The 1956–57 Kangaroo tour was the ninth Kangaroo tour, in which the Australian national rugby league team travelled to Great Britain and France and played twenty-eight matches, including the Ashes series of three Test matches against Great Britain and three Test matches against the French. It followed the tour of 1952–53 and the next was staged in 1959–60.
The squad's leadership The team was captained by Ken Kearney with Clive Churchill as vice-captain. Tour co-managers were Clarrie Fahy and Cyril Connell Sr. The latter's son, Cyril Connell Jr. was a playing member of the touring party. In the three matches in which neither Kearney nor Churchill played, the Kangaroos were captained by Cyril Connell Jr.
Touring squad The Rugby League News published a photo and details of the touring team including the players' ages and weights. Various newspapers published the names of the touring squad when it was selected in September 1956. Match details - listing surnames of both teams and the point scorers - were included in E.E. Christensen's Official Rugby League Yearbook, as was a summary of the players' point-scoring. Banks, Connell, Davies, Doyle, Flannery, Furner, McGovern, Payne, Tyquin and Watson were selected from Queensland clubs. Adams and Marsh were selected from clubs in New South Wales Country areas. The balance of the squad had played for Sydney-based clubs during the 1956 season.
Player Age Weight Club TestsonTour Games Tries Goals FG Points Clive Churchill 29 11.0 (70) South Sydney 2 15 0 10 3 26 Gordon Clifford 26 12.0 (76) Newtown 4 12 2 43 1 94 Denis Flannery 27 12.10 (81) Ipswich Brothers 5 16 12 0 0 36 Don Adams 22 12.6 (79) Newcastle 2 15 11 0 0 33 Des McGovern 28 13.3 (84) Toowoomba All Whites 3 9 6 0 0 18 Ian Moir 24 11.4 (72) South Sydney 2 16 13 0 0 39 Alex Watson 23 13.10 (87) Brisbane Western Suburbs 5 18 1 0 0 3 Dick Poole 25 13.2 (83) Newtown 6 17 7 0 0 21 Kevin O'Brien 24 12.12 (82) St George 0 11 6 0 0 18 Tom Payne 21 12.6 (79) Toowoomba All Whites 1 13 3 0 0 9 Bob Banks 26 12.6 (79) North Rockhampton 6 18 5 0 1 17 Ian Johnston 29 12.8 (80) Western Suburbs 0 9 7 0 0 21 Keith Holman 28 11.9 (74) Western Suburbs 6 17 10 5 0 40 Cyril Connell Jr. 26 10.10 (68) North Rockhampton 0 14 10 17 0 64 Ian Doyle 24 13.1 (83) Toowoomba All Whites 4 16 2 0 0 6 Tom Tyquin 23 14.4 (91) South Brisbane 3 16 2 0 0 6 Norm Provan 24 15.6 (98) St George 3 15 3 0 0 9 Kel O'Shea 23 15.4 (97) Western Suburbs 6 14 2 0 0 6 Bernie Purcell 28 13.10 (87) South Sydney 0 7 0 12 0 24 Don Furner 23 14.7 (92) Toowoomba Souths 1 11 0 3 0 6 Brian Davies 26 14.10 (93) Brisbane Brothers 3 12 5 1 0 17 Roy Bull 26 15.5 (98) Manly-Warringah 6 21 2 0 0 6 Bryan Orrock 25 15.7 (98) St George 2 5 0 0 0 0 Bill Marsh 27 14.12 (94) Cootamundra 2 17 5 0 0 15 Ken Kearney 32 13.7 (86) St George 6 19 2 1 0 8 Ernest Hammerton 29 11.11 (75) South Sydney 0 11 0 0 0 0
Test Venues The three Ashes series tests took place at the following venues.
