Australia 37–4 France — World Cup Table, 1968 Rugby League World Cup

8 Jun 1968 · Lang Park, Brisbane, Australia · Attendance: 32,664

Data last verified: 11 August 2026.

1968 Rugby League World Cup ▾

World Cup Table, 1968 Rugby League World Cup: Australia 37–4 France, at Lang Park, Brisbane, Australia on 8 Jun 1968.

Scorers

AustraliaTries: Fulton (2); Williamson (2); Coote; Greaves; Smith
Goals: Simms (5)
Drop goals: Smith (3)
FranceGoals: Capdouze (2)

Teams

AustraliaFrance
1Eric SimmsFullbackJean-Claude Cros1
2Brian JamesWingAndre Ferren2
3Johnny RhodesCentreMichel Molinier3
4Johnny GreavesCentreJacques Gruppi4
5Lionel WilliamsonWingJean Ledru5
6Bob FultonFive-eighthJean Capdouze6
7Billy SmithHalfbackMarius Frattini7
8John WittenbergPropVictor Serrano8
9Brian FitzsimmonsHookerYves Begou9
10Dennis ManteitPropChristian Sabatie10
11Arthur BeetsonSecond Row (sent off)Herve Mazard11
12Ron CooteSecond RowAdolphe Alesina12
13John Raper (Captain)LockJean-Pierre Clar (Captain)13
Substitutes
Francis de Nadai14
Harry BathCoachAndre Lacoste

Match officials

RefereeJohn Percival (Auckland)
Touch judges— not identified in sources found
Player of the match— not identified in sources found

Match report

Australia entered this fixture, their third and final round-robin match, having already beaten Great Britain 25-10 and New Zealand 31-12, and were essentially assured of topping the table regardless of this result. France had opened with a narrow 15-10 win over New Zealand and then produced the tournament's biggest shock by beating Great Britain 7-2, putting France in a strong position to reach the final for the first time in over a decade. This Lang Park meeting was therefore effectively a dead rubber for seeding purposes, but it mattered enormously for prestige and momentum only two days before the two sides would meet again in the final. Australia dominated from the outset, racing to a 16-2 half-time lead built on tries and the accurate boot of fullback Eric Simms, before pulling away further after the break to record a comprehensive 37-4 victory in front of 32,664 spectators. Bob Fulton and winger Lionel Williamson each crossed for two tries, with further tries credited to forwards and backs in support play. Eric Simms landed 5 goals from 9 attempts, and halfback Billy Smith added 3 field goals. Arthur Beetson was sent from the field during the match. For France, the sole points came from stand-off Jean Capdouze, who converted 2 goals from 5 attempts; France could not cross the Australian line. The result confirmed Australia's dominance of the tournament and set up the 10 June 1968 World Cup Final at the SCG, in which Australia beat France again, 20-2, in front of 54,290 fans to claim their second World Cup title. For France, despite the heavy Lang Park defeat, reaching that first final since 1954 remained a landmark achievement in French rugby league history.

Sourcing caveat: Research this session confirmed that international rugby league field goals were worth 2 points (not 1) until a rule change in 1973. Under the correct 1968 scoring (try=3, goal=2, field goal=2), Australia's scorers reconcile exactly with no phantom eighth try needed: 7 tries + 5 goals + 3 field goals = 21+10+6 = 37.

Previous World Cup meetings

Sources

← 1968 Rugby League World Cup — full match archive

← 1968 Rugby League World Cup