Classic Encounters - Wallabies vs Barbarians 1984

Last weekend we watched as the Wallabies trounced the Barbarians in a one sided match at the Sydney Football Stadium. Today we look back at a classic meeting between the two sides from December 1984, at Cardiff Arms Park.

The 1984 Wallabies did something that no other Australian side had achieved before on a tour of the UK & Ireland, and that was to win the Grand Slam.

They convincingly beat England, Ireland, Wales, and Scotland. They then rounded off their successful campaign with a win over the Barbarians.

After losing to the All Blacks in the last match of the Bledisloe Cup earlier that year, the Wallabies were written off by the British media. They proved them wrong though as they started the tour with a strong 19-3 win over England at Twickenham.

Victories over Ireland, Wales, and Scotland followed, as the Wallabies established themselves as a serious force on the world stage. Their match against a strong Barbarians side cemented that standing, as they ended the all conquering tour on a high.

Mark Ella scored a try in each of the four Tests, while Michael Lynagh scored 42 points, which was the most by an Australian in a Test series.

The magician David Campese provided one of the moments of the tour, and of this match, as he darted down field with a weaving run before linking up with the flying Michael Hocker to score a classic try.

The Wallabies won the match 37-30, went home as heroes with reputations enhanced, and in 2002, were recognised by the Sport Australia Hall of Fame as one of their greatest sports teams ever.

Time:

02:23

Note:

The clip incorrectly states that it was at Twickenham. It was in fact at Cardiff Arms Park.