1200000
David Topliss Back Wakefield Trinity 712006 [lower-alpha 3]
David Ward Forward Leeds 1160000
David Watkinson Forward Hull Kingston Rovers 1212006
John Woods Back Leigh 17412671171

Results

Australia

25 May 1979
North Queensland5 – 29Great Britain
27 May 1979
Central Queensland11 – 20Great Britain
30 May 1979
Wide Bay7 – 27Great Britain
2 June 1979
North Coast6 – 33Great Britain
5 June 1979
Northern Division11 – 20Great Britain
8 June 1979
Queensland19 – 25Great Britain
10 June 1979
Toowoomba19 – 16Great Britain

First Test

16 June 1979
Australia35 – 0Great Britain
Tries: Boustead (2), Price (2), Corowa
Goals: Cronin (10)
 [8]
Lang Park, Brisbane
Attendance: 23,051
Referee: Eddie Ward
Player of the Match: Ray Price
18 June 1979
Brisbane7 – 10Great Britain
20 June 1979
Southern Division10 – 10Great Britain
24 June 1979
Newcastle12 – 25Great Britain
26 June 1979
Riverina10 – 37Great Britain

Second Test

30 June 1979
Australia24 – 16Great Britain
Tries: Cronin (2), Reddy, Rogers
Goals: Cronin (6)
 [9]
Tries: Hughes, Joyner
Goals: Woods (5)
Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
Attendance: 26,857
Referee: Greg Hartley
Player of the Match: Rod Reddy
1 July 1979
Illawarra13 – 18Great Britain
4 July 1979
Western Division12 – 19Great Britain
7 July 1979
New South Wales17 – 19Great Britain
8 July 1979
Monaro7 – 21Great Britain

Third Test

14 July 1979
Australia28 – 2Great Britain
Tries: Boyd, Eadie, Price, Reddy
Goals: Cronin (8)
 [10]
Goals: Fairbairn
Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
Attendance: 16,844
Referee: Eddie Ward
Player of the Match: Ray Price

New Zealand

17 July 1979
Maoris13 – 15Great Britain

First Test

21 July 1979
New Zealand8 – 16Great Britain
Tries: Ah Kuoi, Uluave
Goals: Collicoat
 [11]
Tries: Evans, Fairbairn, Hughes, Smith
Goals: Fairbairn (2)
Carlaw Park, Auckland
Attendance: 9,000
Referee: John Percival
22 July 1979
Northern District5 – 58Great Britain
25 July 1979
Central District5 – 14Great Britain
29 July 1979
Wellington3 – 39Great Britain

Second Test

5 August 1979
New Zealand7 – 22Great Britain
Tries: Filipaina
Goals: Filipaina (2)
 [12]
Tries: Casey, Evans, Grayshon, Hughes
Goals: Fairbairn (5)
Addington Showgrounds, Christchurch
Attendance: 8,500
Referee: John Percival
7 August 1979
West Coast0 – 19Great Britain

Third Test

11 August 1979
New Zealand18 – 11Great Britain
Tries: Fisher, Graham, Leuluai, O'Hara
Goals: Filipaina (3)
 [13]
Tries: Hughes, Smith, Stephens
Goals: Fairbairn
Carlaw Park, Auckland
Attendance: 7,000
Referee: Kevin Steel
13 August 1979
Auckland10 – 18Great Britain

Notes

  1. 1 2 John Burke was called up as a replacement for Jim Mills due to injury. [6]
  2. 1 2 George Fairbairn was called up as a replacement for Tommy Martyn due to injury. [6]
  3. 1 2 David Topliss was called up as a replacement for Roger Millward due to injury. [7]

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References

  1. ↑ Fitzpatrick, Paul (28 March 1979). "Dyl left out of overseas tour". The Guardian. London. p. 27. ProQuest   186084158.
  2. ↑ Fitzpatrick, Paul (29 March 1979). "New Zealand adamant on Mills ban". The Guardian. London. p. 27.
  3. ↑ Fitzpatrick, Paul (14 June 1979). "Mills tour ban stands". The Guardian. London. p. 24. ProQuest   186063885.
  4. ↑ Fitzpatrick, Paul (11 May 1979). "Replacements have right credentials". The Guardian. London. p. 26. ProQuest   186162353.
  5. ↑ "Holmes called up for tour". The Guardian. London. 21 May 1979. p. 28. ProQuest   186186261.
  6. 1 2 "Burke and Fairbairn face instant action on tour". The Guardian. London. 22 June 1979. p. 25. ProQuest   186129790.
  7. ↑ Kennedy, Edward (28 June 1979). "Hogan is out". The Guardian. London. p. 22. ProQuest   186193946.
  8. ↑ "Ashes Series 1979 Series - Game 1". Rugby League Project. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
  9. ↑ "Ashes Series 1979 Series - Game 2". Rugby League Project. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
  10. ↑ "Ashes Series 1979 Series - Game 3". Rugby League Project. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
  11. ↑ "New Zealand vs Great Britain 1979 Series - Game 1". Rugby League Project. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
  12. ↑ "New Zealand vs Great Britain 1979 Series - Game 2". Rugby League Project. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
  13. ↑ "New Zealand vs Great Britain 1984 Series - Game 3". Rugby League Project. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
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