Wigan Album

No finer sight!

Billy still had one more Aussie defender to "negotiate" before the try line - Billy was never keen on negotiating and someone on a one to one with Billy in full flight had little or no chance. Billy simply handed him off without breaking stride and touched down in the corner - what a player - in 60 years of watching both rugby codes, never seen anyone better and in terms of exciting the crowds he was unsurpassed in my opinion.

Where was this photograph taken, was this in Australia ???

HANLEY, EDWARDS, ASHURST TO NAME A FEW.

Alan, the game is always about opinions and the players you name were great players, especially Hanley, once again, in my opinion. Brian the game was the 2nd Test played in Australia in 1962.

keith to please the crowd what about Henderson gill

billy b scored 571 tries he also played in ashes winning teams he played at wembley he made the hair on the back of your neck stand up when he got the ball

Billy Halliwell's spot on. Those other players were great, without doubt, but there was something extra special about Billy B. I still remember the growing sense of anticipation in the crowd when the ball was flowing along the threequarter line and the cry went up, "Give it Billy!" There'll never be another like Billy.

Saw Billy, at one match in, I believe 1960, Charging towards the opposition's line. He was carrying three opponents on his upper body. He did score the try. Seeing was believing.

How many times did we see it? - Billy at full speed, 10 yards off the line. Three or four defenders come in to tackle him, Billy bounces them all off like ten pin bowling and puts the ball down for another try.

Keith, more details please, which ground in Australia was the match played ???????

Billy was also a good cricketer, I think he played for Dalton in the West lancs League, I played for Blackrod. I was fielding when Billy square cut a ball,it was never higher than six feet above the ground but it shot like a bullet through a hawthorn hedge that bordered the field. We couldn't find the ball, he was a powerful athlete.

Hi Brian, here are the details, Australia 10 Great Britain 17, played 30th June 1962 at Lang Park, Brisbane. Attendance 34,766. Eric Ashton was the captain and Colin Hutton, the coach. The first time in 34 years that they had won the first two matches on Australian soil.
The first Test was played before more than 70,000 spectators. The third Test was staged at Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday 14 July 1962. A controversial last-minute Australian try and the subsequent touchline conversion resulted in a 17–18 defeat; but for this, the 62 Lions would have been the first team to achieve a whitewash of the Australians.
Reading "between the lines" the referee made sure Australia were not beaten in the final test. The referee Darcy Lawler advised the kicker Irvine, who later stated, that the referee told him the ball was not aligned correctly and he should readjust the line, which Irvine did and promptly kicked the winning goal!
Brian, if your father was Tommy then our fathers played in the same Wigan team a number of times in the 1940's, my father was Jack Bowen.

match played at lang park brisbane,alex murphy scored a try from the base of the scrum from an aussie feed with a step and dummy that stunned the crowd into silence magnificent natural talent

There's some footage of that test on youtube (about 2 mins.) with Australian commentary. It shows Murphy's try but neither of Billy's.

Thanks Keith for all that info, sorry but my dad was Jim from Pemberton, at least , I think so !!!!