1955 Tour 2nd Test Brisbane
With only 14 minutes left Australia couldn’t have been happier at 28 – 16.
As has happened before when humiliation hung over them, the tricolors hit back strongly. Vanel, Audoubert, Montrucolis, Berthomieu, save and Duple threw off the chains that had imprisoned them since the match kicked off. Several mighty hit-ups and the Kangaroo pack looked more drained than one would have expected, given their earlier superiority. Then their followed the most breathtaking finale imaginable.
The crowd were astonished to realize their giants had used up a suicidal amount of energy. Bull, Kearney, Hall, Davies, Holloway and Crocker all of a sudden had lead in their boots, but France still had enough in the tank to mount an attack. 45,000 spectators looked at their watches. Twelve minutes to go and Australia were on the verge of winning the series, but now the French forwards were sweeping all over the pitch. They had nothing to lose, but time was not on their side.
The slippery will-o’-wisp, Jean Dop, counterattacked, sliced through the whole Australian team and with only Churchill to beat, fed Rey who went in under the posts.
Benausse converted to reduce the deficit to 28 – 21. Just seven points with just six minutes left, it seemed impossible. Everything France did posed a threat and drew cries of admiration, though the ‘bobby-soxers’ were squealing anxiously. Six, five, four, thee minutes remained when Dop had another mad moment. Like a escaped lunatic, our ‘Devil’s Brother’ swerved to the left, then to the right, took off towards the touchline, cut down the middle, dummied stopped, the hurtled off again. The decibel count rose as Dop swept right between panic-stricken Australians like a rabbit shooting from its burrow. Thirty yards from the line, he served Merquery who, beating Churchill yet again, scored unter the posts. Benausse converted and France trailed by only two points 28 -26.
The ground was going mad…drained of strength, the Kangaroos gritted their teeth and relied on running down the clock. Just over a minute left! In a desperate effort to free themselves of the French stranglehold that threatened to choke them of the last gasp of air, they put in a massive clearance kick.
Dop turned and collected the ball on his own line. The Kangaroos spread right across the pitch and chased him down. This was the final play, the last chance-saloon. Dop hesitated for a moment then launched himself. The racket was deafening with stands roaring and stamping feet. Dop feinted, then veered away from Davies’s powerful grasp.
“Go little fellow!”
Dop disappeared right into the centre of those juggernauts. He jammed the brakes on. Leaving a high would-be tackler helpless in the dust and, at the very moment the hooter sounded, he passed to Ducasse. It was now or never. Ducasse sprinted all along the touchline and dived over in triumph by the corner flag. The most amazing comeback ever had the ground stunned. France had won 29 – 28.
A tide of humanity invaded the pitch…
