OCTOBER 1982
RUGBY’S famous Ella brothers, Mark, Glen and Gary rated their rugby league cousin, Steve Ella at least their equal, and possibly the best of the clan.
Known as ‘The Zip Zip Man’, Steve Ella could find his way through, or around, the best defensive systems in rugby league, as the Welsh National side found out during the 1982 Kangaroo tour of Britain and France. Playing at fullback, Ella scored four tries in Australia’s 37-7 win over Wales at Ninian Park, Cardiff, with winger, John Ribot grabbing a double.
It was effectively Australia’s ‘Second team’, with only Rod Reddy being chosen for the First Test against Great Britain in Hull a week later. Reddy played his way into the Test side with a magnificent performance against the Welsh, in a match not afforded Test status. Reddy was brilliantly supported by halves, Steve Mortimer and Mark Murray, but Ella was the star.
Coach Frank Stanton’s decision to start Ella at fullback; Test five eighth, Wally Lewis at centre and Test winger, Ian Schubert at lock, underlined the versatility of the touring team. Lewis and prop, Don McKinnon were the other try scorers, with Lewis kicking four goals and McKinnon one.
Wales’ only try was scored by former British Lions Rugby Union halfback, Brynmor Williams, from the Cardiff Blue Dragons Club.
I covered the match for the Brisbane ‘Telegraph’ newspaper, and Williams told me the Kangaroos (remember it was our second side) was the best he had faced, in either rugby code.
The Telegraph’s budget did not allow me to cover earlier matches on tour – against Hull KR, Wigan, Barrow, St Helens and Leeds. The Welsh match was my first, and beforehand I had enjoyed a brief motoring holiday in Dorset and Somerset.
I had also spent two nights in Llanelli, a rugby union stronghold, where I caught up with former Wales rugby union and rugby League forward, John Warlow, who managed a British Legion club at nearby Burry Port. (See ‘Welsh Harmonies’, this website).
When I arrived in Cardiff, the centre of the city had been overtaken by New Zealanders, there to see the Maori play Cardiff, as part of a tour of Wales and Spain. The first Aussie I ran into was Queensland skipper, Wally Lewis, who was sitting outside the team hotel, the Crest. Wally seemed down in the dumps, and I was soon to discover that he was on the outer with Stanton, who was looking to play Parramatta pair, Peter Sterling and Brett Kenny in the halves, instead of the incumbents, Lewis and Mortimer. Lewis was also vice-captain of the Kangaroos, with Manly-Warringah’s Max Krilich the skipper.
The Kangaroos were given the choice of a game of golf on the Saturday afternoon, or free tickets to the union match, at the Arms Park. The call was about 50-50. I was given a ticket to the rugby, but I’m sorry I went. It was a woeful game, on a beautiful autumn afternoon, with Ray Price, the only former union player in the Kangaroo touring party of 28, leaving at halftime.
“This is boring,” he said loudly, as he left his seat.
The league international the following day was played in miserable, wet conditions, but the teamwork and attacking flair of the Australians had the fans cheering for more. On the Monday, Wales’ top newspaper, the Western Mail, had a back page headline which read: ‘World Class Rugby Comes to Cardiff’.
I thought: “Surely they don’t mean the Maori game!’ No, in fact, they were referring to the league. Say no more.
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