Wallabies' Tour Debut Victory Over Poverty Bay

The 1962 Australian rugby football team opened their New Zealand tour in grand style when they convincingly defeated Poverty Bay by 31 points to six before a crowd of 9000 at Rugby Park.

Kept down to a modest five points margin in the first half, the superbly fit young Wallaby fifteen slowly dominated the gallant home aide, and ran rampage in the dying stages of the game, scoring 23 points in 25 minutes.

Star of the game was the little red-headed Aussie half back, Ken McMullen, whose play on attack and defense could not be faulted.

Although outweighed by an average of a stone a man, the Poverty Bay forward pack played magnificently, and at no stage did their powerful opponents gain complete forward supremacy.

In the backs, the Australians had the edge on their slower opposites, and it was their quickness to the loose ball, and their superior speed, which paid them handsome dividends in the final score.

Wallaby half-back Ken McMullen diving for the line to score his first points for Australia with Sonny Rutene vainly attempting to hold him. B. Ellwood is in support.

Rival captains, John Thornett and Alan Rowlands, leading their teams onto the field

Geoff Chapman, John Freedman, Jon White, Murray Mollis, Pat Ransley, and John Thornett chasing the loose ball

Young Poverty Bay lock, David Kirkpatrick, constantly out-jumped the Wallabies in the lineouts

Half-back David Alley bursting round the side of a lineout

Wallaby five-eighths, Phil Hawthorne, on attack is well covered by Poverty Bay defense. Players are from left: Malcolm English, Claude Rickard, John McKenzie, and David Alley.

The elusive Ken McMullen, pressing hard on the Poverty Bay goal line, is challenged by Henry Lardelli and Claude Rickard as Pat Hansley moves out to cover Keith Walsham

The first of four sequence pictures from the game showing how the Wallabies' superior speed to the loose ball turned a Poverty Bay attacking movement to a defensive one. Winger Pat Hansley sprints up the. field after receiving the ball from Brian Johnson when he was tackled. Wallabies Ken McMullen, Peter Crittie, Beres Ellwood, and Keith Walsham give chase while Sonny Rutene moves up in support from the extreme right.

McMullen intercepts Ransley and tackles him while the others close in

As Ransley falls, the ball rolls loose and is pounced on by Crittie who will pass to Chapman on his right. The Poverty Bay forwards are racing up in the background while Rutene moves across the field in anticipation.

As other Poverty Bay players arrive at the scene, Chapman, in possession, commences to run up the field with Crittie in support. Rutene is now in position to challenge them, and Ransley leaves walsham and McMullen on the ground to give chase.

A tussle of the captains... Alan Rowlands barging John Thornett as he attempts to tackle him. Gary Thompson is at left.

Murray Hollis drew a gasp from the crowd when he made this spectacular jump in the face of attacking Wallabies to gain possession of a high ball.

A section of the crowd of 9000 who saw the game

A tactic used by the Wallabies to advantage was the use of their No. 8 forward as half-back with the genuine half-back standing in the five-eighth position, thus giving them an extra man in the backline. Geoff Chapman is pictured passing the ball from the base of the scrum to Ken McMullen on the blind side as he is challenged by the Poverty Bay half-back, David Alley.

Wallaby hero, Ken McMullen, was swarmed on by autograph hunters at the conclusion of the game

Well-known veteran baggage man, Mr Taffy Davis, performing his duties at half-time. He is now on his fifteenth international tour.

Wallaby line umpire J. S. Spence, referee A. A. Watson (Auckland), and Poverty Bay line umpire Les Gibson, conferring at half-time.

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The Gisborne Photo News

No 99 : September 6, 1962

Wallabies' Tour Debut Victory Over Poverty Bay