Match Thread - Triple Header at Eden Park

[Matua]

You must have been watching a different game to the rest of us. Most Union scribes rated Williams one of the best on field.

SBW is far from a has been and without sounding too disrespectful to the ESL he'd be one of, if not the best player in the comp.

Based on comments from both Williams and Papalii in the past month I'd bet they'll both be playing for Samoa in the 2021WC. Now, if Samoa can get Haas and Asofa Solamona to commit ( Samoa are also after RTS but I can't see that happening ) a full strength Samoan side has a legit chance of beating a tier 1 team.

Rubbish, he wasn't the biggest attacking threat on the field, and saying that takes nothing away from him as a player. I'm not claiming he's a has been either and think he'll do well in ESL if he goes there, but as I said the claim of him being biggest attacking threat on the field is bollocks.

Also, if Tonga and Samoa poach too many NZers then Oz and Eng will be the only tier 1 teams left to beat. NAS said he wont go to Samoa when Taupau went.

 

[Springs09]

Don't be silly, no he wasn't.

For the half game I saw, yes he was. Direct involvement in a few tries and had some other plays that led to tries. The only other one that came close was the winger.

 

[Springs09]

Both Tonga and NZ would be 2 - 1. NZ beat Tonga in round 1 of the tournament on rep weekend.

If it was a Four Nations we wouldn't have mid-season tests that count towards it.
As in, this week would see Aus v Eng/GB and NZ v Tonga.

 

[PARRA_FAN]

Well, they won that home test series 2-0 against Australia (Fulton et al) in 1978.
And there were only 4 countries playing the game 41 years ago.

I don't think back then any country was classed as tier 1 or tier 2.

As you mentioned there was basically Australia, NZ, GB and France, and PNG weren't far off being a test nation

Also France back then weren't too bad, they went through a period of success beating the top sides at home and away.

 

[Rocket's tache]

I don't think back then any country was classed as tier 1 or tier 2.

As you mentioned there was basically Australia, NZ, GB and France, and PNG weren't far off being a test nation

Also France back then weren't too bad, they went through a period of success beating the top sides at home and away.

PNG weren't classed as a test nation in 1978.

Their first game was in 1975 against an England team returning home from the Southern Hemisphere phase of the 1975 World Championship series. And the Kumuls made their first tour to Europe in 1979 playing only amateur teams.

France were a good team but won both 1978 tests against Australia on the back of 2 laughable one-sided refereeing displays.

 

[deluded pom?]

France were a good team but won both 1978 tests against Australia on the back of 2 laughable one-sided refereeing displays.

Ah, the irony.

 

[Coastbloke]

France were a good team but won both 1978 tests against Australia on the back of 2 laughable one-sided refereeing displays.

I was under the impression that 1 Test was lost by the biased refs but the Kangaroos conceded the other Test was lost fair and square?

 

[LeagueXIII]

I was under the impression that 1 Test was lost by the biased refs but the Kangaroos conceded the other Test was lost fair and square?

I've watched both games and the French had a very good team, they won the second test fair and square. Infact Chris Anderson dropped a pass for a certain try with the line wide open.
The First test had a try that should not have been allowed, then again there have been many dodgy refereeing decisions with Australian referees over the years.

Remember this French team were European Champions in 1976/77 and 1980/81.
From the 1978 series against Australia upto the 1981 tour downunder France won 9 of 12 tests against all countries.

 

[Jim from Oz]

I've watched both games and the French had a very good team, they won the second test fair and square. Infact Chris Anderson dropped a pass for a certain try with the line wide open.
The First test had a try that should not have been allowed, then again there have been many dodgy refereeing decisions with Australian referees over the years.

Remember this French team were European Champions in 1976/77 and 1980/81.
From the 1978 series against Australia upto the 1981 tour downunder France won 9 of 12 tests against all countries.

Can these two games from 1978 be viewed on the Internet, YouTube etc anywhere?

 

[LeagueXIII]

No don't think so.

 

[Thunder Road]

Try emailing rlreplayed@gmail.com, he has quite a few 1000 games available for download

 

[Rocket's tache]

I was under the impression that 1 Test was lost by the biased refs but the Kangaroos conceded the other Test was lost fair and square?

Sorry, I knew France won the tests 13-10 and 11-10 with one of them due to terribly biased officialdom.

The other game I was thinking of was the Kangaroos' 20-5 defeat at the hands of France's Espoirs (Colts) team after scoring the only try of the contest - and the home side kicking 10 (ten) penalty goals !!!

 

[LeagueXIII]

The irony of the controversial First Test try is Fulton scored one exactly the same in a game for Manly against Penrith in 1976 when his body was over the deadball line and the referee gave it under protest from the defender. No complaints from Mr Fulton nor continuous ridiculing of the referee, Don MacDonald.
In the newspaper report in the SMH MacDonald's decisions were described as "some rather strange rulings".