Problem: Herbert Sutcliffe (24 November 1894 - 22 January 1978) was an English professional cricketer who represented Yorkshire and England as an opening batsman. Apart from one match in 1945, his first-class career spanned the period between the two world wars. His first-class debut was delayed by the First World War until 1919 and his career was effectively terminated in August 1939 when he was called up for military service in the imminent Second World War. He was the first cricketer to score 16 centuries in Test match cricket.

As a specialist opening batsman, Sutcliffe's rivals on the field were the opposing bowlers and especially fast bowlers, though he encountered many outstanding spin bowlers too on turning or sticky wickets. By the time Sutcliffe began his Test career, the formidable fast bowling partnership of Jack Gregory and Ted McDonald had ended, though Sutcliffe faced Gregory in Test matches and was opposed to McDonald in "Roses matches" between Yorkshire and Lancashire. Gregory by 1924-25 was no longer able to "frighten batsmen with sheer speed" but he still commanded respect and Jack Hobbs specifically told Sutcliffe to exercise caution against Gregory at the start of an innings. Sutcliffe regarded McDonald as "one of the best bowlers I ever met". He commented on McDonald's trick of "resting" by making himself seem tired and then "hurling himself into (a very fast delivery) like a demon". As Sutcliffe said, he never knew which ball would be the fast one and McDonald was a dangerous opponent. But Sutcliffe was quoted as saying that he had "never played finer fast bowling" than that of the West Indians Learie Constantine, George Francis, Herman Griffith and Manny Martindale. Among the best English bowlers he faced in county cricket were some of his colleagues in England teams, such as Harold Larwood, Maurice Tate and Tich Freeman. One of the toughest competitors he faced was the Australian leg spinner Clarrie Grimmett, "a tiny gnome of a man", who bowled with a roundarm action and made his Test debut at the age of 34, taking 11 wickets in his first match. Grimmett bowled "like a miser" and "begrudged every run", whereas his leg spin partner Arthur Mailey was the type of bowler who would "buy" his wickets by conceding runs and then, having boosted the batsman's confidence, snaring him with a "wrong 'un" (i.e., a googly). On Sutcliffe's first tour of Australia, he commented that he "was troubled most of the time by Arthur Mailey" but eventually he learned how to "differentiate between Mailey's leg breaks and his wrong 'uns".

What made his opponents do well against him?

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Problem: Born in Goulburn, New South Wales, Poidevin played rugby at St Patrick's College (now Trinity Catholic College) in New South Wales, and made the Australian Schoolboy side. Upon finishing school he played a season with the Goulburn Rugby Union Football Club and then, in 1978, he moved to Sydney to study at the University of New South Wales, from which he graduated in 1983 with a Bachelor of Science (Hons). He made his first grade debut with the university's rugby union team in 1978. In 1982 he moved clubs to Randwick, the famous Galloping Greens, home of the Ella brothers and many other Wallabies.

Poidevin played for Sydney against France in the third game France played for their 1981 France rugby union tour of Australia, won by Sydney 16-14. Poidevin then played for New South Wales against France for the fifth match of France's Australia tour, lost 12-21. Poidevin achieved national selection for the two-Test series against France, despite competition for backrow positions in the Australian team. The first Test against France marked the first time Poidevin played with Australian eightman Mark Loane and contained the first try Poidevin scored at international Test level. In his biography For Love Not Money, written with Jim Webster, Poidevin recalls that: The first France Test at Ballymore held special significance for me because I was playing alongside Loaney for the first time. In my eyes he was something of a god, and I guess my feeling was the same as a young actor getting a bit part in a movie with Dustin Hoffman. Loaney was a huge inspiration, and I tailed him around the field hoping to feed off him whenever he made one of those titanic bursts where he'd split the defence wide open with his unbelievable strength and speed. Sticking to him in that Test paid off handsomely, because Loaney splintered the Frenchmen in one charge, gave to me and I went for the line for all I was worth. I saw Blanco coming at me out of the corner of my eye, but was just fast enough to make the corner for my first Test try. I walked back with the whole of the grandstand yelling and cheering. God and Loaney had been good to me." Poidevin played in Australia's second Test against France in Sydney, won by Australia 24-14, giving Australia a 2-0 series victory.

Did Poidevin's team lose against France in the 1981 France tour of Australia ?

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Poidevin then played for New South Wales against France for the fifth match of France's Australia tour, lost 12-21.