1959-60 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and France
The 1959-60 Kangaroo tour was the tenth Kangaroo Tour, where the Australian national rugby league team traveled to Europe and played thirty seven matches against British and French club and representative rugby league teams as well as two non-test internationals against Italy to end the tour. The tour itinerary included three Test matches against Great Britain and two Tests against the French. It followed the tour of 1956-57 and the next was staged in 1963-64.
The squad's leadership
The team was coached by Clive Churchill. The team captain was Balmain Tigers fullback Keith Barnes and while the vice-captain was Manly-Warringah's dual rugby international Rex Mossop. Tour co-managers were Jack Argent and Ern Keffer.
Touring squad
Great Britain
The Ashes series against Great Britain saw an aggregate crowd of 91,604 attending the Test series. The largest attendance of the tour came during the Kangaroos 22-14 first test win over Great Britain at Station Road in Swinton with 35,224 in attendance. The largest non-test attendance of the tour was 29,156 when the Kangaroos defeated St Helens at Knowsley Road.
| Saturday, 12 September | Leeds  |
20 – 44 |  Australia |
Headingley, Leeds | |
| Attendance: 14,629 |
| Tuesday, 15 September | Rochdale Hornets  |
14 – 27 | Australia |
Athletic Grounds, Rochdale | |
| Attendance: 10,155 |
| Wednesday, 18 September | Warrington  |
24 – 30 | Australia |
Wilderspool Stadium, Warrington | |
| Attendance: 17,112 |
| Wednesday, 23 September | Lancashire  |
30 – 22 | Australia |
Knowsley Road, St Helens | |
| Attendance: 15,743 |
| Saturday, 26 September | Salford  |
20 – 22 | Australia |
The Willows, Salford | |
| Attendance: 11,008 |
| Monday, 28 September | Yorkshire  |
47 – 15 | Australia |
Wigginton Road, York | |
| Attendance: 7,338 |
| Thursday, 1 October | Widnes  |
15 – 45 | Australia |
Lowerhouse Lane, Widnes | |
| Attendance: 9,381 |
| Saturday, 3 October | Oldham  |
14 – 25 | Australia |
The Watersheddings, Oldham | |
| Attendance: 17,630 |
| Wednesday, 7 October | Leigh  |
18 – 17 | Australia |
Hilton Park, Leigh | |
| Attendance: 11,932 |
| Saturday, 10 October | St Helens  |
2 – 15 | Australia |
Knowsley Road, St Helens | |
| Attendance: 29,156 |
The Ashes series
First Test
The first Ashes series test was played at Station Road, Swinton and drew the tours largest attendance of 35,224. Australia won the first test 22-14 with Reg Gasnier the man of the match with 3 tries.
Saturday, 17 October |
Great Britain  |
14 – 22 |  Australia |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Billy Boston Derek Turner Goals: Eric Fraser (4) |
[1] | Tries: Reg Gasnier (3) Harry Wells Goals: Keith Barnes (5) |
| Thursday, 22 October | Whitehaven / Workington Town XIII  |
8 – 13 | Australia |
Recreation Ground, Whitehaven | |
| Attendance: 7,463 |
| Saturday, 24 October | Barrow  |
12 – 9 | Australia |
Craven Park, Barrow-in-Furness | |
| Attendance: 8,488 |
| Monday, 26 October | Hull / Hull KR XIII  |
9 – 29 | Australia |
The Boulevard, Hull | |
| Attendance: 15,944 |
| Wednesday, 4 November | Bradford Northern  |
8 – 29 | Australia |
Odsal Stadium, Bradford | |
| Attendance: 4,126 |
5 days prior to the match against Bradford Northern, the Kangaroos played the first test against France.
| Saturday, 7 November | Halifax  |
5 – 17 | Australia |
Thrum Hall, Halifax | |
| Attendance: 8,274 |
| Wednesday, 11 November | Featherstone Rovers  |
23 – 15 | Australia |
Post Office Road, Featherstone | |
| Attendance: 7,671 |
| Saturday, 14 November | Wigan  |
16 – 9 | Australia |
Central Park, Wigan | |
| Attendance: 24,466 |
Second Test
The Kangaroos went within one penalty goal of becoming the first All-Australian team to win The Ashes on British soil and the first touring side to win The Ashes since 1911-12. However, the Lions survived and the series would go on to a deciding 3rd test.
Saturday, 21 November |
| Great Britain |
11 – 10 | Australia |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Neil Fox Don Robinson John Whiteley Goals: Neil Fox (1) |
[2] | Tries: Brian Carlson (2) Goals: Keith Barnes (1) Brian Carlson (1) |
| Wednesday, 25 November | Swinton  |
24 – 25 | Australia |
Station Road, Swinton | |
| Attendance: 5,021 |
| Saturday, 28 November | Wakefield Trinity  |
20 – 10 | Australia |
Belle Vue, Wakefield | |
| Attendance: 17,615 |
| Wednesday, 2 December | Huddersfield  |
7 – 21 | Australia |
Fartown Ground, Huddersfield | |
| Attendance: 2,349 |
| Saturday, 5 December | Hunslet  |
11 – 12 | Australia |
Parkside, Hunslet | |
| Attendance: 8,061 |
Third Test
This would be the final time that Great Britain (or England) would win The Ashes on home soil (as of 2016).
