1970 Rugby League World Cup Final

1970 (1970) Rugby League World Cup Final  ()
1 2 Total
GBR 4 3 7
AUS 5 7 12
Date 7 November 1970
Stadium Headingley
Location Leeds, England
Referee Fred Lindop United Kingdom
Attendance 18,776
Broadcast partner
Broadcaster BBC
Commentator Eddie Waring
 < 1968
1972 > 

The 1970 Rugby League World Cup Final was the conclusive game of the 1970 Rugby League World Cup tournament and was played between Great Britain and Australia on 8 November 1970 at the Headingley ground in Leeds, England.

Background

The 1970 Rugby League World Cup was the fifth staging of the Rugby League World Cup since its inauguration in 1954, and the first since the 1968 tournament. The tournament was held in the England from 21 October, culminating in the final between Great Britain and Australia on 8 November.

Headingley, the venue of the 1970 Rugby League World Cup final

Great Britain

Scores and results list Australia's points tally first.
Opposing Team For Against Date Venue Attendance Stage
 Australia 11 4 24 October Headingley, Leeds 15,084 Group Stage
 France 6 0 28 October Wheldon Road, Castleford 8,958 Group Stage
 New Zealand 53 19 31 October Station Road, Swinton 5,609 Group Stage

Great Britain were undefeated going into the final.

Australia

Scores and results list Great Britain's points tally first.
Opposing Team For Against Date Venue Attendance Stage
 New Zealand 47 11 21 October Central Park, Wigan 9,805 Group Stage
 Great Britain 4 11 24 October Headingley, Leeds 15,084 Group Stage
 France 15 17 1 November Odsal Stadium, Bradford 6,654 Group Stage

Australia, France and New Zealand all finished with one win each. Australia advanced to the Final by virtue of a better for and against record.

Match details

7 November 1970
Great Britain  7 – 12  Australia
Tries:
John Atkinson

Goals:
Ray Dutton (1)
Field Goal:
Syd Hynes
[1] Tries:
John Cootes
Lionel Williamson
Goals:
Eric Simms (2)
Field Goal:
Eric Simms
Headingley, Leeds
Attendance: 18,776
Referee/s: Fred Lindop United Kingdom
Great Britain Position Australia
Ray DuttonFBEric Simms
Alan SmithWGLionel Williamson
Syd HynesCEJohn Cootes
Frank Myler (c)CEPaul Sait
John AtkinsonWGMark Harris
Mick ShoebottomFEBob Fulton
Keith HepworthHBBilly Smith
Dennis Hartley PR John O'Neill
Tony FisherHKRon Turner
Cliff Watson PR Bob O'Reilly
Jimmy Thompson SR Bob McCarthy
Doug Laughton SR Ron Costello
Mal Reilly LF Ron Coote (c)
Chris Hesketh Reserve Ray Branighan
Bob Haigh Reserve Elwyn Walters
Johnny Whiteley Coach Harry Bath

Having retained the Ashes against Australia during their 1970 Australasian tour, Great Britain were favourites to win the final,[2] which would become known as the 'Battle of Headingly'[3] due to its brutality. However it went completely against expectations as Britain failed to play any decent football despite overwhelming possession. The Kangaroos led 5–4 at half-time with a try to Australian three-quarter, Father John Cootes. They went on to utilise their meagre chances to the full, running out 12–7 victors. The game itself was an extended punch-up. The only surprise was that it took 79 minutes before anyone was sent off. Two sacrificial lambs, Billy Smith of Australia and Sid Hynes of Britain, were sent off the field in the last minute for what had been going unpunished throughout the game.[4]

Great Britain, having been undefeated in the World Cup, felt that there should not have been a need to play a final, especially as they had already defeated Australia 11-4 at Headingley in the second game of the tournament.

We beat them at Leeds in the group stages as well as beating France and New Zealand so we were confident but in the final we got our tactics wrong. We tried to physically knock them down but we should have played more football. John Atkinson had that altercation with Father John Cootes after the final whistle. Tactically we didn’t play to our best. Maybe there was some complacency due to the Ashes win and the group stage games.
British loose forward Malcolm Reilly.


(Note: Although Reilly recalls a post-match incident between Atkinson and Cootes, what actually happened was Australian fullback Eric Simms attempted to shake hands with Atkinson after the game, but was instead greeted with a headbutt by the frustrated Lions winger. This led to a wild post-match brawl between the teams that had to be broken up by referee Fred Lindop, his two touch judges, and the Leeds City Police.)[5]

References

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