DECEMBER 1982
Queensland skipper, Wally Lewis fought his way back into the Test side on the French leg of the Kangaroo tour, but his recall ended in agony, with the brilliant five eighth dislocating his shoulder on a freezing cold day in Avignon.
Lewis played a relatively small role in Australia’s 15-4 win over a strong French outfit, with his injury coming in the 20th minute, when he flew at French hooker, Christian Macalli with a shoulder charge, with both men falling to the ground, hurt. Macalli recovered, but Lewis knew his game was over, when he saw the bone protruding from the collar bone.
It also meant Lewis had played his last game on tour, but he elected to stay on, unlike lock, Ray Price, who flew home with a fractured thumb, after the English leg of the trip. Nothing should be read into that. Price was a veteran of rugby league and union tours, and probably wanted to see family. Wally was on his first senior tour, and probably wanted to be with his mates.
Australia led only 4-2 after 30 minutes in Avignon, and then 7-2 at halftime, with winger, Eric Grothe scoring Australia’s only try in those first 40 minutes. Grothe came onto the field after Lewis was injured, with Brett Kenny switching from centre to five eighth, and Mal Meninga moving from the wing.
Grothe scored a second try after the break, but it wasn’t until lock, Wayne Pearce crossed in the 70th minute that the Australians knew they had the game in their keeping.
France provided far more spirited opposition than Great Britain, who had been beaten convincingly in all three Tests, the first time Australia had achieved a clean sweep in Britain. Australia also belted Wales, in a one-off clash.
The French were looking to repeat their heroics of 1978, when they beat the Australia in both Tests. The 1982 French side included five players from the ’78 series – Ivan Greseque; Henri Daniel, Christian Laumond, Max Chantal and skipper, Joel Roosebrouck.
Frank Stanton was coach of the 1978 Australians and also had charge of the ’82 side, which included Kerry Boustead, Steve Rogers, Chris Anderson, Craig Young, Rod Morris, Rod Reddy, Les Boyd and Price, who had suffered the pain of defeat in ’78.
The Kangaroos had opened the seven match French leg in 1982, with a 65-0 win over club side, Roanne, with Grothe scoring five tries. Lewis did not play in that match, which fell on his 23rd birthday. But Stanton assured him that he would be starting in the Test.
Brett Kenny had been starting five eighth in all three Tests against Britain, partnering Peter Sterling. That was a controversial call by Stanton, as Lewis and Steve Mortimer had been Australia’s halves in the home series win over New Zealand earlier in 1982.
Footnote: Noted Brisbane Radio commentator, John McCoy, helped Australian team doctor, Bill Monaghan, put Lewis’s shoulder back into place in the freezing cold dressing rooms at Avignon. On that tour the support staff consisted of two managers; a strapper and the doctor, as well as a media manager for the British leg, a far cry from today’s sports teams, which often have one support staff member for each player.
I covered the British leg of the ’82 Kangaroo tour for the Brisbane ‘Telegraph’, but, sadly, the newspaper’s budget did not allow me to go to France. I would have loved to have covered the French section, especially as I was raised on stories of the great French sides of the 1950s, and had also seen France play in the 1968 World Cup final at the SCG. In 1978 I saw France play Wales in Widnes, and that same year met a number of French league people when my wife, Marie and I made a Kombi tour of Europe, most notably the ‘Immortal’ Puig Aubert, and dual French Rugby skipper, Jean Barthe, in Carcassonne. I had also covered the Second Test of France’s 1981 tour of Australia, and the match against Wide Bay at Nambour. I was ‘prepped’ for the French section, but it wasn’t to be. I had to wait until 2004 to cover a Test in France – in Toulouse. I also covered Queensland Residents’, four match Tour of France in 1989, when I got to meet Puig Aubert and Jean Barthe once more.
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The French must of toured here in 1975 also, as I seem to recall a match against Wide Bay. If I’m correct, later test forward Brad Tessman’s older brother Russell making his debut for Wide Bay as a 19 year old lock forward. A great achievement for a great cover defender.