Saturday, 12 December |
| Great Britain |
18 – 12 | Australia |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Neil Fox Ike Southward Goals: Neil Fox (6) |
[3] | Tries: Brian Carlson Johnny Raper Goals: Keith Barnes (3) |
France
The first two games of the French leg of the tour were actually played while The Kangaroos were still completing the British leg.
First Test
Australia won the first test against the French at the Parc des Princes in Paris. Kangaroos winger Eddie Lumsden crossed for 3 tries while legendary winger Ken Irvine made the first of 33 test appearances for Australia.
Saturday, 31 October |
France  |
19 – 20 | Australia |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Aldo Quaglio Goals: Andre Lacaze (6) Field Goals: Andre Lacaze (2) |
[4] | Tries: Eddie Lumsden (3) Harry Wells Goals: Keith Barnes (4) |
| France | Position | Australia |
|---|---|---|
| Andre Lacaze | FB | Keith Barnes (c) |
| Maurice Voron | WG | Eddie Lumsden |
| Jacques Merquey (c) | CE | Harry Wells |
| Antoine Jiminez | CE | Reg Gasnier |
| Andre Savonne | WG | Ken Irvine |
| Gilbert Benausse | SO | Tony Brown |
| Georges Fages | SH | Barry Muir |
| Jean Pano | PR | Gary Parcell |
| Antranick Appelian | HK | Ian Walsh |
| Aldo Quaglio | PR | Dud Beattie |
| Robert Eramouspe | SR | Jim Paterson |
| J. Aubert | SR | Rex Mossop |
| S. Tonus | LF | Brian Hambly |
| Coach | Clive Churchill |
| Tuesday, 8 December | French Army XIII  |
2 – 15 | Australia |
Stade Marcel Saupin, Nantes | |
| Attendance: 993 |
The game against the French Army XIII was played 4 days before the third Ashes test against Great Britain
| Thursday, 24 December | Racing Club Albi XIII  |
19 – 10 | Australia |
Stade Municipal d'Albi, Albi | |
| Attendance: 5,845 |
| Thursday, 31 December | Carcassonne / Lézignan XIII  |
32 – 9 | Australia |
Stade d'Albert Domec, Carcassonne | |
| Attendance: 6,364 |
| Friday, 1 January | XIII Catalan  |
8 – 32 | Australia |
Stade Jean-Laffon, Perpignan | |
| Attendance: 6,364 |
| Sunday, 3 January | Montpellier  |
13 – 44 | Australia |
Stade Sabathé, Montpellier | |
| Attendance: 3,741 |
| Thursday, 7 January | Racing Club Marseille XIII  |
7 – 38 | Australia |
Stade Vélodrome, Marseille | |
| Attendance: 1,366 |
| Thursday, 14 January | Avignon / Cavaillon XIII |
5 – 65 | Australia |
Parc des Sports, Avignon | |
| Attendance: 2,806 |
Second Test
Wednesday, 20 January |
| France |
8 – 16 | Australia |
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Raymond Gruppi G. Velvaud Goals Andre Lacaze (1) |
[5] | Tries: Johnny Raper (2) Reg Gasnier Brian Hambly Goals Keith Barnes (2) |
| France | Position | Australia |
|---|---|---|
| Andre Lacaze | FB | Keith Barnes (c) |
| Raymond Gruppi | WG | Eddie Lumsden |
| Jean Foussat | CE | Harry Wells |
| G. Velvaud | CE | Reg Gasnier |
| Andre Savonne | WG | Brian Carlson |
| Claude Mantoulan | SO | Johnny Raper |
| Bernard Fabre | SH | Barry Muir |
| H. Conti | PR | Billy Wilson |
| Andre Casas | HK | Ian Walsh |
| Marcel Bescos | PR | Elton Rasmussen |
| P. Laurent | SR | Jim Paterson |
| S. Tonus | SR | Brian Hambly |
| Georges Fages | LF | Brian Clay |
| Coach | Clive Churchill |
Italy
To finish the tour, the Kangaroos played two games against an Italian representative team.
| Saturday, 23 January | Italy  |
15 – 37 | Australia |
Stadio Euganeo, Padua | |
| Attendance: 3,500 Referee: R. Somma |
| Sunday, 24 January | Italy |
22 – 67 | Australia |
Stadio Omobono Tenni, Treviso | |
| Attendance: 3,105 Referee: T. Rossi |
Ken Irvine crossed for 6 tries in this game.
References
External links
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