1949 Kangaroo tour of New Zealand

The 1949 Kangaroo Tour of New Zealand was the fourth full tour of New Zealand by the Australia national rugby league team and the first following the end of World War II. The Australians played ten matches on a one-month tour, including Two tests against the New Zealand national rugby league team.

The tour began on 12 September and finished on 10 October.

Leadership The tour's Captain-Coach was Newtown halfback and 1948 Kangaroo Tourist Keith Froome. In games not played by Froome, the Kangaroos were captained either by former Eastern Suburbs 5/8 Wally O'Connell or by former South Sydney half Billy Thompson who by this time was playing for Toowoomba Valleys in Queensland.

Touring squad Of the 22 man squad, 14 had been members of the 1948–49 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and France. Manly-Warringah front rower Roy Bull, and Parramatta centre Ian Johnston became the first players respectively to gain Kangaroos and Test selection from their clubs who had only been admitted into the Sydney Premiership in 1947. Bull's selection also made him the first local junior from Manly to play test football while Johnston scored 4 tries on debut in the tour opener against South Auckland and also made his Test debut in the 1st Test at the Basin Reserve in Wellington.

* Tests and (as sub) included in games total. Player Club Position(s) Games(as sub) Tests(as sub) Tries Goals F/Goals Points Vic Bulgin Eastern Suburbs 8 – 3 0 0 9 Roy Bull Manly-Warringah 6 1 1 0 0 3 Clive Churchill South Sydney 5 2 1 0 0 3 Les Cowie South Sydney 8 2 5 0 0 15 Fred de Belin Balmain 5 1 1 0 0 3 Keith Froome (c) Newtown 5 2 2 11 0 28 Johnny Graves South Sydney 7 1 12 8 0 52 Ron Griffiths Ipswich (Qld) 3 – 0 0 0 0 Kevin Hansen Western Suburbs 6 – 0 0 0 0 Johnny Hawke St George 4 1 1 0 0 3 Jack Holland St George 8 2 0 0 0 0 Ian Johnston Parramatta 5 1 7 12 0 45 Matt McCoy St George 7 2 9 14 0 55 Pat McMahon Toowoomba Souths (Qld) 8 2 7 0 0 21 Noel Mulligan Bowral Blues 7 2 3 0 0 9 Wally O'Connell Christian Brothers Wollongong 5 2 1 0 0 3 Jack Rayner South Sydney 7 2 1 0 0 3 Ron Roberts St George 6 (1) 1 8 0 0 24 Kevin Schubert Wollongong 7 2 0 0 0 0 Frank Stanmore Western Suburbs 5 – 3 0 0 9 Alan Thompson Brisbane Souths (Qld) 4 (1) – 0 0 0 0 Billy Thompson Toowoomba Valleys (Qld) 5 – 2 0 0 6

Test Venues Wellington Auckland Basin Reserve Carlaw Park Capacity: 11,000 Capacity: 20,000

Tour

South Auckland: R. Martin, Turner, O'Carroll, O'Callaghan, A. Rodgers, Phillips, A. Aoaki, Albert Hambleton (c), J. Tupaea, Norman, Tonga, F. Hilton, Moyes. Reserves – . Coach –

Australia: Vic Bulgin, Pat McMahon, Ian Johnston, Matt McCoy, Johnny Graves, Frank Stanmore, Keith Froome (c), Alan Thompson, Kevin Schubert, Jack Holland, Kevin Hansen, Jack Rayner, Noel Mulligan. Reserves – Ron Roberts

First test

New ZealandPositionAustraliaWarwick ClarkeFBClive ChurchillDave RedmondWGJohnny GravesMaurie RobertsonCEMatt McCoyTommy BaxterCEIan JohnstonBill McKenzieWGPat McMahonAbby GrahamFEWally O'ConnellJack Russell-GreenHBKeith Froome (c)Pat Smith (c)PRJack HollandBob AynsleyHKKevin SchubertJack NewtonPRNoel MulliganSandy HurndellSRJack RaynerCharlie McBrideSRFred de BelinTravers HardwickLFLes CowieScotty McClymontCoachKeith Froome

West Coast NZ Firsts: J. Soster, J. Curragh, V. Meates, J. Pascoe, M. Thomas (c), George Menzies, M. Ord, Frank Mulcare, Bob Aynsley, Jack Newton, W. Lennon, Charlie McBride, R. Baxendale. Reserves – . Coach –

Australia: Vic Bulgin, Pat McMahon, Johnny Hawke, Matt McCoy, Ron Roberts, Wally O'Connell (c), Billy Thompson, Roy Bull, Ron Griffiths, Jack Holland, Noel Mulligan, Jack Rayner, Les Cowie. Reserves –

