# 1956–57 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and France

The 1956–57 Kangaroo tour was the ninth Kangaroo tour, in which the Australian national rugby league team travelled to Great Britain and France and played twenty-eight matches, including the Ashes series of three Test matches against Great Britain and three Test matches against the French. It followed the tour of 1952–53 and the next was staged in 1959–60.

## The squad's leadership

The team was captained by Ken Kearney with Clive Churchill as vice-captain. Tour co-managers were Clarrie Fahy and Cyril Connell Sr. The latter's son, Cyril Connell Jr. was a playing member of the touring party. In the three matches in which neither Kearney nor Churchill played, the Kangaroos were captained by Cyril Connell Jr.

## Touring squad

The Rugby League News published a photo and details of the touring team including the players' ages and weights. Various newspapers published the names of the touring squad when it was selected in September 1956.
Match details - listing surnames of both teams and the point scorers - were included in E.E. Christensen's Official Rugby League Yearbook, as was a summary of the players' point-scoring.
Banks, Connell, Davies, Doyle, Flannery, Furner, McGovern, Payne, Tyquin and Watson were selected from Queensland clubs. Adams and Marsh were selected from clubs in New South Wales Country areas. The balance of the squad had played for Sydney-based clubs during the 1956 season.

## Test Venues

The three Ashes series tests took place at the following venues.
| Wigan | Bradford | Swinton |
| Central Park | Odsal Stadium | Station Road |
| Capacity: 48,000 | Capacity: 60,000 | Capacity: 40,000 |

## Match Results

The tour began in Great Britain with a series a matches, but the first Test Match of the tour was played against France in Paris. The tourists returned to Great Britain for more matches against English clubs and a three Test Match series against Great Britain. The team then returned to France to play a Second and Third Test against France (the fifth and sixth Tests of the tour), plus matches against club and other representative teams.

### 1st Test vs France

* November 1
| France | 8–15 | Australia |
| Tries: 2 Augustin Parent Jacky Merquey Goals: 1 Andre Audy | | Tries: 3 Keith Holman (2) Des McGovern Goals: 3 Clive Churchill (2) Keith Holman |
* Parc des Princes, Paris Attendance: 10,789 Gate: Fr 4,181,400 Referee: P. Ribas
| France | Position | Australia |
| Andre Audy | FB | Clive Churchill |
| Maurice Voron | WG | Denis Flannery |
| Roger Rey | CE | Dick Poole |
| Jacky Merquey (c) | CE | Alex Watson |
| Andre Savonne | WG | Des McGovern |
| Auguste Ambert | SO | Bob Banks |
| Guy Lucia | SH | Keith Holman |
| François Rinaldi | PR | Roy Bull |
| Antranik Apelian | HK | Ken Kearney (c) |
| François Montrucolis | PR | Brian Davies |
| Robert Medus | SR | Bill Tyquin |
| Augustin Parent | SR | Norm Provan |
| Jean Rouqueirol | LF | Kel O'Shea |

### 1st Test vs Great Britain

* November 17 2.30pm
| Great Britain | 21–10 | Australia |
| Tries: 5 Billy Boston (2) Jack Grundy Alan Davies Mick Sullivan Goals: 3 Frank Mortimer (3) | | Tries: 2 Ian Moir Dick Poole Goals: 2 Keith Holman (2) |
* Central Park, Wigan Attendance: 22,473 Gate: £ 4,844 Referee: Norman Railton
| Great Britain | Position | Australia |
| Frank Mortimer | FB | Clive Churchill |
| Billy Boston | WG | Ian Moir |
| Phil Jackson | CE | Dick Poole |
| Alan Davies | CE | Alex Watson |
| Mick Sullivan | WG | Don Adams |
| Raymond Price | SO | Bob Banks |
| Jeff Stevenson | SH | Keith Holman |
| Alan Prescott (c) | PR | Brian Davies |
| Tommy Harris | HK | Ken Kearney (c) |
| Brian Shaw | PR | Roy Bull |
| Jack Grundy | SR | Bill Tyquin |
| Don Robinson | SR | Bill Marsh |
| Edgar Dawson | LF | Kel O'Shea |

