Kangaroo Tour: 1994
Sean Fagan of RL1908.com
Mal Meninga became the first captain to lead two Kangaroo tours when he returned to England with a side that included Fittler, Clyde, Brasher, Mullins, Sailor, Langer, Menzies, Pay, Roberts and Renouf.
The First Test proved to be a real surprise as the Kangaroos had easily won all their lead-up games. With just over a quarter of the match gone, Britain was shattered when captain Shaun Edwards produced an appalling head-high tackle on Clyde and was duly sent off.
However, sparked by Jonathon Davies who scored a spectacular try when he beat Mullins in the corner, the British won by 8-4.
At Old Trafford for the 2nd Test, Britain held firm in defence early and took a 4-0 lead. At that point, the Aussies seemed to be on the verge of being frustrated and certainly looked beatable.
However, in the 26th minute Meninga snatched a pass from Britain's Goulding and raced 60m before sending Ettingshausen over for a converted try. The home side was stunned and quickly allowed another try and by half-time were down by 18-4.
The Kangaroos went on to win by a handsome margin (38-8) to send the series to a 3rd Test decider.
The final Ashes Test of the 20th Century was an even affair with torrid defence until the last quarter of the game. Unable to get over the top of the Kangaroos, the British floundered near the end and were eventually well beaten by 23-4.
It was not a true reflection of the intensity of the match, but it demonstrated the Australians' drive to play at the highest intensity for the full 80 minutes. Laurie Daley and Ricky Stuart were the Kangaroos' best players.
The French leg of the 1994 tour only included one Test - won by Australia by 74-0. The once keen rivals have not played against each other since.
Tour Details:
1994 v Great Britain & France
GREAT BRITAIN
1st Test - 22 October : lost 4-8 / Wembley Stadium, London (57,034)
2nd Test - 5 November : won 38-8 / Old Trafford, Manchester (43,930)
3rd Test - 20 November : won 23-4 / Elland Road, Leeds (39,468)
RECORD: P: 18 W: 17 L: 1 FOR: 775 AGST: 150
TEST SERIES: Won 2-1
AGGREGATE ATTENDANCE: 270,804
v Cumbria W 52-8 4,277 Workington
v Leeds W 48-6 18,581 Leeds
v Wigan W 30-20 20,057 Wigan
v Castleford W 38-12 11,073 Castleford
v Halifax W 26-12 8,352 Halifax
v GREAT BRITAIN L 4-8 57,034 Wembley Stadium, London
v Sheffield W 80-2 8,000 Sheffield
v Wales W 46-4 8,729 Cardiff
v St Helens W 32-14 13,911 St Helens
v GREAT BRITAIN W 38-8 43,930 Old Trafford, Manchester
v Warrington W 24-0 12,000 Warrington
v Bradford Northern W 40-0 9,080 Bradford
v Great Britain Under-21s W 54-10 4,118 Gateshead
v GREAT BRITAIN W 23-4 39,468 Elland Road, Leeds
FRANCE
Test : won 74-0 / Bezier (6,000)
RECORD: P: 4 W: 4 L: 0 FOR: 240 AGST: 42
TEST SERIES: Won 1-0
AGGREGATE ATTENDANCE: 13,000
v President's XIII W 42-17 1,500 Paris
v Roussillon W 60-16 4,000 Perpignan
v France B W 64-9 1,500 Avignon
v FRANCE W 74-0 6,000 Beziers