South Island: J. Soster, Bill McKenzie, P. Callinan, L. Brown, K. Henry, George Menzies, Jimmy Haig, Jack Newton, Bob Aynsley, Pat Smith (c), F. Blanchard, Charlie McBride, Alister Atkinson. Reserves – M. Ord. Coach –

Australia: Vic Bulgin, Pat McMahon, Johnny Hawke, Matt McCoy, Johnny Graves, Wally O'Connell, Keith Froome (c), Noel Mulligan, Kevin Schubert, Jack Holland, Kevin Hansen, Jack Rayner, Les Cowie. Reserves –

Southern Provinces: B. Sillwell, J. Parata, A. Haysarm, N. Evans, E. Chatham, T. Dodd, J. Sutton, R. Westerley, G. Davidson, Ken English (c), K. O'Brien, L. Morgan, J. Kraeyl. Reserves – . Coach –

Australia: Vic Bulgin, Johnny Graves, Johnny Hawke, Ian Johnston, Ron Roberts, Frank Stanmore, Billy Thompson (c), Roy Bull, Ron Griffiths, Alan Thompson, Kevin Hansen, Fred de Belin, Noel Mulligan. Reserves –

New Zealand Māori: R. Martin (c), Andrew Berryman, Rex Hohaia, C. Masters, R. Hohua, S. Toka, A. Aoaki, R. Ewe, R. Bolton, Gordon Hohaia, F. Williams, N. Paratine, L. Wright. Reserves – . Coach –

Australia: Vic Bulgin, Pat McMahon, Johnny Hawke, Matt McCoy, Johnny Graves, Wally O'Connell (c), Billy Thompson, Roy Bull, Kevin Schubert, Jack Holland, Fred de Belin, Jack Rayner, Les Cowie. Reserves –

Auckland: Warwick Clarke (c), D. Anderson, Tommy Baxter, Maurie Robertson, Dave Redmond, Abby Graham, Jack Russell-Green, W. Spence, G. Davidson, Sandy Hurndell, Graham Burgoyne, Allan Laird, R. Rogers. Reserves – . Coach –

Australia: Clive Churchill, Pat McMahon, Vic Bulgin, Matt McCoy, Ron Roberts, Frank Stanmore, Keith Froome (c), Roy Bull, Kevin Schubert, Jack Holland, Kevin Hansen, Fred de Belin, Les Cowie. Reserves –

Northern Provinces: B. Latham, J. Rogers, J. Gibson, G. Kay, J. Stringfellow, R. Tweedie, W. Toker, P. Dormer, Cliff Johnson, S. Roff, A. Hambleton, R. Packham, Allan Laird (c). Reserves – . Coach –

Australia: Clive Churchill, Johnny Graves, Vic Bulgin, Ian Johnston, Ron Roberts, Frank Stanmore, Billy Thompson (c), Alan Thompson, Kevin Schubert, Noel Mulligan, Kevin Hansen, Fred de Belin, Les Cowie. Reserves –

Second test

New ZealandPositionAustraliaWarwick ClarkeFBClive ChurchillBill McKenzieWGRon RobertsTommy BaxterCEJohnny HawkeMaurie RobertsonCEMatt McCoyDave RedmondWGPat McMahonLen JordanFEWally O'ConnellJack Russell-GreenHBKeith Froome (c)Ron WesterbyPRRoy BullBob AynsleyHKKevin SchubertPat Smith (c)PRJack HollandJack NewtonSRNoel MulliganCharlie McBrideSRJack RaynerTravers HardwickLFLes CowieScotty McClymontCoachKeith Froome

Auckland Colts: Des White, N. Moore, J. Fisher, W. Brooking, N. Clarkin, J. Lepper (c), W. Tocker, V. Barchard, S. Rogers, Raymond Cranch, G. McNichol, J. Herring, Joe Wright. Reserves – . Coach –

Australia: Clive Churchill, Pat McMahon, Vic Bulgin, Ian Johnston, Johnny Graves, Frank Stanmore, Billy Thompson (c), Roy Bull, Ron Griffiths, Jack Holland, Kevin Hansen, Jack Rayner, Les Cowie. Reserves – Alan Thompson

Statistics Leading Try Scorer 12 by Johnny Graves

Leading Point Scorer 55 by Matt McCoy (9 tries, 14 goals)

Largest Test Attendance 12,361 - Second Test vs New Zealand at Carlaw Park, Auckland

Largest non-test Attendance 12,831 - Auckland vs Australia at Carlaw Park, Auckland

References