Wigan Bradford Swinton Central Park Odsal Stadium Station Road Capacity: 48,000 Capacity: 60,000 Capacity: 40,000
Match Results The tour began in Great Britain with a series a matches, but the first Test Match of the tour was played against France in Paris. The tourists returned to Great Britain for more matches against English clubs and a three Test Match series against Great Britain. The team then returned to France to play a Second and Third Test against France (the fifth and sixth Tests of the tour), plus matches against club and other representative teams.
1st Test vs France
FrancePositionAustralia Andre Audy FB Clive Churchill Maurice Voron WG Denis Flannery Roger Rey CE Dick Poole Jacky Merquey (c) CE Alex Watson Andre Savonne WG Des McGovern Auguste Ambert SO Bob Banks Guy Lucia SH Keith Holman François Rinaldi PR Roy Bull Antranik Apelian HK Ken Kearney (c) François Montrucolis PR Brian Davies Robert Medus SR Bill Tyquin Augustin Parent SR Norm Provan Jean Rouqueirol LF Kel O'Shea
1st Test vs Great Britain
Great BritainPositionAustralia Frank Mortimer FB Clive Churchill Billy Boston WG Ian Moir Phil Jackson CE Dick Poole Alan Davies CE Alex Watson Mick Sullivan WG Don Adams Raymond Price SO Bob Banks Jeff Stevenson SH Keith Holman Alan Prescott (c) PR Brian Davies Tommy Harris HK Ken Kearney (c) Brian Shaw PR Roy Bull Jack Grundy SR Bill Tyquin Don Robinson SR Bill Marsh Edgar Dawson LF Kel O'Shea
2nd Test vs Great Britain
Great BritainPositionAustralia Frank Mortimer FB Gordon Clifford Billy Boston WG Denis Flannery Phil Jackson CE Alex Watson Alan Davies CE Dick Poole Mick Sullivan WG Des McGovern Raymond Price SO Bob Banks Jeff Stevenson SH Keith Holman Alan Prescott (c) PR Brian Davies Tommy Harris HK Ken Kearney (c) Brian Shaw PR Roy Bull Jack Grundy SR Kel O'Shea Don Robinson SR Don Furner Derek Turner LF Ian Doyle
3rd Test vs Great Britain
Great BritainPositionAustralia Glyn Moses FB Gordon Clifford Billy Boston WG Denis Flannery Phil Jackson CE Dick Poole Alan Davies CE Alex Watson Mick Sullivan WG Des McGovern Raymond Price SO Bob Banks Jeff Stevenson SH Keith Holman Alan Prescott (c) PR Bryan Orrock Tommy Harris HK Ken Kearney (c) Sid Little PR Roy Bull Jack Grundy SR Bill Tyquin Geoff Gunney SR Kel O'Shea Derek Turner LF Ian Doyle
2nd Test vs France
FrancePositionAustralia Andre Audy FB Gordon Clifford Maurice Voron WG Denis Flannery Roger Rey CE Alex Watson Antoine Jiminez CE Dick Poole Andre Ducasse WG Don Adams Gilbert Benausse SO Bob Banks Jean Dop SH Keith Holman Angélo Boldini PR Bryan Orrock Antranik Apelian HK Ken Kearney (c) Guy Berthomieu (c) PR Roy Bull Gilbert Verdié SR Kel O'Shea Armand Save SR Norm Provan Christian Duple LF Ian Doyle
3rd Test vs France
FrancePositionAustralia André Rives FB Gordon Clifford Andre Savonne WG Denis Flannery Antoine Jiminez CE Tom Payne Roger Rey CE Dick Poole Jean Nedorezoff WG Ian Moir Jacky Merquey (c) SO Bob Banks Claude Teisseire SH Keith Holman Henri Delhoste PR Bill Marsh Louis Michel HK Ken Kearney (c) Jacques Fabre PR Roy Bull Guy Berthomieu SR Norm Provan Augustin Parent SR Kel O'Shea Christian Duple LF Ian Doyle
References
External links 1956–57 Kangaroo Tour at Rugby League Project