Australia's first great rugby union team ended the nation's period of international isolation before and after World War I in 1929 with a historic three-Test series win over New Zealand, ushering the code into an unprecedented golden era.
The foundations for the hat-trick were laid in 1927-28 when the all-NSW team toured Britain, Ireland, France and Canada, a tour of honour and harmony in which only five of 35 games were lost with international wins over Ireland (5-3), Wales (18-8) and France (11-8) and close-fought losses to Scotland (8-10) and England (11-18).
The Waratahs consisted of Sydney players but for Newcastle halfback Syd Malcolm, while five-eighth Tommy Lawton was Queensland-born but played for Sydney's Western Suburbs club. Belatedly, deservedly, the 1927-28 Waratahs were awarded Test status.
The nucleus of the 1929 side was in place, therefore, with 11 former Waratahs so that team spirit was high.
Lawton was captain, a man as big as most forwards, a long-kicking, robust-running, decisive five-eighth, a triple rugby blue at Oxford University, a Rhodes Scholar and reserve for England against the All Blacks in 1924.
For the first time in 15 years, the diverse talents of the Australian states were united. Not since before World War I had a truly representative national team been chosen.
The team was as formidable up front as it was creative and quick in the backs.
A cornerstone of the pack was "Wild Bill" Cerutti, a mobile prop of rugged renown. Beside him was the crafty, long-serving hooker, Eddie Bonis; the back-rowers Jack Ford and Wylie Breckenridge were world class, with Breckenridge a devastating tackler.
Halfback Malcolm was a superb foil for Lawton while Cyril Towers and Syd King formed one of Australia's finest-ever centre combinations inside Jack Ford's brother, Eric, with Alex Ross an outstanding fullback.
New Zealand sent a relatively strong team despite the unavailability of several leading players, including legendary fullback George Nepia.
The first two Tests were splendid affairs with Australia winning an absorbing First Test 9-8 before 40,000 spectators at the SCG, winger George "Cam" Gordon scoring the critical try with New Zealand grimly clinging to an 8-6 half-time lead until half Malcolm triggered a sweeping back-line movement in the dying minutes.
New Zealand regained their injured captain, the mercurial Cliff Porter, for the Second Test in Brisbane, but Australia's three tries to two and 17-9 win was more emphatic than in Sydney, yielding the side a Test series win for the first time against New Zealand.
Returning to Sydney for the last Test, the tourists fielded a superior combination despite their injury toll. Indeed, they scored three tries to two and might well have won had not goal-kicking fullback Nepia been struck down with influenza before the game.
New Zealand persisted with two hookers in their 2-3-2 scrum combination as opposed to Australia's 3-2-3 formation and stunned Australia with three tries in the first half to lead 13-9 at the interval.
Before an ecstatic crowd, Australia's forwards stormed home with No.8 Ford and flanker Breckenridge outstanding in harassing their rivals at the breakdown and creating havoc with their midfield tackling.
Jack Ford scored from Towers's superb weaving run following which Towers's centre ally, King, started and ended a brilliant movement with eight Australians handling the ball for the match-winning try, a fitting end to a great series.
Australia 15 (J Ford S King tries; T Lawton 2 pen goals, C Towers pen goal) beat New Zealand 13 (R McWilliams J Stringfellow B Grenside tries; H Lilburne 2 goals).
AUSTRALIA: R Westfield; G McGhie, S King, C Towers, E Ford; T Lawton, S Malcolm; J Ford, J Breckenridge, W Ives, H Hamalainen, A Finlay, W Cerutti, E Bonis, E Thompson. Replacement: G Storey.
NEW ZEALAND: J Tuck; L Hook, J Stringfellow, S Carleton, B Grenside; H Lilburne, E Leys; C Porter, E Snow, R McWilliams, A Kivell, W Sonntag, W Heke, K Reid, A Cottrell.
