1970 Great Britain Lions tour

1970 Great Britain Lions tour
Date22 May 1970 –
27 July 1970
ManagerJack Harding
Coach(es)Johnny Whiteley
Tour captain(s)Frank Myler
Top point scorer(s)Terry Price (117)
Top try scorer(s)Syd Hynes (19)
Summary
P W D L
Total
24 22 1 1
Test match
6 5 0 1
Opponent
P W D L
 Australia
3 2 0 1
 New Zealand
3 3 0 0
Tour chronology
Previous tour1966
Next tour1974

The 1970 Great Britain Lions tour was the Great Britain national rugby league team's 14th tour of Australasia and took place from May to August 1970. A total of 24 matches were played against local club and representative sides during the tour, including a three match Test match series against Australia and New Zealand respectively.

The tour was one of the most successful in Lions history, with the team winning all but two of the matches. It is also remembered for being the last time that Great Britain won an Ashes series against Australia.

Touring squad

On 4 March 1970, an initial 21 players were selected for the tour, with the remaining players to be named later in the month.[1] On 25 March, seven additional players were chosen to complete the 26-man squad, with Frank Myler named as captain (two of the originally selected players withdrew from the squad – John Mantle withdrew for "domestic reasons", while Jim Mills intended to emigrate to Australia to play for North Sydney).[2][3]

After the squad was selected, John Stephens withdrew from the tour due to injury, and was replaced by Dennis Hartley.[4] The tour manager was Jack Harding, with Johnny Whiteley as assistant manager and coach.[5]

Name Position Nationality Club
Derek EdwardsUtility back England Castleford
Terry PriceFullback Wales Bradford Northern
Ray DuttonFullback England Widnes
Alan SmithWing England Leeds
John AtkinsonWing England Leeds
Clive SullivanWing Wales Hull
Chris HeskethCentre England Salford
Syd HynesCentre England Leeds
Frank MylerCentre England St Helens
Mick ShoebottomStand-off England Leeds
Roger MillwardStand-off England Hull Kingston Rovers
Alan HardistyStand-off England Castleford
Barry SeabourneScrum-half England Leeds
Keith HepworthScrum-half England Castleford
Cliff WatsonProp forward England St Helens
John WardProp forward England Salford
David ChisnallProp forward England Leigh
Dennis HartleyProp forward England Castleford
Peter FlanaganHooker England Hull Kingston Rovers
Tony FisherHooker Wales Bradford Northern
Phil LoweSecond-row England Hull Kingston Rovers
Bob IrvingSecond-row England Oldham
Dave RobinsonSecond-row England Wigan
Jim ThompsonSecond-row England Featherstone Rovers
Malcolm ReillyLoose forward England Castleford
Doug LaughtonLoose forward England Wigan

Results

Australia

22 May 1970
Northern Territory 12 – 35 Great Britain
Richardson Park, Darwin
Attendance: 3,000
Referee: Ray Pittey
24 May 1970
North Queensland 20 – 23 Great Britain
Townsville Sports Reserve, Townsville
Attendance: 7,890
Referee: Sid Volling
26 May 1970
Central Queensland 2 – 30 Great Britain
Rockhampton Showgrounds, Rockhampton
Attendance: 7,290
Referee: Nick Euclid
28 May 1970
Wide Bay 7 – 45 Great Britain
Wondai Sports Ground, Gympie
Attendance: 3,344
Referee: L. Cronin
30 May 1970
Queensland Firsts 7 – 32 Great Britain
Lang Park, Brisbane
Attendance: 17,071
Referee: Henry Albert

First Test

6 June 1970
Australia  37 – 15  Great Britain
Tries: King (2), Morgan (2), McDonald
Goals: Langlands (9)
Drop goals: Hawthorne (2)
 [6]
 Tries: Flanagan, Laughton, Watson
Goals: Price (3)
Lang Park, Brisbane
Attendance: 42,807
Referee: Don Lancashire Australia
7 June 1970
Toowoomba 13 – 37 Great Britain
Athletic Oval, Toowoomba
Attendance: 6,549
Referee: Des Creedy
10 June 1970
Brisbane Firsts 7 – 28 Great Britain
Brisbane Exhibition Grounds, Brisbane
Attendance: 10,117
Referee: Henry Albert
13 June 1970
NSW Firsts 17 – 17 Great Britain
Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
Attendance: 31,509
Referee: Keith Page
14 June 1970
Monaro 11 – 34 Great Britain
Seiffert Oval, Queanbeyan
Attendance: 9,500
Referee: Graham Barby

