1979 Ireland rugby union tour of Australia
Encyclopedia
The 1979 Ireland rugby union tour of Australia was a series of eight matches played by the Ireland national rugby union team
in Australia
in May and June 1979.
The tour was one of Ireland's most successful to date. Ireland won seven of the eight matches they played, including both tests against Australia
. The only defeat came against Sydney. The tour also marked a notable episode in the rivalry between the two Ireland fly halves, Tony Ward
and Ollie Campbell
. Ward had been an ever present during both the 1978
and 1979 Five Nations Championship
s and he also played in the early games during this tour. However he was then dropped before the first test in favour of Campbell. Campbell subsequently emerged as man of the tour, setting an Irish record when he scored 60 points during the remaining games. On 3 June in Brisbane
he scored 19 points, helping Ireland to a 27-12 victory. Campbell scored four penalties, one drop goal and converted two Colin Patterson
tries. In the second test on 16 June Campbell scored two drop goals and a penalty as Ireland won 9-3. These two tests also marked the beginning and the end of the careers of two Ireland rugby legends. The first test saw the debut of Ciaran Fitzgerald
while the second saw Mike Gibson make his final Ireland appearance. While on this tour Ned Byrne
was the victim of a hit and run road accident which left his leg broken in three places.
Ireland national rugby union team
The Ireland national rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team competes annually in the Six Nations Championship and every four years in the Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final stage in all but two competitions The Ireland national rugby union...
in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in May and June 1979.
The tour was one of Ireland's most successful to date. Ireland won seven of the eight matches they played, including both tests against Australia
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
. The only defeat came against Sydney. The tour also marked a notable episode in the rivalry between the two Ireland fly halves, Tony Ward
Tony Ward (rugby player)
Anthony Joseph Patrick Ward , commonly referred to as Tony Ward, was an Irish rugby union and soccer player during the 1970s and 1980s. He played rugby as a fly-half for, among others, Munster, Leinster, , the British and Irish Lions and the Barbarians...
and Ollie Campbell
Ollie Campbell
Seamus Oliver Campbell was an Irish rugby union player from 1976 to 1984. He was educated at Belvedere College, a famous Irish rugby school, where he was on the teams that won the Leinster Schools Senior Cup twice in a row in 1971 and 1972...
. Ward had been an ever present during both the 1978
1978 Five Nations Championship
The 1978 Five Nations Championship was the forty-ninth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the eighty-fourth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played...
and 1979 Five Nations Championship
1979 Five Nations Championship
The 1979 Five Nations Championship was the fiftieth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the eighty-fifth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship...
s and he also played in the early games during this tour. However he was then dropped before the first test in favour of Campbell. Campbell subsequently emerged as man of the tour, setting an Irish record when he scored 60 points during the remaining games. On 3 June in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
he scored 19 points, helping Ireland to a 27-12 victory. Campbell scored four penalties, one drop goal and converted two Colin Patterson
Colin Patterson (Rugby player)
Colin Patterson is a former international rugby union player. He toured South Africa in 1980 with the British and Irish Lions and at the time played club rugby for Instonians. His son Johnny captained the Regent House Grammar School side that reached the Ulster Schools Cup final in 2008.-Notes:...
tries. In the second test on 16 June Campbell scored two drop goals and a penalty as Ireland won 9-3. These two tests also marked the beginning and the end of the careers of two Ireland rugby legends. The first test saw the debut of Ciaran Fitzgerald
Ciaran Fitzgerald
Ciaran Fitzgerald in Loughrea, County Galway is a former Irish rugby union footballer and coach of the national team.- Biography :...
while the second saw Mike Gibson make his final Ireland appearance. While on this tour Ned Byrne
Ned Byrne
Edward "Ned" Michael Joseph Byrne is a former Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club James Stephens and the Kilkenny senior inter-county team in the 1970s, and between 1977 and 1978 represented Ireland at rugby union.- Early life :Ned Byrne was born in Kilkenny in 1947...
was the victim of a hit and run road accident which left his leg broken in three places.
Matches
- Scores and results list Ireland's points tally first.
Opposing Team For Against Date Venue Western Australia RugbyWARugbyWA, formerly known as the Western Australia Rugby Union, is the governing body for rugby union in the state of Western Australia, Australia. In 2004, RugbyWA successfully secured the fourth Australian Super 12 licence, entering a team in the expanded Super 14 competition from 2006, called the...
