Ian Walsh on the deck in a Test against France at Roanne in 1960. That’s Brian Carlson on the right
Australian rugby league hooker, Ian Walsh played 50 minutes of the First Test against France with a broken arm, but only had himself to blame for the injury.
Australia won the Test 20-6 after leading 10-4 at halftime at the Sydney Cricket Ground, with the tourist giving an encouraging display after poor form in the lead-up games.
Walsh had first broken the arm in a provincial game in France earlier in the year, and the background for his injury makes for fascinating reading in the book ‘Inside Rugby League’, written by Keith Willey, in conjunction with Walsh.
The Kangaroos’ first match of the French leg of their 1963-64 Northern Hemisphere tour was against the Paris Celtic club side, with Australia winning 30-2.
Walsh, who sat out that game, was watching from the grandstand alongside teammate, Noel Kelly when French forward, Robert Eramouspe ran up to centre, Barry Rushworth, kicked him, and then whacked him behind the ear. To Walsh’s disgust none of Rushworth’s teammates retaliated.
“We’ll square matters the next time that fellow lines up against us,” Walsh said to Kelly.
At that time they were unaware of Eramouspe’s reputation for having ‘the hardest skull in France’, something he proved by butting his head against a doctor’s brass plate and bending the plate.
Walsh and Kelly got their chance in a provincial game against Basque-Bearnaise, with Eramouspe released from club duties to play – in Bayonne. Eramouspe had a habit of running down the centre of the ruck, and Walsh and Kelly decided to leave a gap, to entice him. Then, when he burst through, Kelly would come from the side, Walsh from the other side and – to quote Walsh – “We would give him a good thumping”.
“It was bitterly cold that day and the sleet was coming down,” Walsh recalled. “Before we went on, I remarked to one of the boys: ‘I’ve got a feeling I’m going to break something today.’
“We got our chance at Eramouspe in the first three minutes. ‘Here he comes, ‘Abdul’ (Walsh’s nickname)’, Kelly shouted as the Frenchman charged downfield. He took Eramouspe waist high to hold him, while I came in from the other side. Usually, with a stiff arm tackle, you bring it from underneath, so that if your opponent ducks, he will cop it in the face. But I was a little too wide and my arm caught Eramouspe on the forehead. He went down, stunned, but he was up for the next scrum. As for me, the hard skull of his had broken my arm in three places.”
Back in Australia in April, 1964, Walsh made his comeback in reserve grade with St George, before being promoted to the firsts. His first rep. game of the year was for City Seconds against Country Seconds. He did enough to be appointed captain-coach of Australia for the three Test series against a French side captained by Jean Pano from Villeneuve-sur-Lot, the first town in France to embrace the new code, in 1934. Former Wallaby, Arthur Summons was captain-coach of the 1963-64 Kangaroos, but injury ruled him out for a big chunk of the campaign, and Walsh took over as skipper.
Pano was causing Australia problems in the ruck in the 1964 First Test.
“I reckoned I could slow him down,” Walsh said. “As he came bursting through the ruck, I lined him up and let go a stiff arm tackle. He raised his arm and I hit him right on the point of the elbow and across the forehead. He went down, but I knew my arm was broken again. I played on. I later told (lock) Johnny Raper what had happened, but nobody else in the team suspected. The steel plate from the operation in France kept my arm together. I could catch a ball and pass. In the scrums I would hang my arm back over my prop’s shoulder, so no-one could grab it. (Scrums were violent, contested affairs in those days).”
Eramouspe, who had switched from Paris Celtic to the Roanne club, made the tour, but did not play in the first two Tests.
The Courier-Mail’s Jack Reardon wrote that the superior speed of the Australian backs was the most telling aspect of the match. Fullback, Andrew Carrere from Lezignan was the most penetrative Frenchman, and broke clear four times, thanks to clever positional play. Reardon said the French pack more than held their own with the Australian set. Queenslander, Ken Day (Brisbane Wests) was the best Australian forward, the Caboolture born giant often proving hard to get to ground, and also showing good ball skills, to set up a try for brilliant centre, Reg Gasnier.
Both Australian wingers scored tries. Ken Irvine touching down from a beautifully judged kick by former Wallaby Jimmy Lisle, while another former Wallaby, Mike Cleary raced 80 metres, beating three defenders on the way to grabbing his three-pointer. Australia’s debutant halfback, Billy Smith was given a torrid time by his fiery rival, Louis Verge from Carcassonne.
Footnote: The release of Walsh’s book, ‘Inside Rugby League’, created a storm of controversy, with officials angered by the emphasis on footy violence. I remember reading it as a teenager, and being amazed at some of the graphic descriptions of what happened on the field. We certainly weren’t coached that stuff in the juniors at Murwillumbah.
About Author
