Greg Cornelsen
Encyclopedia
Greg Cornelsen is a former Australia
n rugby union
footballer, who was capped 25 times for the national team, the Wallabies
from 1974 to 1982. His usual position was as flanker.
Cornelsen made his international debut for Australia at just 21 years of age, when the Wallabies took on the All Blacks
in 1974 in Brisbane
, which resulted in a 16-all draw. He was subsequently capped in the following match in Sydney, in which the All Blacks won 16 to 6. He next played for Australia against Japan
in Brisbane, which the Wallabies won 50 to 25. Over the following two seasons, he played in matches against Scotland
, Wales
, England
and France
. All were in Europe and the Wallabies had a tougher time winning.
In 1978, Cornelsen played two matches against the Welsh in Australia, both of which the Wallabies won. After the Welsh wins, the Wallabies faced the All Blacks in a three test series. After Australia lost the opening two matches in Wellington
and Christchurch
, the Australians faced a 3-0 whitewash if they lost the final game at Eden Park
in Auckland
. In one of Cornelsen's greatests moments, he scored four tries in the third test, seeing Australia through to a 30 to 16 victory, as well as ending a long drought of losses against the Kiwis. He was also the first forward from any country to score four tries in a major Test (i.e., involving two traditional top-tier nations) since 1881, and to this day remains the only Wallabies forward with four tries in a Test.
The following year he played another five tests for Australia, the first of which were two losses against Ireland
at home, though the Wallabies then went onto defeat the All Blacks again, at home in Sydney. Cornelsen also played in the two tests against Argentina
in Buenos Aires
. The series was tied 1 game each. In 1980 the Wallabies hosted the All Blacks for a three tests series. Australia entered the third game with the series at 1-all, winning the final game 26 to ten in Sydney. Cornelsen was then capped against Ireland, Wales and Scotland in 1981 in Europe. In 1982 his long test career came to a close at the home of English rugby at Twickenham
where the Wallabies played the English.
Greg came out of retirement for the 1984 Wallaby Tour of Great Britain and Ireland and played outstandingly in all four Test wins.
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...
n rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
footballer, who was capped 25 times for the national team, the Wallabies
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...
from 1974 to 1982. His usual position was as flanker.
Career
Greg played Australian School Boys Rugby in 1969. The team toured South Africa at the invitation of Danie Craven. Greg was one of two boys selected in this team from The Armidale School Armidale. The other was Brian Hayward.Cornelsen made his international debut for Australia at just 21 years of age, when the Wallabies took on the All Blacks
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
in 1974 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...
, which resulted in a 16-all draw. He was subsequently capped in the following match in Sydney, in which the All Blacks won 16 to 6. He next played for Australia against Japan
Japan national rugby union team
The Japan national rugby union team represent Japan in international rugby union competitions. Japan is traditionally the strongest rugby union power in Asia but has both enjoyed and endured mixed results against non-Asian teams over the years...
in Brisbane, which the Wallabies won 50 to 25. Over the following two seasons, he played in matches against Scotland
Scotland national rugby union team
The Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...
, Wales
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
, England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
and France
France national rugby union team
The France national rugby union team represents France in rugby union. They compete annually against England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales in the Six Nations Championship. They have won the championship outright sixteen times, shared it a further eight times, and have completed nine grand slams...
. All were in Europe and the Wallabies had a tougher time winning.
In 1978, Cornelsen played two matches against the Welsh in Australia, both of which the Wallabies won. After the Welsh wins, the Wallabies faced the All Blacks in a three test series. After Australia lost the opening two matches in Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
and Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
, the Australians faced a 3-0 whitewash if they lost the final game at Eden Park
Eden Park
Eden Park is the biggest stadium in Auckland, New Zealand. It is used primarily for rugby union in winter and cricket in summer . The ground also occasionally hostts rugby league matches. To accommodate all three sports, the cricket pitch is removable...
in Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
. In one of Cornelsen's greatests moments, he scored four tries in the third test, seeing Australia through to a 30 to 16 victory, as well as ending a long drought of losses against the Kiwis. He was also the first forward from any country to score four tries in a major Test (i.e., involving two traditional top-tier nations) since 1881, and to this day remains the only Wallabies forward with four tries in a Test.
The following year he played another five tests for Australia, the first of which were two losses against Ireland
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...
at home, though the Wallabies then went onto defeat the All Blacks again, at home in Sydney. Cornelsen also played in the two tests against Argentina
Argentina national rugby union team
The Argentina national rugby team, nicknamed Los Pumas, represents Argentina in international rugby union matches. The team, which plays in sky blue and white jerseys, is organised by the Argentine Rugby Union .Argentina played its first international rugby match in 1910 against a touring British...
in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
. The series was tied 1 game each. In 1980 the Wallabies hosted the All Blacks for a three tests series. Australia entered the third game with the series at 1-all, winning the final game 26 to ten in Sydney. Cornelsen was then capped against Ireland, Wales and Scotland in 1981 in Europe. In 1982 his long test career came to a close at the home of English rugby at Twickenham
Twickenham Stadium
Twickenham Stadium is a stadium located in Twickenham, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is the largest rugby union stadium in the United Kingdom and has recently been enlarged to seat 82,000...
where the Wallabies played the English.
Greg came out of retirement for the 1984 Wallaby Tour of Great Britain and Ireland and played outstandingly in all four Test wins.
External links
- Greg Cornelsen on sporting-heroes.net
- Cornelsen still in record books - Courier-Mail