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PARIS, Sunday: The 1986 Kangaroos perpetuated themselves as the
supreme Australian touring side with a record-cluttered Rugby League World Cup
triumph over France in Carcassone yesterday.
There are those who are dogged disciples of other Kangaroo teams from past
eras but yesterday, at Carcassonne's Stade Albert Domec, Don Furner's
swashbucklers scripted an undeniable finale to their memorable nine-week
odyssey.
Australia gift-wrapped their unconquered 20-match tour in style with a
52-0 savaging of France - a record Test-winning margin that beckons future Test
sides from any country.
The 10-try annihilation eclipses Australia's past points scoring orgies
-56-6 over France in Brisbane in 1960 and last October's 62-12 thumping of Papua
New Guinea.
Skipper Wally Lewis was not taking the diplomatic middle ground when he
proclaimed after the match: "This is the best football side that ever was
-better than the '82 Kangaroos."
Adding lustre to another afternoon of football magic, winger Dale Shearer
scored four tries - the most in Test football and a standard he shares with John
Ribot - while the remarkable Garry Jack became the first fullback to corner
three tries in a Test.
Jack bettered his own feat in last month's second Elland Road Test against
Great Britain when he was the first custodian to snare two tries.
Carving his own niche was winger Michael O'Connor. His 16 points swept him
up the all-time Australian points table to third place behind Michael Cronin
and Graeme Langlands with 128 points from just nine Tests - an average of a
slightly more than 14 a game.
O'Connor's haul of a try and six goals took his personal tally to 170
points for the tour to eclipse Mal Meninga's 1982 top-scoring effort of 155.
In the midst of Australia's scoring spree tour bridesmaid Terry Lamb
capped an unparalleled performance of playing in all 20 of the Kangaroos' tour
games, either in the starting line-up or as a reserve.
Furner, ecstatic that he had emulated the feat of his predecessor, Frank
Stanton, declared: "We did it in style. It's a great team and it will take a
very good side to beat this one."
There was little doubt that Australia were heading for a consummate
victory when they led 22-0 at half-time.
Lewis and Sterling were in irresistible form while Shearer and Jack were
devastating out wide.
Shearer's easiest try came from a frightful mistake minutes after
half-time by fullback Patrick Wosniak, who fumbled a Lewis kick under no
pressure, cannoned into team-mate Hughes Ratier and allowed Shearer an easy
passage to the line.
The French replaced "ancient" prop Max Chantal early in the second half
which prompted the Australians to clap him as he was escorted from the field by
the French league president, Jacques Soppelsa.
Soppelsa made a name for himself on tour by parading up and down in front
of the Australian team during the pre-match national anthem at Albi last Sunday.
In two Tests against France Australia have tallied 96 points to two to put
a strain on next year's tour of Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.
Once again the Kangaroos played before meagre numbers, dwindled by a
decision to allow direct television not only throughout France but in
Carcassonne.
The victorious Kangaroos will toast their success in a home-style barbecue
today. They will leave France tomorrow and arrive home, by way of Singapore,
early next Saturday morning.
FACTS BEHIND THE KANGAROO RECORD RUN
M R T G Pts
GARRY JACK 11 1 12 - 48
GARY BELCHER 10 - 6 - 24
MICHAEL O'CONNOR 12 1 13 59 170
DALE SHEARER 13 - 12 - 48
GREG ALEXANDER 9 1 10 5 50
LES KISS 4 - 1 - 4
BRETT KENNY 13 1 8 - 32
MAL MENINGA 10 3 9 7 50
GENE MILES 13 - 8 - 32
CHRIS MORTIMER 9 - 4 - 16
WALLY LEWIS 11 - 6 - 24
TERRY LAMB 9 11 19 20 116
PETER STERLING 10 - 3 - 12
DES HASLER 6 2 4 - 16
BOB LINDNER 10 - 6 - 24
PAUL LANGMACK 10 - 3 - 12
NOEL CLEAL 7 - 3 - 12
LES DAVIDSON 9 5 - - -
STEVE FOLKES 6 - 1 - 4
BRYAN NIEBLING 10 - 2 - 8
PAUL SIRONEN 7 3 - - -
MARTIN BELLA 8 2 1 - 4
PHIL DALEY 6 1 - - -
GREG DOWLING 9 2 1 - 4
PAUL DUNN 9 2 - - -
STEVE ROACH 8 - 3 - 12
BEN ELIAS 10 - 3 - 12
ROYCE SIMMONS 10 - 1 - 4
Date Game Score Crowd
Oct 12 WIGAN W 26-18 (30,622)
Oct 15 HULL KR W 46-10 (6,868)
Oct 19 LEEDS W 40-0 (10,974)
Oct 21 CUMBRIA W 48-12 (4,233)
Oct 25 FIRST TEST W 38-16 (50,583)
Oct 29 HALIFAX W 36-2 (7,193)
Nov 2 ST.HELENS W 32-8 (15,370)
Nov 4 OLDHAM W 22-16 (5,678)
Nov 8 SECOND TEST W 34-4 (30,808)
Nov 12 WIDNES W 20-4 (10,268)
Nov 16 HULL W 48-0 (8,216)
Nov 18 BRADFORD N. W 38-0 (10,663)
Nov 22 THIRD TEST W 24-15 (20,169)
Nov 26 QRES XIII W 36-4 (800)
Nov 30 FIRST TEST W 44-2 (5,000)
Dec 3 PROVENCE W 42-5 (1,500)
Dec 5 MID-PYRENEESW 12-2 (1,000)
Dec 7 FRANCE B W 50-0 (2,000)
Dec 10 AQUITAINE W 50-8 (500)
Dec 13 SECOND TEST W 52-0 (5,000)
Played 20, Won 20; Lost 0. Pts For 738 (tries 139); Pts Agst 126 (tries
16)
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