Great Britain 11–4 Australia — World Cup Table, 1970 Rugby League World Cup
24 Oct 1970 · Headingley, Leeds, England · Attendance: 15,084
Data last verified: 11 August 2026.
World Cup Table, 1970 Rugby League World Cup: Great Britain 11–4 Australia, at Headingley, Leeds, England on 24 Oct 1970.
Scorers
| Great Britain | Tries: Hynes Goals: Dutton (3); — further point(s) not identified in sources found (needed to reconcile with Great Britain's 11-point total; Dutton's confirmed 3 goals plus Hynes' try account for only 9 of the 11 points) |
| Australia | Tries: — not identified in sources found (Wikipedia's narrative account states Hynes' try was the match's only try, implying no confirmed Australian try scorer) Goals: — further scorer(s)/point(s) not identified in sources found (needed to reconcile with Australia's 4-point total; Eric Simms recorded 0 successful goals from 3 attempts per source) |
Teams
| Great Britain | Australia | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ray Dutton | Fullback | Eric Simms | 1 |
| 2 | Alan Smith | Wing | Mark Harris | 2 |
| 3 | Frank Myler (Captain) | Centre | Ray Branighan | 3 |
| 4 | Syd Hynes | Centre | Bob Fulton | 4 |
| 5 | John Atkinson | Wing | Lionel Williamson | 5 |
| 6 | Mick Shoebottom | Five-eighth | Denis Pittard | 6 |
| 7 | Keith Hepworth | Halfback | Billy Smith (Captain) | 7 |
| 8 | Dennis Hartley | Prop | John O'Neill | 8 |
| 9 | Tony Fisher | Hooker | Elwyn Walters | 9 |
| 10 | Cliff Watson | Prop | Bob O'Reilly | 10 |
| 11 | Doug Laughton | Second Row | Bob McCarthy | 11 |
| 12 | Jimmy Thompson | Second Row | Paul Sait | 12 |
| 13 | Malcolm Reilly | Lock | Gary Sullivan | 13 |
| John Whiteley | Coach | Harry Bath | ||
Match officials
| Referee | Fred Lindop (Wakefield) |
| Touch judges | — not identified in sources found |
| Player of the match | — not identified in sources found |
Match report
Three days after Australia's opening rout of New Zealand, the hosts entered the 1970 World Cup at Headingley, Leeds, on Saturday 24 October in front of a large crowd. The match unfolded as a tight defensive arm-wrestle rather than a high-scoring spectacle, in keeping with the sport's culture of the era. Australia took the early initiative and led at half-time through the boot, but Great Britain rallied after the break. Centre Syd Hynes — a Leeds forward-turned-centre known for his versatility and physicality — was the difference-maker, scoring what sources describe as the match's only try, while fullback Ray Dutton's goal-kicking did the rest to complete the comeback and secure an 11-4 victory. Australia's frontline goal-kicker, Eric Simms, endured a reversal of fortune, failing to land any of his three attempts, a marked contrast to his record-breaking display against New Zealand three days earlier. The win kept Great Britain's round-robin campaign unblemished; the hosts went on to finish the group stage undefeated, topping the World Cup Table and advancing straight to the final as favourites. Australia, despite this defeat to the hosts, still qualified for the final on points differential after also losing narrowly to France at Odsal, on the strength of their opening rout of New Zealand. In a dramatic reversal of this result, Australia went on to beat Great Britain 12-7 in the final at Headingley on 7 November 1970 — remembered as the brutal 'Battle of Headingley' — to lift the World Cup, meaning this 24 October pool fixture stands as Great Britain's 'revenge' victory that they were ultimately unable to repeat when it mattered most.
Sourcing caveat: Sources conflict on whether Australia scored a try at all in this match: Wikipedia's narrative states Hynes' try was the game's only try, while one raw scoresheet extraction suggested a possible Bob Fulton try for Australia that could not be corroborated. Great Britain's confirmed scoring (try + 3 Dutton goals = 9 points) falls 2 points short of the actual 11-point total, and Australia's confirmed scoring (0 successful goals from Simms) falls 4 points short of their 4-point total; the exact composition of both shortfalls could not be resolved from sources found.
Previous World Cup meetings
- 1954 Rugby League World Cup (World Cup Table): Australia 13–28 Great Britain
- 1957 Rugby League World Cup (World Cup Table): Australia 31–6 Great Britain
- 1960 Rugby League World Cup (World Cup Table): Great Britain 10–3 Australia
- 1968 Rugby League World Cup (World Cup Table): Australia 25–10 Great Britain
- 1970 Rugby League World Cup (Final): Australia 12–7 Great Britain
- 1972 Rugby League World Cup (World Cup Table): Great Britain 27–21 Australia
- 1972 Rugby League World Cup (Final): Great Britain 10–10 Australia
- 1977 Rugby League World Cup (World Cup Table): Australia 19–5 Great Britain
- 1977 Rugby League World Cup (Final): Australia 13–12 Great Britain
- 1985–1988 Rugby League World Cup (World Cup Table): Great Britain 15–24 Australia
- 1985–1988 Rugby League World Cup (World Cup Table): Australia 12–26 Great Britain
- 1989–1992 Rugby League World Cup (World Cup Table): Great Britain 0–14 Australia
- 1989–1992 Rugby League World Cup (World Cup Table): Australia 16–10 Great Britain
- 1989–1992 Rugby League World Cup (Final): Australia 10–6 Great Britain