Ashes Series 1908 Series

Game 1

England (GB) 22 drew with Australia 22

1908/09 Ashes Series

Lions
22
22
Australia
Match Info
Match URL www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/4145
Status Completed
Date Saturday, 12th December, 1908
Kick Off 2:30 PM (local time)
Referee JH Smith
Venue Park Oval (London)
Crowd 2,000
Match Stats
Halftime Score 14 5
England (GB) Scoresheet Australia
Billy BATTEN 2 T 3 Jim DEVEREUX
Ernie BROOKS   Arthur BUTLER
Asa ROBINSON      
Johnny THOMAS      
George TYSON      
 
Ernie BROOKS 2 G 5 Dally MESSENGER
England (GB) Teams Australia
Harry GIFFORD 1 FB 1 Mick BOLEWSKI
Billy BATTEN 2 W 2 Wilhelm HEIDKE
Bert JENKINS (c) 3 C 3 Sid DEANE
[North Sydney]
George DICKENSON 4 C 4 Dally MESSENGER (c)
[Eastern Suburbs]
George TYSON 5 W 5 Jim DEVEREUX
[North Sydney]
 
Ernie BROOKS 6 FE 6 Arthur HALLOWAY
[Glebe]
Johnny THOMAS 7 HB 7 Arthur BUTLER
[Souths]
 
Arthur MANN 8 FR 8 Larry O'MALLEY
[Eastern Suburbs]
John HIGSON 9 HK 9 Sandy PEARCE
[Eastern Suburbs]
Bill JUKES 10 FR 10 Alex BURDON
[Glebe]
Bill LONGWORTH 11 2R 11 Jim ABERCROMBIE
[Western Suburbs]
Arthur SMITH 12 2R 12 Ed COURTNEY
[Newtown]
Asa ROBINSON 13 L 13 Pat WALSH
[Newcastle]
   
 

Team Info

England (GB)

Previous Game:
England vs New Zealand 1908 - Game 4 vs. New Zealand
Next Game:
1908/09 Ashes Series - Game 2 vs. Australia
Out:
Harry Taylor (fullback), Phil Thomas (centre), Jim Jolley (five-eighth), Tom White (halfback), Jack Spencer (front row), Bill Holder (hooker), Jim Birch (front row), Jim Clampitt (second row), Harry Wilson (second row)
In:
Harry Gifford (fullback), George Dickenson (centre), Ernie Brooks (five-eighth), Johnny Thomas (halfback), Arthur Mann (front row), John Higson (hooker), Bill Jukes (front row), Bill Longworth (second row), Asa Robinson (lock)
Changes:
Arthur Smith (lock to second row)

Australia

Previous Game:
Kangaroos Tour 1908/09 - Game 19 vs. Swinton
Next Game:
Kangaroos Tour 1908/09 - Game 21 vs. Treherbert
Out:
Charlie Hedley (fullback), Dan Frawley (wing), Robert Graves (front row), Tom McCabe (second row)
In:
Mick Bolewski (fullback), Jim Devereux (wing), Larry O'Malley (front row), Alex Burdon (front row)
Changes:
Dally Messenger (wing to centre), Wilhelm Heidke (centre to wing), Arthur Butler (five-eighth to halfback), Arthur Halloway (halfback to five-eighth), Jim Abercrombie (hooker to second row), Sandy Pearce (front row to hooker)

Match Notes

The Times newspaper reported that the quality of football on display during this game deserved a much larger patronage.

It also mentions a good performance by Herbert Messenger, which was marred by "two or three examples of inexcusable obstruction".

It also reports that the half time score was 14-5 in favour of the Northern Union.

This match is a part of the following:

Contributions: Shawn Dollin, Andrew Ferguson