### 2nd Test vs Great Britain

* December 1 2.30pm
| Great Britain | 9–22 | Australia |
| Tries: 1 Jeff Stevenson Goals: 3 Frank Mortimer (3) | | Tries: 4 Keith Holman Bob Banks Brian Davies Roy Bull Goals: 5 Gordon Clifford (5) |
* Odsal Stadium, Bradford Attendance: 23,634 Gate: £ 4,174 Referee: Matthew Coates
| Great Britain | Position | Australia |
| Frank Mortimer | FB | Gordon Clifford |
| Billy Boston | WG | Denis Flannery |
| Phil Jackson | CE | Alex Watson |
| Alan Davies | CE | Dick Poole |
| Mick Sullivan | WG | Des McGovern |
| Raymond Price | SO | Bob Banks |
| Jeff Stevenson | SH | Keith Holman |
| Alan Prescott (c) | PR | Brian Davies |
| Tommy Harris | HK | Ken Kearney (c) |
| Brian Shaw | PR | Roy Bull |
| Jack Grundy | SR | Kel O'Shea |
| Don Robinson | SR | Don Furner |
| Derek Turner | LF | Ian Doyle |

### 3rd Test vs Great Britain

* December 15 2.30pm
| Great Britain | 19–0 | Australia |
| Tries: 5 Sid Little Derek Turner Geoff Gunney Mick Sullivan Billy Boston Goals: 2 Alan Davies (2) | | Tries: nil Goals: nil |
* Station Road, Swinton Attendance: 17,542 Gate: £ 4,224 Referee: Frank Gelder
| Great Britain | Position | Australia |
| Glyn Moses | FB | Gordon Clifford |
| Billy Boston | WG | Denis Flannery |
| Phil Jackson | CE | Dick Poole |
| Alan Davies | CE | Alex Watson |
| Mick Sullivan | WG | Des McGovern |
| Raymond Price | SO | Bob Banks |
| Jeff Stevenson | SH | Keith Holman |
| Alan Prescott (c) | PR | Bryan Orrock |
| Tommy Harris | HK | Ken Kearney (c) |
| Sid Little | PR | Roy Bull |
| Jack Grundy | SR | Bill Tyquin |
| Geoff Gunney | SR | Kel O'Shea |
| Derek Turner | LF | Ian Doyle |

### 2nd Test vs France

* December 23
| France | 6–10 | Australia |
| Tries: nil Goals: 3 Gilbert Benausse (2) Andre Audy | | Tries: 2 Denis Flannery Keith Holman Goals: 1 Gordon Clifford Field goals: 1 Gordon Clifford |
* Parc Lescure, Bordeaux Attendance: 11,379 Gate: Fr 4,150,000 Referee: P. Ribas
| France | Position | Australia |
| Andre Audy | FB | Gordon Clifford |
| Maurice Voron | WG | Denis Flannery |
| Roger Rey | CE | Alex Watson |
| Antoine Jiminez | CE | Dick Poole |
| Andre Ducasse | WG | Don Adams |
| Gilbert Benausse | SO | Bob Banks |
| Jean Dop | SH | Keith Holman |
| Angélo Boldini | PR | Bryan Orrock |
| Antranik Apelian | HK | Ken Kearney (c) |
| Guy Berthomieu (c) | PR | Roy Bull |
| Gilbert Verdié | SR | Kel O'Shea |
| Armand Save | SR | Norm Provan |
| Christian Duple | LF | Ian Doyle |

### 3rd Test vs France

* January 3 3.00pm
| France | 21–25 | Australia |
| Tries: 5 Andre Savonne (2) Jean Nerorezoff Jacques Fabre Jacky Merquey Goals: 3 André Rives (3) | | Tries: 5 Dick Poole Ian Moir Ken Kearney Tom Payne Norm Provan Goals: 4 Gordon Clifford (4) Field Goals: Bob Banks |
* Stade de Gerland, Lyon Attendance: 5,743 Gate: Fr 1,580,150 Referee: Jean Banneau
| France | Position | Australia |
| André Rives | FB | Gordon Clifford |
| Andre Savonne | WG | Denis Flannery |
| Antoine Jiminez | CE | Tom Payne |
| Roger Rey | CE | Dick Poole |
| Jean Nedorezoff | WG | Ian Moir |
| Jacky Merquey (c) | SO | Bob Banks |
| Claude Teisseire | SH | Keith Holman |
| Henri Delhoste | PR | Bill Marsh |
| Louis Michel | HK | Ken Kearney (c) |
| Jacques Fabre | PR | Roy Bull |
| Guy Berthomieu | SR | Norm Provan |
| Augustin Parent | SR | Kel O'Shea |
| Christian Duple | LF | Ian Doyle |