Between late 1957 and March 1958 the

Australia national rugby union team The Australia national rugby union team, nicknamed the Wallabies, is the representative national team in the sport of rugby union for the nation of Australia. The team first played at Sydney in 1899, winning their first test match against the ...

– the Wallabies – conducted a world tour encompassing Britain, Ireland, France and Canada on which they played five Tests and thirty-one minor tour matches. The Wallabies won 17, lost 16 and drew three of their games in total. They lost all five Tests of the tour.

The squad's leadership

Versatile back Dick Tooth had made 10 Test appearances for Australia before the tour and had captained the Wallabies well in two 1957 Tests against the

All Blacks The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks ( mi, Ōpango), represents New Zealand in men's international rugby union, which is considered the country's national sport. The team won the Rugby World Cup in 1987 ...

. Howell expresses a view that it was inexplicable that Tooth was not selected for the tour and partially blames this as cause of the disappointing tour result. However Howell writes that Bob Davidson possessed outstanding qualities to make him a natural touring captain. He was a born leader of men, was immensely popular, he met people well, was highly intelligent and spoke well in public. He played in 32 of the 41 tour games and did everything in his power to make the tour a success. Veteran second-rower Alan Cameron had captained the Wallabies in 18 matches in 1955 and 1956 but was no longer supreme in his position nor guaranteed of Test selection. However he made a superb contribution to the tour playing in 22 matches including one Test and captained the side in seven mid-week matches As per tradition, Assistant Manager

Dave Cowper Denis Lawson "Dave" Cowper (28 November 1908 – 1981) was an Australian national representative rugby union player who captained the Wallabies for six matches including three Tests in 1933. He was the first Victorian player to captain his count ...

assumed the coaching duties. Howell writes that in spite of the mounting losses, Cowper "ever the gentleman, never criticised the players, even when he had every right to....he personified the true amateur, playing always to the rules with a strict code of ethics" Squad member

Nicholas Shehadie Sir Nicholas Michael Shehadie, (15 November 1926 – 11 February 2018) was a Lord Mayor of Sydney (1973–1975) and national representative rugby union captain, who made thirty career test appearances for Australia between 1947 and 1958. He wa ...

was less complimentary in his published recollections suggesting Cowper had limited imagination as a coach with "our training devoid of variety which made it very tedious."

Tour details

The squad was on tour for eight months in total and travelled to England by ship. Shehadie reports that the team issue consisted of " ''two blazers, a pair of grey slacks, four green ties with a hand-painted wallaby on each, a heavy pullover and a track suit. In addition, each player received one pair of boots – with another pair to be issued in England – sandshoes for training on the ship, a heavy woollen scarf and tablets to counteract sea-sickness, Vitamin C tablets to counteract colds in Britain and a packet of tranquiliser tablets to be used at the player's own discretion" He recalls that the squad's pocket money was 10s a day, up from 5s a decade before.

Matches of the Tour

:''Scores and results list Australia's points tally first.''

Test matches

Wales

AUSTRALIA: Terry Curley, Roderick Phelps, Kenneth Donald,

Jim Lenehan James Kenneth Michael Lenehan (29 April 1938 – 26 August 2022) was an Australian rugby union footballer. A state and national representative versatile back, he played twenty-four Test matches for Australia, once as captain. His national repres ...

, Jack Potts,

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, Norman Hughes, Peter Fenwicke, Tony Miller, David Emanuel,

John Thornett John Edward Thornett, MBE (30 March 1935 – 4 January 2019) was an Australian rugby union player, who played 37 Tests for Australia between 1955 and 1967 and made an additional 77 representative match appearances. He captained Australia in 16 T ...

, James Brown, Robert Davidson (captain) WALES:

Terry Davies Terence John Davies MBE (24 September 1933 – 5 August 2021) was a Welsh international full back who played club rugby for Swansea and Llanelli. He won 21 caps for Wales and was selected to play in the British Lions on the 1959 tour of Au ...

, John Collins,

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, Ray Williams,

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Don Devereux Don Devereux (18 October, 1932 in Wales, 1932 – 8 February 1995 in Wales, 1995) was a Wales, Welsh international prop who played rugby union for Neath RFC, Neath and rugby league for Huddersfield Giants, Huddersfield. He won three caps for th ...

Bryn Meredith Brinley "Bryn" Victor Meredith
Scrum.com (born 21 October 1930 in

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, Rhys Williams,

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(captain),

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Ireland

Shehadie writes in his memoirs that his response to Noel Murphy continually blocking his vision in the scrum was to deal him a punch in an ensuing scrum. He recalls that the Lansdowne Rd crowd booed the Australian team and that press afterwards singled out Shehadie for his brutal play. He suggests that

then determined to make an example of him and true to his word did not select him in another Test of the tour.Shehadie pp. 95–102 It was therefore Shehadie's last Test match, as it would also be for Australia's other forward veteran Alan Cameron. AUSTRALIA: Terry Curley, Kenneth Donald,

Saxon White Saxon William White (born 9 March 1934) is an Australian academic and former national representative rugby union centre. He made a total of seven international rugby representative appearances for Australia. He was the Foundation Professor of H ...

