1973 Gt Britain v Australia 1st Test

[@kevinwaters5872]

Two talent laden sides really putting it to each other. I enjoy this era much more than today’s game. This is real man on man warfare.

[@eagleeric2598]

Good to watch, exciting play by humans as opposed to solid play by robots

[@steveu449]

Interesting to observe just how unstructured the play was fifty years ago. Tackling mostly ok but no defensive alignment or coordination evident. Brilliant attacking individuals and strong runners(Fulton, Lowe, Goodwin) really stood out. Inside passes really opened the play up in a way we don’t see today. Beetson’s offloads in tackles a feature also. Thank you for posting.

[@eagleeric2598]

Thanks for the insight

[@gebirg1]

Amazing how free-flowing the game was then compared to the slugfests we see today

[@E171955]

Played at a point in time when GB could genuinely compete with the Aussies. Some truly great players on both sides.👍

[@eagleeric2598]

We keep saying bring back International footy because of these memories. Maybe we need a format change like in cricket, look at the T20 world cup at the moment

[@johntate5722]

Great to david watkins summarising there for eddie wareing; david passed away recently...great dual code international i think

[@eagleeric2598]

Dave Watkins much revered across the 2 codes

[@johntate5722]

🙂

[@chriswood7926]

When Rugby League was fast and furious and lots of individual skills on display. None of today's boring planned moves!!

[@percyfree9831]

Phil Lowe a mighty player

[@johntate5722]

Great to see this action from 73. I remember phil lowe featuring in this series. I am guessing the aussies won test 2 and 3

[@desplatt842]

They did. Still remember watching these games at the time as a fanatical 15-year-old. I could read the game in those days; I can’t read the modern game at all. Soon after this first Test match, a virtually full strength Aussie Test side amazingly lost 11-7 to a magnificent performance by an injury hit Saints team in one of the finest matches I ever saw live. We had players like Frank Taylor, Alan Gwilliam, John Wills and Graham Liptrot playing who were not first choices at this stage and Mel James broke his leg during the match . Frank Wilson scored the Saints try from a break by Billy Benyon who was absolutely tremendous that night. I was rarely allowed to go to night matches with school the next day but fortunately we all had a day off the next day for a royal wedding so I was allowed to go. I know which event of the two was a lot more important to me .

[@desplatt842]

Thanks for posting ; much better quality pictures than I’d previously seen on this series.

[@eagleeric2598]

I can guess and I bet you can get a pie at only one of them.

[@johntate5722]

​@@desplatt842haha great comment, never knew that saints result, and the royal wedding places it - nov 73? We all got the day off school

[@desplatt842]

@@johntate5722 Correct John ; funnily enough Eddie Waring mentions it in the second Test video which I’ve watched since.

[@WaferBrik]

Phil Lowe preferred living in Hull to Australia. Sorry but that just tickled my funnybone like it's seldom been tickled. That decision must have horrified Aussies. 🤣 Top game, great players. Lowe and Fulton, just fab.

[@l-ic5ud]

This is much better to watch...rugby league today is just beefed up guys running into each other. Backs today are bigger than the forwards on show here.

[@johntate5722]

Didnt hear beetsons name mentioned till 14 mins

[@eagleeric2598]

I grew up thinking the same. However going through my collection I find that it wasn't the offload that is always referred to, it was the hard tackles, taking the ball up into the meat of the opposition then his intuitive attack

[@christouvelos4897]

Phil Lowe too powerful for the aussies! Shame he was not allowed to play in the 1974 tests

[@limkakofred5529]

I can imagine him,Bill Ashurst,Cliff Watson,Tommy Bishop,Brian Lockwood,Mike Stephenson and Mal Reilly in the side.The English would have won the Ashes.Also up and coming players like Gary Stephens, Steve Norton,Dave Topliss,Geoff Grayshon and George Fairbairn

[@eagleeric2598]

Makings of a fair side

[@DarwinNorth]

Wasn't too powerful in second and third tests when the defensive skills of Gary Stevens neutralised his attack.

[@christouvelos4897]

@@DarwinNorth i have not seen those tests, but the aussies would have come up with a plan to contain lowe for sure!

[@DarwinNorth]

@christouvelos4897 Lowe certainly was a great player, but Gary was a tackling machine.