The 1973 England rugby union tour of Fiji and New Zealand was a series of matches played by the England national rugby union team in Fiji and New Zealand in August and September 1973. England played five games, including a test match against the New Zealand national rugby union team and a match against the Fiji national rugby union team for which England did not award full international caps. England beat Fiji by only a single point and lost all three matches against New Zealand provincial teams but completed the tour with their first win against New Zealand since 1936.
This tour was hastily organised when a planned tour of Argentina was cancelled due to terrorist threats against the players. A squad of 25 was selected, all but three capped, and nine of whom (six in the pack) had played in the match against the All Blacks at Twickenham nine months previously, in January 1973. David Duckham and Stack Stevens had been, with John Pullin, on the 1971 Lions tour.
Matches Scores and results list England's points tally first. Opposing Team For Against Date Venue Status Fiji 13 12 28 August 1973 Buckhurst Park, Suva Tour match 3 6 1 September 1973 Rugby Park, New Plymouth Tour match 16 25 5 September 1973 Athletic Park, Wellington Tour match 12 19 8 September 1973 Lancaster Park, Christchurch Tour match New Zealand 16 10 15 September 1973 Eden Park, Auckland Test match
Touring party Manager: Sandy Sanders Assistant Manager: John Elders Captain: John Pullin (Bristol) 30 caps
Backs
Peter Rossborough (Coventry) 1 cap Tony Jorden (Blackheath) 4 caps David Duckham (Coventry) 24 caps Geoff Evans (Coventry) 4 caps Jeremy Janion (Richmond) 9 caps Peter Knight (Bristol) 3 caps Peter Preece (Coventry) 6 caps Peter Squires (Harrogate) 2 caps Martin Cooper (Moseley) 2 caps Alan Old (Middlesbrough) 4 caps Steve Smith (Sale) 3 caps Jan Webster (Moseley) 5 caps
Forwards
Mike Burton (Gloucester) 5 caps Fran Cotton (Coventry) 7 caps Peter Hendy (St Ives) No caps Nick Martin (Bedford) 1 cap Tony Neary (Broughton Park) 16 caps John Pullin (Bristol) 30 caps Chris Ralston (Richmond) 12 caps Andy Ripley (Rosslyn Park) 10 caps Stack Stevens (Harlequins) 15 caps Roger Uttley (Gosforth) 3 caps John Watkins (Gloucester) 3 caps John White (Bristol) No caps Bob Wilkinson (Cambridge University) No caps
References