It was the first Test between Australia and Wales on Australian territory, and it came at the end of a five match, two Test tour of New Zealand. That ended in two record defeats against the All Blacks for the recently crowned Five Nations and Triple Crown winners.
From New Zealand the squad led by Brian Price moved on to Australia for a stand-alone international. It was the first time the two teams had met in that world of the word, and it was the last time Wales beat the Wallabies in their own back yard.
Now, 55 years on, Warren Gatland’s side will be seeking to break a run of 11 straight defeats in Australia in this month’s two Test series, which kicks off in Sydney on Saturday night at the Sydney Football Stadium.
That venue is half-a-mile away from the SCG, where the whole of Wales hopes the current seven match losing streak will come to an end. Back in 1969, the rude awakening received by the Welsh team with back-to-back defeats against the All Blacks – 19-0 in Christchurch and 33-12 in Auckland – meant the game in Sydney became pivotal.
Three years earlier in Cardiff the Wallabies had beaten Wales 14-11 at the Arms Park on their UK tour and the fixture was a warm-up for them before they embarked on a four Test tour of South Africa. They flew out of Sydney Airport the day after the game to play 26 matches on tour, while Wales head to Fiji to round off their seven-game trip.
Saturday 21 June, 1969 – Sydney Cricket Ground (26,886)
AUSTRALIA 16 (11) – (6) 19 WALES
Australia: Arthur McGill; Terry Forman, Geoff Shaw, Phil Smith, John Cole; John Ballesty, John Hipwell; Roy Prosser, Paul Darveniza, Jim Roxburgh, Peter Reilly, Tony Abrahams, Hugh Rose, Greg Davis (captain), Alan Skinner
Scorers: Tries: Smith, McGill; Cons: McGill 2; Pens: McGill 2Wales: J. P. R. Williams; Gerald Davies, John Dawes, Keith Jarrett, Maurice Richards; Barry John, Gareth Edwards; John Lloyd, Norman Gale, Denzil Williams, Brian Price (captain), Delme Thomas, Dai Morris, John Taylor, Mervyn Davies
Scorers: Tries: Morris, Davies, Taylor; Cons: Jarrett 2; Pens: Jarrett 2Referee: Craig Ferguson (New South Wales)
Wales got off to a horrendous start and soon found themselves trailing by 11 points in the opening quarter playing into a strong wind and playing on a very muddy surface. At that stage things could have got away from them, but they galvanised themselves and hit back with a try from back row man Dai Morris after a front of the line-out peel by Gareth Edwards and a penalty from Keith Jarrett
That made it 11-6 at the break and the fightback was on. In fact, having conceded 11 points without replay Wales then notched 19 of their own before the Wallabies hit back at the death.
It was Gerald Davies’ second game for Wales on the right wing, having made his debut there in Auckland the week before, and he notched his first try on the flank with some beautifully balanced and evasive running. It was a sign of things to come and a ringing endorsement of the switch that turned him from a centre into a wing.
Davies sidestepped his way over in the corner from 40 yards out two minutes into the second half and Jarrett’s conversion levelled things up at 11-11. Then the Newport centre landed a monster penalty out of the mud from half way to edge his side into the lead before converting a third Welsh try.
This time it was John Taylor who crossed after another brilliant break by Davies. At 19-11 ahead it looked all over with the Welsh pack bossing the set-pieces. But the Wallabies grabbed a try wide out on the right from full back McGill, who also added the extras.
The circumstances surrounding the try caused a fair amount of protest among the Welsh players, who felt McGill had needed a second movement to get over the line. The referee took umbrage and re-started the game with a penalty to the Wallabies on the half-way line.
Up stepped No 8 Alan Skinner for a shot at glory on his debut, but his kick at goal went nowhere near and so Wales were able to win the game without any further controversy.
In his book ‘Decade of the Dragon – a celebration of Welsh rugby 1969-1979’ try-scorer John Taylor gave his view on the decision at the death that nearly cost Wales a draw.
“Mr Ferguson, the referee, was definitely a ‘homer’ in the eyes of the Welsh boys. He had given more penalties against Wales than Australia and when they were penalised the Aussies seemed to get them for technical offences in kickable positions, especially once Wales had taken the lead. He finally became an out and out villain to us when he awarded McGill a try after the Wallaby full back seemed to all of us to have been tackled well short of the line by Maurice Richards and then wriggled over. Ferguson ruled that his momentum had taken him across the line and Maurice was so upset he looked as if he would tear the referee apart. Fortunately he only remonstrated with him, but so vehement was his protest that Mr Ferguson awarded a penalty on half-way to Australia to restart the game instead of the normal kick-off. McGill had converted his own try from the touchline but fortunately Skinner could not kick the penalty from the centre spot. It could have been a try worth eight points but Wales hung on to win. IN Britain there is never a referee from the host country but everywhere else it is the norm. The Welsh party left New Zealand and Australia branded as whingers by the natives, but firm in their belief that the sooner neutral referees were introduced the better it would be for the game. Even if a referee doesn’t cheat it is ridiculous to put him in a situation where he can be accused of doing so.”
Rowlands moved up from coach to manager of the next Welsh tour to Australia in 1978, but even nine years on the call for neutral referees on tour continued to fall on deaf ears. Once again Wales were Five Nations champions, but this time they lost both Tests – 18-8 at Ballymore in Brisbane and 19-17 back at the SCG.
By the time Wales made their third tour in 1991, neutral referees had been put in place.
