Disappointment Down Under

THIS IS my third look at Scotland short tours, following my earlier pieces on the original, ground-breaking 1960 tour to South Africa, and the all but forgotten 1964 tour to Canada.

Following the Canadian adventure, the South Africans toured Ireland and Scotland in 1965, we had a Lions Tour to Australasia in 1966, a reciprocal visit from the All Blacks in 1967 and a Lions Tour in 1968.

So it was 1969 before Scotland had a chance to tour again, and this time, they chose to go to the emerging nation of Argentina. However, that tour was more of a prequel to the 1970 season than an add-on to the 1969 one – so, we will deal with it later.

Fifty years ago, in 1970, fresh from a Five Nations campaign which had yielded just one victory, the Calcutta Cup win over foot of the table England, a Scottish touring party set off for Australia.

The selectors met in late March and named a strong 23-man squad to travel, under the managership of Hector Monro, the Langholm man and serving MP, reprising his management role from the Canadian tour of 1964.

The tour party named was:

Back three: AG Biggar (London Scottish), MD Sharp (Edinburgh University), ISG Smith, MA Smith (both London Scottish).

Centres: JNM Frame (Gala), CWW Rea (West of Scotland), JWC Turner (Gala).

Stand-offs: I Robertson (Watsonians), CM Telfer (Hawick).

Scrum-halves: GC Connell (London Scottish), DS Paterson (Gala).

Hookers: DT Deans (Hawick), FA Laidlaw (Melrose, Captain).

Props: AB Carmichael (West of Scotland), J McLauchlan (Jordanhill College), N Suddon (Hawick).

Locks: GL Brown (West of Scotland), PC Brown (Gala), PK Stagg (Sale).

Back row: RJ Arneil (Edinburgh Academical), TG Elliot (Langholm), W Lauder (Neath), GK Oliver (Gala).

It was an experienced party, only Edinburgh University student Sharp and Gala back rower Oliver were uncapped. Sharp, unfortunately, had to withdraw before the party left, to be replaced by Gala's Drew Gill, whose selection took his club's representation to six. Poor Sharp never did get a cap.

Tour Captain Frank Laidlaw

The tour party flew out on 14 May, heading for Melbourne, in the heart of Australian Rules territory, where they played the opener, against Victoria, under the Onslow Park floodlights six days later.

Victoria is traditionally one of the weaker Australian states and the game proved a nice easy opener for the tourists, who won 34-0. Wilson Lauder, the Neath flanker, was the star of the show, with 19 points, from two tries, five conversions and a penalty goal. The Reuters reports published in the Scottish papers, did not identify who scored the other points, from five tries.

From Melbourne, the Scots travelled north, to Sydney, where match two pitted them against the full New South Wales XV, traditionally the strongest state side in Australia.

This strength was demonstrated as NSW inflicted the first defeat of the tour on the Scots, winning 28-14, Mike Smith and John Frame got tries for the Scots, with Reuters crediting the other eight points, from a conversion and two penalty goals, to Gala's Ken Oliver. I suspect, however, the actual scorer was either Peter Brown or, more-likely, Wilson Lauder.

This loss put additional pressure on the Scots in match three, against a New South Wales County XV, at Bathurst, a place better-known in the world of motor sport.

The County XV played hard, but, quality told in the end, as Colin Telfer secured an 18-15 win for the Scots via a last-minute dropped goal.

Telfer had started the game at full back, but moved up to his more-normal stand-off role after match-day skipper Ian Robertson , who had scored the Scots' only try, had to go off injured early in the second half.

Lauder's goal-kicking was again crucial to the Scots, as he goaled four penalties. The County XV, who included several Wallabies caps, actually out-scored the Scots, two tries to one.

From Bathurst, the Scots moved north to Brisbane, to face a Queensland team determined to match what New South Wales had done, and beat the tourists.

Queensland led 3-0 at the interval, increasing that lead to 13-0 before the Scots, who had perhaps kicked too much up until then, decided they had nothig to lose by spinning the ball wide.

Alistair Biggar, who was having a terrific game, and John Frame, both scored tries, converted by the reliable Lauder. Queensland then put daylight between the sides via a penalty goal, answered in kind by Lauder, but, although the Scots battered the Queensland line, after the hosts were reduced to 14 men, Dunworth sent off after a fiery exchange of views by the rival packs. Queensland held out to win 16-13.

The tour party then turned south, back to Sydney, for the final two games of the tour. The midweek match pitted them against a Sydney XV and this was to prove a significant match in the history of Scottish rugby, as for the only time in their international careers, the Brown brothers from Troon formed the Scotland boiler-house partnership.

The Sydney XV included a surprise choice, 18-year-old Russell Fairfax, who would go on to have a stellar career in both Union and Rugby League, but, on this occasion, as the Scots produced their best display of the tour, he would finish on the losing side.

Wilson Lauder - kicked his way to top scorer on the tour

Wilson Lauder was again a key man for the Scots, contributing 18 points to their 27-12 win, from three conversions and four penalty goals.

Scotland's three tries came from Gordon Brown, Ken Oliver and Mike Smith and, after this impressive wins, the hard-nosed Sydney bookies slashed the odds against the tourists beating Australia in Saturday's Test.

The Scottish captain Frank Laidlaw had been struggling with a serious calf injury, but, after his number two, Hawick's Derek Deans, sustained an injury in the win over Sydney, it was apparent that, although he could barely run, Laidlaw would have to be in his usual place, in the middle of the front row, in the Test. The Scotland team was named as:

Jock Turner, Alistair Biggar, John Frame, Chris Rea, Mike Smith; Ian Robertson, Duncan Paterson; Norman Suddon, Frank Laidlaw, Sandy Carmichael, Gordon Brown, Peter Brown, Wilson Lauder, Ken Oliver, Roger Arneil.

Sadly for the family, the chance to see the Brown brothers in tandem at lock in a full Test match was lost when Peter, who had been troubled by a head injury, sustained early in the tour, had to pull out, with Peter Stagg coming in.

The Scots pack were out-played throughout the game, as the Australians surged into an 8-0 lead, before a Lauder penalty made it 8-3 at the interval.

However, after the break, the Australians pulled away, adding 16 unanswered points for their first win over the Scots since 1947. That second half was marred by several punch-ups between the packs, and, while the Scots finished strongly, the home defence held firm.