, Jack Potts, Roderick Phelps,

, James Brown, Robert Davidson (captain), Alan Cameron, David Emanuel,

Norman Hughes, Peter Fenwicke IRELAND: Patrick Berkery, Tony O'Reilly,

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(c), Dave Hewitt, Cecil Pedlow, Jackie Kyle, Andy Mulligan, Patrick O'Donoghue, Ronnie Dawson, Gordon Wood, James Stevenson, Bill Mulcahy, James Donaldson, Noel Murphy, James Kavanagh Alan Cameron

England

This was the day Twickenham booed, a rare sound at the august ground. But when big

tackled

Phil Horrocks-Taylor John Philip Horrocks-Taylor (27 October 1934 – 11 February 2021) was a rugby union fly half who played for Leicester Tigers between 1958 and 1963; he represented England 9 times between 1958 and 1964 and was selected for the 1959 British Lion ...

late and so heavily that he was taken off the field, the crowd were annoyed. Every time Lenehan touched the ball, the crowd booed. The scores were 3–0 at half time, but soon Malcolm Phillips scored a great try and then the elegant Terry Curley gave the Wallabies the lead with a drop goal. When injury time came the score was 6-all. Then came the only try of the match by brilliant Peter Jackson. Jackson out on the wing, got a pass on the Wallaby 25. He was not the fastest of wings – but he was deceptive and knew sidestep, swerve and hand-off, and used them as deadly weapons. He swerved away from Rod Phelps and handed him off. He moved to cut in, plonking Terry Curley onto the wrong foot as he beat him on the outside. Phelps was gaining, the line was approaching, Phelps was faster and Jackson dived with Phelps on his back.Planet-Rugby.com
retrieved 17 September 2009. It was England's first post-war Test victory over one of the three Southern powers. AUSTRALIA: Terry Curley,

Rod Phelps Roderick Phelps (born 1934) is a former Australian rugby union player. He played fullback, wing and centre and debuted for The Wallabies against New Zealand in the 2nd Test at Dunedin in 1955. He toured New Zealand and South Africa and went on th ...

, Kenneth Donald,

, Kevin Ryan, Norman Hughes, Peter Fenwicke, Tony Miller, David Emanuel,

Geoffrey Vaughan Geoffrey Norman Vaughan (9 April 1933 – 4 January 2018) was an Australian rugby union player, a national representative prop forward of the 1950s. Vaughan was born in Sydney and claimed a total of 6 international rugby caps for Australia. He ...

, James Brown, Robert Davidson (captain) ENGLAND: James Hetherington,

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, Peter Thompson,

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, Ned Ashcroft, Ronald Syrett, Peter Robbins,

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, John Currie, Ron Jacobs, Eric Evans (captain), George Hastings

Scotland

AUSTRALIA: Terry Curley, Kenneth Donald,

, Saxon White, Roderick Phelps,

, Geoffrey Vaughan, James Brown, Robert Davidson (captain), Tony Miller, David Emanuel, Eddie Purkiss,

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SCOTLAND: Robin Chisholm, Arthur Smith (captain), George Stevenson, James Docherty, Thomas Weatherstone, Gordon Waddell, Tremayne Rodd, Hugh McLeod, Norman Bruce, Tom Elliot, Malcolm Swan, Hamish Kemp, Ken Smith, Adam Robson, Jim Greenwood

France

AUSTRALIA: Terry Curley, Alan Morton,

, Roderick Phelps, Otto Fox, Ron Harvey,

, Geoffrey Vaughan, James Brown, Robert Davidson (captain), Tony Miller, David Emanuel, Ken Yanz,

FRANCE: Michel Vannier, Henir Rancolue, Maurice Prat, Roger Martine, Pierre Tarricq, Antoince Labazuy, Pierre Lacroix, Aldo Quaglio, Robert Vigier, Alfred Roques, Lucien Mias, Michel Celaya (captain), Michel Crauste, Henir Domec, Jean Barthe

Touring party

*Manager: Terry McLenaughan *Assistant Manager (Coach) :

*Captain: Bob Davidson *Vice-captain : Alan Cameron

Squad

The team's most experienced centre three quarter Jim Phipps ( 11 caps prior to tour) played 7 of the first 9 games but broke his leg against Glasgow and Edinburgh and did not play again on tour. The Wallabies played a match in Perth on the way to England during which lock Stewart Scotts broke a wrist and feared he would be left at home. Management decided the six weeks boat trip would give him sufficient time to recover, a decision vindicated by his playing several mid- week games during the tour.

Sources

Footnotes

Bibliography

* Max Howell (educator), Howell, Max (2005) ''Born to Lead – Wallaby Test Captains'', Celebrity Books, Auckland NZ * Shehadie, Nicholas (2003) ''A Life Worth Living'', Simon & Schuster Australia

Online references

Jackson's try from Planet-Rugby.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Australia 1957 rugby union tours 1958 rugby union tours 1957-58 1957-58 1957-58 1957-58 1957-58 1957-58 1957–58 in English rugby union Five Nations 1957–58 in Scottish rugby union 1957–58 in French rugby union austr 1957 in Australian rugby union 1958 in Australian rugby union