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How Corny tale became legend
Phil Wilkins
Saturday, July 21, 2007
He came off Wanderriby Station on the New England Tableland, jogging on the stock route to prepare himself for rugby, and ran into history with an unprecedented four tries against New Zealand in Auckland.
In 104 years of internationals against the All Blacks, none has surpassed the Wallabies' 1978 triumph at Eden Park - an incomparable game that became known as Corny's Test after its hero, Greg Cornelsen.
The Wallabies had lost the Bledisloe Cup after a second-Test defeat in Christchurch's sleet and wind; their coach, Daryl Haberecht, was in Wanganui hospital after a massive heart attack; Mark Loane, Paul McLean, Roger Gould and Laurie Monaghan were invalids; and they had recalled the veteran John Hipwell and sent an SOS for a youth barely out of high school, Tony Melrose.
The Wallabies made a pact that they would not lose - that they would "do it for Daryl". In the face of adversity, manager Ross Turnbull and skipper Tony Shaw decided to win in Haberecht's name. The Australians' commitment was commendable, but everyone except them knew it: they would lose.
Cornelsen was five when his father quit an engineering career to farm fat lambs and beef cattle, buying land and developing a 1000-hectare property called Wanderriby or "Home of the Ibis".
Greg played his first game of football for Jeogla Public School - a rugby league game against St Mary's. He thinks they lost. He later attended the Armidale School and played in their First XV as a raw-boned, rangy No8 for three years. In 1969, he went to South Africa with the Australian Schoolboys, with Jim Hindmarsh and Steve Finnane. All were earmarked as future Wallabies.
Watching Queensland play the Waratahs on television, Cornelsen saw a young back-rower tackling with such power - "he put four blokes into the grandstand" - that he realised Loane would be the Test No8 for the next decade.
He moved to the blindside and became a key cog in Haberecht's NSW Country team, the man who stuffed the ball up his jumper at Eastwood's TG Millner Field and initiated Brian Mansfield's try for the historic 22-20 victory over Sydney in 1975.
Three years later at Eden Park, tighthead Chris Handy was told to "take care" of giant All Black Andy Haden, while Melrose, 19, another on debut, became five-eighth and the diminutive Ken Wright moved to inside-centre.
Cornelsen recalled: "The pitch was damp, but firm - good for fast rugby, which really suited us. The team had a blinder. We really put it to them in the forwards. We had better backs across the paddock. We just had to win ball and throw it around."
Cornelsen scored two tries, and the Wallabies led 10-3 at half-time. He came off thinking, "God, I wish it was over. We're in front and I wish it was finished.
"It had been such a traumatic month," he added. "It's always so tough in New Zealand with the cold and wind and rain, a really hard tour."
Gary Pearse bolted in for a try on the resumption and a third Cornelsen score put the Wallabies ahead by 15 points. Halfback Hipwell launched a blindside attack, rival No 8 Gary Seear touched his pass and, hunting like one of his Wanderriby sheepdogs, Cornelsen seized the ball for the last try - the first time any player had scored four against the All Blacks. Incredibly, not one of them came from a pass by a teammate.
Now, 54, Cornelsen is back in Auckland for today's Test to speak to the Kiwi masses about Australia's 30-16 win. They are gluttons for punishment in New Zealand.
The Australian team was:
- John Meadows,
- Peter Horton,
- Chris Handy,
- Garrick Fay,
- Peter McLean,
- Tony Shaw,
- Gary Pearse,
- Greg Cornelsen,
- John Hipwell,
- Tony Melrose,
- Paddy Batch,
- Ken Wright,
- Bill McKid,
- Brendan Moon,
- Geoff Richards.
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Where's the nearest town that does? Carnarvon. Right mad dash next morning and arrived just in time - I think it started at about 11:00 am - long day. 
Originally Posted by Burgs