39 3 20 May Perry Lakes Stadium Perry Lakes StadiumPerry Lakes Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium adjacent to Perry Lakes in Floreat, Western Australia, Australia. It was built and funded by the State Government and the City of Perth in 1962 for the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games and had a nominal capacity of 30,000...
, PerthPerth, Western AustraliaPerth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....Australian Capital Territory ACT and Southern NSW Rugby UnionThe ACT and Southern NSW Rugby Union is the governing body for rugby union in the Australian Capital Territory and southern regions of New South Wales. The union is represented by one team in the Super 14 competition, the Brumbies...
35 7 23 May Manuka Oval Manuka OvalManuka Oval is a 13,550 capacity ground located in the suburb of Griffith, adjacent to Manuka, a business district of Canberra, Australia's capital....
, CanberraCanberraCanberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...New South Wales New South Wales WaratahsThe New South Wales Waratahs are an Australian rugby union football team, representing the majority of New South Wales in the Super 15 Super Rugby competition...
16 12 26 May Sydney Sports Ground Sydney Sports GroundThe Sydney Sports Ground was a Stadium and Dirt track racing venue in Sydney, New South Wales. The ground was located where the car park of the Sydney Football Stadium currently sits. The ground had two main grandstands and was surrounded by a grass covered hill, giving it a capacity of more than...
, SydneySydneySydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...Queensland Queensland RedsThe Queensland Reds represent Queensland in the sport of rugby union in the Southern Hemisphere Super Rugby competition. Prior to 1996 they were a representative team selected on merit from the rugby union club competitions in Queensland...
18 15 29 May Ballymore Ballymore StadiumBallymore is the name of a rugby union stadium situated in Herston, a suburb of Brisbane, Australia. It was the home of Queensland Rugby Union, and used to be the home ground for the Queensland Reds and the Brisbane Strikers Football Club. The Queensland Reds have since moved to Suncorp Stadium...
, BrisbaneBrisbaneBrisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...Australia Australia national rugby union teamThe Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
27 12 3 June Ballymore Ballymore StadiumBallymore is the name of a rugby union stadium situated in Herston, a suburb of Brisbane, Australia. It was the home of Queensland Rugby Union, and used to be the home ground for the Queensland Reds and the Brisbane Strikers Football Club. The Queensland Reds have since moved to Suncorp Stadium...
, BrisbaneBrisbaneBrisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...New South Wales Country 28 7 5 June Wade Park Wade ParkWade Park is a sports ground located in the town of Orange, New South Wales, Australia.The park has hosted a number of competitive A-League matches featuring the Central Coast Mariners FC - in 2006's Pre-Season against Adelaide United , and then again in 2007 when the Mariners and Queensland Roar...
, OrangeOrange, New South WalesOrange is a city in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia. It is west of the state capital, Sydney, at an altitude of . Orange has an estimated population of 39,329 and the city is a major provincial centre....Sydney 12 16 9 June Sydney Sports Ground Sydney Sports GroundThe Sydney Sports Ground was a Stadium and Dirt track racing venue in Sydney, New South Wales. The ground was located where the car park of the Sydney Football Stadium currently sits. The ground had two main grandstands and was surrounded by a grass covered hill, giving it a capacity of more than...
, SydneySydneySydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...Australia Australia national rugby union teamThe Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
9 3 16 June Sydney Cricket Ground Sydney Cricket GroundThe Sydney Cricket Ground is a sports stadium in Sydney in Australia. It is used for Australian football, Test cricket, One Day International cricket, some rugby league and rugby union matches and is the home ground for the New South Wales Blues cricket team and the Sydney Swans of the Australian...
, SydneySydneySydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
Test Matches
----Touring party
- Manager: J. Coffey
- Assistant Manager: Noel Murphy
- Medical Officer: T.C.J. O’Connell
- Captain: Fergus SlatteryFergus SlatteryJohn Fergus Slattery is a former rugby union player who represented Ireland. He played schools rugby for Blackrock College and then moved on to play senior rugby for UCD, before earning a call up to the Ireland team in 1970. During his career Slattery earned 61 caps, 18 as captain, and scored 3...
