# 1959–60 Kangaroo tour

The 1959–60 Kangaroo tour was the tenth Kangaroo tour, in which the Australian national rugby league team traveled to Europe and played thirty-seven matches against British, French and Italian teams, including the Ashes series of three Test matches against Great Britain, two Test matches against the French and an additional two non-Test matches against an Italian representative team. It followed the tour of 1956-57 and the next was staged in 1963-64.

## The squad's leadership

The team was coached by Clive Churchill. The team captain was Balmain Tigers Fullback Keith Barnes while the vice-captain was Manly-Warringah's dual rugby international forward Rex Mossop. Tour co-managers were Jack Argent and Ern Keffer. In the five matches in which neither Barnes nor Mossop played, the Kangaroos were captained by five different players: Harry Wells (against Leigh), Brian Hambly (combined Workington and Whitehaven), Brian Clay (Bradford Northern), Brian Carlson (Swinton) and Billy Wilson (Huddersfield).

## Touring squad

The Rugby League News published a photo and details of the touring team including the players' ages and weights.
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.
Beattie, Boden, Kelly, Muir, Parcell, Paterson and Rasmussen were selected from Queensland clubs. Chapman, Hambly, Parish and Walsh were selected from clubs in New South Wales Country areas. The balance of the squad had played for Sydney based clubs during the 1959 season.

## Great Britain

The largest non-test attendance of the tour was 29,156 when the Kangaroos defeated St. Helens at Knowsley Road.

### Test Venues

The three Ashes series tests took place at the following venues.
| Swinton | Leeds | Wigan |
| Station Road | Headingley | Central Park |
| Capacity: 40,000 | Capacity: 35,000 | Capacity: 48,000 |

### The Ashes series

The Ashes series against Great Britain saw an aggregate crowd of 91,604 attending the Test series. The largest attendance of the tour came during the Kangaroos 22-14 first test win over Great Britain at Station Road in Swinton with 35,224 in attendance.

#### First Test

The first Ashes series test was played at Station Road, Swinton and drew the tours largest attendance of 35,224. Australia won the first test 22-14 with Reg Gasnier playing in his first ever test match against Great Britain named as the man of the match with 3 tries.
* Saturday, 17 October
| Great Britain | 14 – 22 | Australia |
| Tries: Billy Boston Derek Turner Goals: Eric Fraser (4) | | Tries: Reg Gasnier (3) Harry Wells Goals: Keith Barnes (5) |
* Station Road, Swinton Attendance: 35,224 Referee: R. Gelder Player of the Match: Reg Gasnier
| Great Britain | Position | Australia |
| 1. Eric Fraser | FB | 1. Keith Barnes (c) |
| 2. Billy Boston | WG | 10. Johnny Riley |
| 3. Eric Ashton (c) | CE | 8. Harry Wells |
| 4. Alan Davies | CE | 7. Reg Gasnier |
| 5. Mick Sullivan | WG | 3.Eddie Lumsden |
| 6. Dave Bolton | SO | 16. Brian Clay |
| 7. Alex Murphy | SH | 12. Barry Muir |
| 8. Abe Terry | PR | 21. Billy Wilson |
| 9. Tommy Harris | HK | 26. Ian Walsh |
| 10. Brian McTigue | PR | 24. Dud Beattie |
| 12. Mick Martyn | SR | 22. Gary Parcell |
| 11. Dick Huddart | SR | 18. Rex Mossop |
| 13. Derek Turner | LF | 19. Brian Hambly |
| Jim Challinor | Coach | Clive Churchill |
5 days prior to the match against Bradford Northern, the Kangaroos played the first test against France.

#### Second Test

The Kangaroos went within one penalty goal of becoming the first All-Australian team to win The Ashes on British soil and the first touring side to win The Ashes since 1911-12. However, the Lions survived and the series would go on to a deciding 3rd test.
* Saturday, 21 November
| Great Britain | 11 – 10 | Australia |
| Tries: Neil Fox Don Robinson Johnny Whiteley Goals: Neil Fox (1) | | Tries: Brian Carlson (2) Goals: Keith Barnes (1) Brian Carlson (1) |
* Headingley, Leeds Attendance: 30,301 Referee: R. Gelder
| Great Britain | Position | Australia |
| Frank Dyson | FB | Keith Barnes (c) |
| 2. Ike Southward | WG | 4. Eddie Lumsden |
| 3. Eric Ashton | CE | 8. Harry Wells |
| 4. Neil Fox | CE | 7. Reg Gasnier |
| 5. Mick Sullivan | WG | 3. Brian Carlson |
| 6. Dave Bolton | SO | 16. Brian Clay |
| 7. Jeff Stevenson (c) | SH | 12. Barry Muir |
| 10. Don Robinson | PR | 22. Gary Parcell |
| 9. Tommy Harris | HK | 26. Ian Walsh |
| 8. Abe Terry | PR | 21. Billy Wilson |
| 12. Don Vines | SR | 17. Elton Rasmussen |
| 11. Brian McTigue | SR | 18. Rex Mossop |
| 13. Johnny Whiteley | LF | 19. Brian Hambly |
| Jim Challinor | Coach | Clive Churchill |

