July 24, 2009

Phil Wilkins begins a series exploring the rich rugby rivalry of the trans-Tasman neighbours.

Evan "Ted" Jessep was one of those bull-necked, broken-nosed, cauliflower-eared rugby men who invariably attracted a stare of attention when he trudged by in his Woollahra Oval kingdom, fame stashed in his back pocket and always carrying an aura of mystique.

It was generally unknown, but he was a dual international, first as a hooker for the victorious New Zealand side against Australia in 1931, and later as a prop in helping Australia win the Bledisloe Cup for the first time from New Zealand in 1934.

Ted passed away in 1983, as quiet and self-effacing as ever, to be remembered as one of the giants of the game for his unique and lifelong contributions to rugby internationally and for his enormous second family, the Eastern Suburbs "Beasts".

Born in Sydney in 1904, Jessep's family moved to Wellington in New Zealand when he was four. He debuted for the All Blacks in the 1931 Eden Park Test in Auckland as the second hooker in a two-man front row beside A.I. "Beau" Cottrell, the last occasion New Zealand employed a 2-3-2 scrum formation.

Jessep hooked for New Zealand in the first Test of the 1932 series, helping his adopted country claim the Bledisloe Cup in its inaugural year of trans-Tasman competition, and when New Zealand lost the trophy two years later, Jessep was there again, on this significant occasion propping in the Australian front row.

Australia and New Zealand had played Test rugby against each other since 1903 without any trophy awarded, and the Governor-General of New Zealand, a rugby buff named Lord Bledisloe, decided the situation had to be changed. He was not a man to do things in half measures.

The trophy Lord Bledisloe donated was as large as his benevolent nature - and his bank balance. The cup is of pure silver. Standing almost a metre high and as wide, it is of such value that the winning team and its captain have borne the trophy on a triumphant circuit of the Test ground, drank their champagne from it and then surrendered it to its guardians, who rush it back into its security in a jeweller's safe. On the occasions the Australian Rugby Union has held the Bledisloe Cup, it has briefly placed the trophy on public display before its prohibitive insurance value requires it to be locked away.

Australia's initial success was short-lived. In the next nine Tests before and after World War II, New Zealand won all games, capitalising on Australia's inevitable decline with the retirement of their quartet of Waratahs champions, Alec Ross, Syd Malcolm, Cyril Towers and Syd King.


Whether through complacency or a grievously misplaced superiority complex, New Zealand dispatched a strong team on a four-Test tour of South Africa in 1949 while simultaneously offering a generous welcome to the Wallabies for a corresponding two-Test tour of New Zealand.

The Australians took full advantage of the backhanded invitation by winning both Tests, 11-6 in Wellington and 16-9 in Auckland. Some theorists have claimed New Zealand fielded a Second XV against Australia when, in fact, because of South Africa's racist policies, New Zealand bypassed three fine Maori players in Ben Couch, Vince Bevan and Johnny Smith as well as leaving behind the prolific try-scoring winger Jack Kelly.

In the pack, the All Blacks fielded Richard "Tiny" White, who was to become one of New Zealand's most famous second-rowers and, at No.8, was Bob Stuart, who captained New Zealand on their 1953 British tour. Over in South Africa, the Springboks thumped the All Blacks four-nil in the Tests. The season became a complete humiliation for the visitors, and New Zealand never again resorted to conducting full-scale twin tours.

The 1949 Australians were captained by Gordon club's great centre, Trevor Allan, who led the Wallabies on a brilliant campaign, winning 11 of their 12 games, a vintage year for a vintage team. The Wallabies' pack contained some outstanding forwards, such as flanker Col Windon, No.8 Keith Cross, second-rowers Nick Shehadie and Rex Mossop, and the front row of Bevan Wilson, Nev Cottrell and Jack Baxter.

The tough Baxter was terribly burned in an explosion on board HMAS Tarakan at Garden Island Naval Dockyard. Despite being told by doctors he would never again play rugby, "Tarakan Jack" recovered from his near-fatal burns to pull on the Australian green jumper in both Tests.

The last member of the pack was a tall, young Sydney University back-rower, who, like Ted Jessep, was to carve his own unique niche in rugby and who was to become even more famous when his Test playing career ended. The son of a flour miller was David Brockhoff.

Next Friday: The Brockhoff era and the Step Forward Policy. Australia play New Zealand in the second Bledisloe Cup Test on August 22 at ANZ Stadium.


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