Backs
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Paul McNaughton Paul Peter Patrick McNaughton , was an Irish rugby union, soccer and GAA player during the 1970s and 1980s. He played rugby as a centre, with Leinster, Ireland , Greystones and Wanderers. Although better known as a rugby player, he also played soccer for both Shelbourne F.C. and Bray Wanderers A.F.C.... (Greystones Greystones RFC Greystones Rugby Football Club is a rugby union team based in Greystones, County Wicklow in the Republic of Ireland. The club was formed in 1937. They won their first trophy in1944 when they won the Metropolitan League... ) John Moloney (rugby player) John Joseph Moloney is a former Ireland international rugby union player. He toured South Africa in 1974 with the British and Irish Lions and at the time played club rugby for St. Mary's College R.F.C..-References:... (St Mary's College St Mary's College RFC St. Mary's College Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club based in Dublin, Ireland. The club was founded in 1900 by former pupils of St. Mary's College, Dublin and was originally known as Old St. Mary's. They club won the Leinster Senior Cup for the first time in 1958... ) Rodney O'Donnell Rodney Christopher O'Donnell is a former Ireland international rugby union player. He toured South Africa in 1980 with the British Lions and at the time played club rugby for St. Mary's College RFC. His rugby career was ended by a neck injury.- Notes :... (St Mary's College St Mary's College RFC St. Mary's College Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club based in Dublin, Ireland. The club was founded in 1900 by former pupils of St. Mary's College, Dublin and was originally known as Old St. Mary's. They club won the Leinster Senior Cup for the first time in 1958... ) Colin Patterson (Rugby player) Colin Patterson is a former international rugby union player. He toured South Africa in 1980 with the British and Irish Lions and at the time played club rugby for Instonians. His son Johnny captained the Regent House Grammar School side that reached the Ulster Schools Cup final in 2008.-Notes:... (Instonians Instonians Instonians is the name of the umbrella organisation that incorporates rugby union, men's and ladies' hockey and cricket sections. There is also a golf society that plays under the Instonians name.... ) Tony Ward (rugby player) Anthony Joseph Patrick Ward , commonly referred to as Tony Ward, was an Irish rugby union and soccer player during the 1970s and 1980s. He played rugby as a fly-half for, among others, Munster, Leinster, , the British and Irish Lions and the Barbarians... (Garryowen Garryowen Football Club Garryowen Football Club , usually referred to as Garryowen, is a rugby union club from Limerick, Ireland. Historically it has been one of the most successful clubs in Irish rugby union leagues.-Name:... ) |
Forwards
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Ballymena RFC Ballymena Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club based in the town of Ballymena, Northern Ireland. It is affiliated to the Ulster branch of the Irish Rugby Football Union. The club fields six adult teams and an under-20 team. In youth rugby there are under-18, under-16 and under-14 teams... ) Gerry McLoughlin Gerard Anthony Joseph McLoughlin is a former international rugby union player. He played club rugby for Shannon RFC and played on the 1983 British Lions tour to New Zealand.... (Shannon Shannon RFC Shannon Rugby Football Club is an amateur rugby union team from Ireland, they hail from Limerick near the banks of the Shannon river. The club is a member of the Irish Rugby Football Union Munster Branch and as one of the top amateur sides in Ireland has seen many of its players progress to... ) London Irish London Irish RFC is an English rugby union club based in Sunbury, Surrey, where the senior squad train, the youth teams and senior academy play home games, and the club maintain their administrative offices. The senior squad play home games at the Madejski Stadium in Reading and compete in the top... ) Philip Orr Philip Andrew "Phil" Orr , is a former Irish international and British and Irish Lions Rugby Union loosehead prop. Educated at The High School, Dublin and Trinity College Dublin, Orr played for Old Wesley for over 20 years and was, for many years, his country's most-capped prop with a then world... (Old Wesley Old Wesley Old Wesley Rugby Football Club was founded in 1891 from the past pupils of Wesley College, Dublin. Since then it has become one of Leinster's most famous clubs. The club won the Leinster Senior Cup in 1909 and 1985 as well as winning the AIL Division 2 title in 1989... ) Fergus Slattery John Fergus Slattery is a former rugby union player who represented Ireland. He played schools rugby for Blackrock College and then moved on to play senior rugby for UCD, before earning a call up to the Ireland team in 1970. During his career Slattery earned 61 caps, 18 as captain, and scored 3... (Blackrock College Blackrock College RFC Blackrock College Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club located in Blackrock, Dublin, Ireland. The club was founded in 1882 by former pupils of Blackrock College... ) Ballymena RFC Ballymena Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club based in the town of Ballymena, Northern Ireland. It is affiliated to the Ulster branch of the Irish Rugby Football Union. The club fields six adult teams and an under-20 team. In youth rugby there are under-18, under-16 and under-14 teams... ) Garryowen Football Club Garryowen Football Club , usually referred to as Garryowen, is a rugby union club from Limerick, Ireland. Historically it has been one of the most successful clubs in Irish rugby union leagues.-Name:... ) |