#### Third Test

This would be the final time that Great Britain (or England) would win the Ashes on home soil (as of 2017).
* Saturday, 12 December
| Great Britain | 18 – 12 | Australia |
| Tries: Neil Fox Ike Southward Goals: Neil Fox (6) | | Tries: Brian Carlson Johnny Raper Goals: Keith Barnes (3) |
* Central Park, Wigan Attendance: 26,089 Referee: Eric Clay
| Great Britain | Position | Australia |
| Gerry Round | FB | Keith Barnes (c) |
| 2. Ike Southward | WG | 3. Eddie Lumsden |
| 3. Eric Ashton | CE | 8. Harry Wells |
| 4. Neil Fox | CE | 7. Reg Gasnier |
| 5. Mick Sullivan | WG | 4. Brian Carlson |
| 6. Dave Bolton | SO | 16. Brian Clay |
| 7. Jeff Stevenson (c) | SH | 12. Barry Muir |
| 15. Jack Wilkinson | PR | 21. Billy Wilson |
| 9. Tommy Harris | HK | 26. Ian Walsh |
| 8. Abe Terry | PR | 24. Dud Beattie |
| 10. Don Robinson | SR | 19. Brian Hambly |
| 11. Brian McTigue | SR | 18. Rex Mossop |
| 13. Johnny Whiteley | LF | 15. Johnny Raper |
| Jim Challinor | Coach | Clive Churchill |

## France

The first two games of the French leg of the tour were actually played while The Kangaroos were still completing the British leg.

### First Test

Australia won the first test against the French at the Parc des Princes in Paris. Kangaroos winger Eddie Lumsden crossed for 3 tries while legendary winger Ken Irvine made the first of 33 test appearances for Australia.
* Saturday, 31 October
| France | 19 – 20 | Australia |
| Tries: Aldo Quaglio Goals: Andre Lacaze (6) Field Goals: Andre Lacaze (2) | | Tries: Eddie Lumsden (3) Harry Wells Goals: Keith Barnes (4) |
* Parc des Princes, Paris Attendance: 9,864 Referee: Georges Jameau Player of the Match: Eddie Lumsden
| France | Position | Australia |
| André Lacaze | FB | Keith Barnes (c) |
| Maurice Voron | WG | Eddie Lumsden |
| Jacques Merquey (c) | CE | Harry Wells |
| Antoine Jimenez | CE | Reg Gasnier |
| André Savonne | WG | Ken Irvine |
| Gilbert Benausse | SO | Tony Brown |
| Georges Fages | SH | Barry Muir |
| Jean Panno | PR | Gary Parcell |
| Antranick Appelian | HK | Ian Walsh |
| Aldo Quaglio | PR | Dud Beattie |
| Robert Eramouspé | SR | Jim Paterson |
| Jean Aubert | SR | Rex Mossop |
| Serge Tonus | LF | Brian Hambly |
| | Coach | Clive Churchill |
The game against the French Army XIII was played 4 days before the third Ashes test against Great Britain

### Second Test

* Sunday, 20 December
| France | 2 – 17 | Australia |
| Tries: Raymond Gruppi G. Velvaud Goals Claude Mantoulan (1) | | Tries: Brian Carlson Johnny Raper Harry Wells Goals Keith Barnes (4) |
* Stade Municipal, Bordeaux Attendance: 8,848 Referee: A. Cassan
| France | Position | Australia |
| Claude Mantoulan | FB | Keith Barnes (c) |
| Maurice Voron | WG | Brian Carlson |
| Jean Foussat | CE | Harry Wells |
| Antoine Jimenez (c) | CE | Reg Gasnier |
| André Savonne | WG | Eddie Lumsden |
| Robert Moulinas | SO | Johnny Raper |
| Rene Jean | SH | Barry Muir |
| Honoré Conti | PR | Billy Wilson |
| André Casas | HK | Ian Walsh |
| Marcel Bescos | PR | Dud Beattie |
| Robert Eramouspé | SR | Gary Parcell |
| Jean Barthe | SR | Brian Hambly |
| Serge Tonus | LF | Brian Clay |
| | Coach | Clive Churchill |

### Third Test

* Wednesday, 20 January
| France | 8 – 16 | Australia |
| Tries: Raymond Gruppi Gérard Bélivaud Goals André Lacaze (1) | | Tries: Johnny Raper (2) Reg Gasnier Brian Hambly Goals Keith Barnes (2) |
* Parc des Sports, Roanne Attendance: 6,932 Referee: Georges Jameau
| France | Position | Australia |
| André Lacaze | FB | Keith Barnes (c) |
| Raymond Gruppi | WG | Eddie Lumsden |
| Jean Foussat | CE | Harry Wells |
| Gérard Bélivaud | CE | Reg Gasnier |
| André Savonne | WG | Brian Carlson |
| Claude Mantoulan | SO | Johnny Raper |
| Bernard Fabre | SH | Barry Muir |
| Honoré Conti | PR | Billy Wilson |
| André Casas | HK | Ian Walsh |
| Marcel Bescos | PR | Elton Rasmussen |
| Pierre Laurent | SR | Jim Paterson |
| Serge Tonus | SR | Brian Hambly |
| Georges Fages | LF | Brian Clay |
| | Coach | Clive Churchill |

## Italy

To finish the tour, the Kangaroos played two games against an Italian representative team.
Ken Irvine crossed for 6 tries in this game.