SPORT

Readers of my jottings are well aware that I get ideas for many of my columns through reminiscing .

So , usually as I begin typing , I start singing ( strangling ) or humming the legendary Slim Whitman ’ s great Country and Western hit from 1965 , “ Reminiscing ”. “ Reminiscing , reminiscing over you , reminiscing is all I seem to do ”. Well , ever since I found on YouTube a full replay of the 1975 City Firsts versus Country Firsts match at the Sydney Cricket

Ground , I ’ ve been reminiscing . Reminiscing that it was the last time the boys from the bush beat a star-studded City side under the residency selection rules which were in play from the initial game in 1928 until the introduction of origin selection in 1987 .

Over those eight decades , Country Firsts won just 11 of the 63 matches ( two games a year were played on a couple of occasions ) and drew one .

Under the origin selections rules which lasted from 1987 until 2017 , Country just about matched the City Slickers , winning 12 of the 28 games .

Getting back to that historymaking match in

The Country Firsts class of ‘ 75 ( L-R ) ( Front row ) Alan Byrnes ( manager ), Allan Dagwell , Arthur Mountier , captain Jim Morgan , John Ballesty , Stephen Hewson , John O ’ Toole ( manager ). Middle : Leo Hennessy ( trainer ), Peter Kennedy , Ian Martin , Len Bertoldo , Mick Cronin , Stephen McDonald , Tom Shepherd , coach Arthur Summons . ( Back ) Terry Fahey , Brian Hetherington , Ron Fogarty , Eric White , Jon Jansen , Greg Brentnall and David Edwards .

1975 !

Those of you up to speed with adding , subtraction ,

PINITO has been placed in all previous starts over two preps but going on her fast-finishing 8th over 1000m in slick time at H ’ bury on Dec 20 , she should really go on with it this time in .

COMMEMORATIVE looks primed to have a successful Autumn going on his slashing , fast finishing 3rd in 800m trial at H ’ bury on Jan 20 . Don ’ t miss this one !

BURMA STAR couldn ’ t have been more impressive in 800m trial win at H ’ bury on Jan 20 . Really zoomed home in fast time without being pushed out . He ’ s a very promising 2YO .

BEIWACHT is another 2YO out of the Cummings yard showed great trial form . The unraced colt flew over the final stages to win 7800m trial at H ’ bury on Jan 20 .

CUSTOM could not have been more impressive in finishing handy sixth in 800m trial at H ’ bury on Jan 20 . Yet another highly promising 2YO filly out of the Cummings yard .

CENTURY SONG is a lightly raced 3YO out of the Price stable . Finished powerfully for close-up 2nd in 800m trial at H ’ bury on Jan 20 . Excellent effort because they really sizzled over final 600m . multiplication and dividing , will have worked out that it is 50 years since the bumpkins from the bush won that auspicious match .

Led by former South Sydney , Easts , NSW and Australia prop , Jim Morgan , Country was able to chalk up a magnificent 19-9 victory over the city outfit which was chockful of state and Test players .

The game was played in front of 17,743 fans who were privileged to watch a truly mesmerising victory by Country over their star-studded rivals .

Just have a look at the City lineup that day !

Fullback : Russel Fairfax . Wingers : Chris Anderson Ian Schubert , Centres : Ray Branighan , Bob Fulton . Five-eighth : Tim Pickup . Halfback : Tommy Raudonikis . Lock : Ron Coote ( c ). Second-rowers : Paul Sait , Gary Stevens . Props : Arthur Beetson , Bob McCarthy . Hooker : John McMartin .

On the reserves bench were Steve Rogers , Mark Harris , Ray Higgs and Jeff Withers . The great Graeme Langlands was the coach , while the legendary Arthur Summons put the polish on Country .

Country ’ s lineup included a couple of big-time former top class City players who returned to the bush in their twilight years – Greg Brentnall ( Canterbury ), Ian Martin ( Manly ), John Ballesty ( Easts ) Terry Fahey ( Souths , Easts and Canberra ) and skipper , Jim Morgan .

Country ’ s side that day was : Fullback : Brentnall . Wingers : Terry Fahey , Eric White . Centres : Michael Cronin , Peter Kennedy . Five eighth : Ian Martin . Halfback : Steve Hewson . Lock : John Ballesty . Second rowers : Ron Fogarty Steven MacDonald . Props : Len Bertolo , Jim Morgan . Hooker : Alan Dagwell .

The City Slickers would have been long odds-on favourites to get the bikkies with three Immortals in their ranks – Fulton , Beetson and Coote as well as fellow Australian Rugby League Hall of Famers , McCarthy , Raudonikis and Rogers .

The only Country player that day to match those illustrious players was Mick Cronin who is a member of the Hall of Fame .

Probably the first instruction I received when I took up the game as a young kid was – “ they can ’ t run without legs ”.

The bushies certainly took that to heart back in ’ 75 – their tackling was absolute superb , sweeping their much-vaunted rivals off their feet with copybook tackles . It was that Country defence which earned them the eventual hard-fought victory after 80 minutes of scintillating football .

Their commitment in getting up into the face of the Slickers put them off their game , upsetting their attacking momentum – except for the absolutely mesmerisng Artie Beetson , who stood tall in tackles to off-load to support players .

Artie was the best player on the field , just ahead of the will o-wisp Fairfax but unfortunately for City , every one of the Country players stood tall on the day to ensure a victory for the boys from the Bush . But special mention to Mick Cronin , who somehow managed to steal the ball off the rampaging Beetson and cruised 25 metres to score the opening try deep into the first half .

Also to be mentioned in dispatches are the rock-solid Kennedy , classy halfback Hewson , tough as teak prop Bertoldo , and livewire hooker , Dagwell .

Country led 5-4 at the break and Hewson made a bird of a win with a late try in which was converted by Cronin , who landed five of his seven shots at the sticks .

Scores : Country 19 ( Cronin , Ballesty , Hewson tries , Cronin 5 goals ) def City 9 ( Coote try , Branighan 3 goals ).

Whenever I head down the South Coast , I always find time to call in and have an ale and a meal at Cronin ’ s Gerringong Hotel , where Mick is mine-host .

I ’ ve got to know the inspirational man quite well down the years from covering league for the Daily Mirror and Sunday Telegraph .

So immediately after watching the ’ 75 game on YouTube , I rang Mick and asked him , was anyone organising a 50-year reunion of the players .

“ Not that I know of , but I ’ ll sniff around and see if there is something in the wind – if there is I ’ ll let you know ,” Mick said .

Mick did tell me that two of his old team-mates are no longer with us – Jim Morgan who died at 61 years on October 19 , 2005 , and the tireless and fearless Len Bertolo , who left us on August 7 , 2013 , aged 66 years .

HIGH MARKS : Watching that 1975 country v city clash . ‘ twas a bewdy !

Team

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