Second Test

20 June 1970
Australia  7 – 28  Great Britain
Tries: King
Goals: McDonald
Drop goals: Hawthorne
 [7]
 Tries: Millward (2), Atkinson, Fisher
Goals: Millward (6)
Drop goals: Hynes, Millward
Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
Attendance: 60,962
Referee: Don Lancashire Australia
21 June 1970
Western Division 11 – 40 Great Britain
Bathurst Showground, Bathurst
Attendance: 4,400
Referee: Tom Gustard
23 June 1970
Sydney Colts 7 – 26 Great Britain
Endeavour Field, Sydney
Attendance: 14,046
Referee: Keith Holman
27 June 1970
Newcastle 16 – 49 Great Britain
Newcastle Number 1 Sports Ground, Newcastle
Attendance: 22,655
Referee: Neil McAlister
28 June 1970
Riverina 11 – 12 Great Britain
Robertson Oval, Wagga Wagga
Attendance: 11,000
Referee: Bruce Chapman

Third Test

4 July 1970
Australia  17 – 21  Great Britain
Tries: McCarthy
Goals: McKean (7)
 [8]
 Tries: Atkinson (2), Hartley, Hynes, Millward
Goals: Millward (3)
Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
Attendance: 61,258
Referee: Don Lancashire Australia
5 July 1970
Southern Division 11 – 24 Great Britain
[9]
Wollongong Showground, Wollongong
Attendance: 7,796
Referee: Neil McAlister

New Zealand

8 July 1970
Northern XIII 17 – 42 Great Britain
Tokoroa Memorial Sports Ground Tokoroa
Attendance: 3,546
Referee: Ron Pont

First Test

11 July 1970
New Zealand  15 – 19  Great Britain
Tries: Orchard
Goals: Ladner (6)
 [10]
 Tries: Laughton (2), Atkinson, Hynes, Millward
Goals: Hynes (2)
Carlaw Park, Auckland
Attendance: 15,948
Referee: John Percival New Zealand
14 July 1970
Wellington XIII 8 – 60 Great Britain
Basin Reserve, Wellington
Attendance: 859
Referee: Earle Pilcher

Second Test

19 July 1970
New Zealand  9 – 23  Great Britain
Tries: Christian
Goals: Ladner (3)
 [11]
 Tries: Millward (2), Laughton, Myler, Reilly
Goals: Dutton (4)
21 July 1970
West Coast 2 – 57 Great Britain
Wingham Park, Greymouth
Attendance: 676
Referee: Ted Gutbertlet

Third Test

25 July 1970
New Zealand  16 – 33  Great Britain
Tries: Bailey, Orchard
Goals: Ladner (5)
 [12]
 Tries: Lowe (2), Hepworth, Hesketh, Hynes, Smith, Watson
Goals: Dutton (5), Millward
Carlaw Park, Auckland
Attendance: 13,137
Referee: John Percival New Zealand
27 July 1970
Auckland 8 – 23 Great Britain
Carlaw Park, Auckland
Attendance: 6,074
Referee: A. Taylor

Aftermath

The tour was one of the most successful in Lions history, with the team winning 22 out of their 24 matches – their only defeat was the first Test against Australia, with the draw against New South Wales being the only other game they failed to win.[13] The tour made a profit of approximately £60,000.[14]

References

  1. ↑ Mather, Harold (5 March 1970). "Price is chosen for tour". The Guardian. London. p. 22. ProQuest 185364260.
  2. ↑ Mather, Harold (26 March 1970). "Myler captain for tour". The Guardian. London. p. 25. ProQuest 185406705.
  3. ↑ "Britain's Complete Team". The Rugby League news. Vol. 51, no. 10. Sydney: N.S.W. Rugby Football League. 4 April 1970 – via Trove.
  4. ↑ "Hartley in tour party". The Guardian. London. 7 April 1970. p. 17. ProQuest 185491202.
  5. ↑ "'We had arrogance and won Aussie hearts' - The incredible story of the infamous 1970 Lions Tour 50 years on". Hull Daily Mail. 4 July 2020. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
  6. ↑ "Ashes Series 1970 Series - Game 1". Rugby League Project. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
  7. ↑ "Ashes Series 1970 Series - Game 2". Rugby League Project. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
  8. ↑ "Ashes Series 1970 Series - Game 3". Rugby League Project. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
  9. ↑ "Millward Hurt at W'gong". The Sydney Morning Herald. 6 July 1970. p. 17.
  10. ↑ "New Zealand vs Great Britain 1970 Series - Game 1". Rugby League Project. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
  11. ↑ "New Zealand vs Great Britain 1970 Series - Game 2". Rugby League Project. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
  12. ↑ "New Zealand vs Great Britain 1970 Series - Game 3". Rugby League Project. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
  13. ↑ "Johnny Whiteley recalls when Great Britain's Lions last roared in Australia". Sky Sports. 8 July 2020. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
  14. ↑ "Hardisty agrees terms with Sydney club". The Guardian. London. 29 July 1970. p. 16. ProQuest 185411190.
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