The Country 25/09/25: Greg Cornelsen talks to Jamie Mackay

The yarn to the man who scored four tries against the All Blacks in 1978 at Eden Park in an historic 30-16 win against the odds.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Counting the sleeps until Eden Park. What a great game
it's going to be on Saturday. We haven't lost there
since nineteen ninety four to France. We haven't lost to
the Ossie since nineteen eighty six. Go back a few
years before it was a fortress. In nineteen seventy eight
the Aussies beat Us thirty points to sixteen.

Speaker 2 (00:16):
One.

Speaker 1 (00:16):
Man a Ford no Less scored four tries against us
that day. His name is Greg Cornelson. He is joining
us on the country. Greg, you're an old friend of
the country. I had the good pleasure of hosting you,
the late Colin Meads and your old mate Dick Taylor
at my house. I'll never forget it. A great night out.
I guess you never forget a great day out at

(00:36):
Eden Park.

Speaker 2 (00:38):
I remember all those I remember saying with you mate,
and a great occasion. And of course nineteen seventy eight
it was a wonderful win for the Wallabies, that we
were a great team, and just reminiscing, just going back
a little bit before that Test match because we played
Daryl hardright, our coach had a heart attack after the
second Test, and then we had four games to go,

(01:00):
including the third Tests. And Ross turn by that manager
and Captain Tony Shaw, the sided that we wouldn't bring
in another coach, we'd continue on with the style that dal.
We'd been playing that tour four matches to go, and
Ross Hernell said, we're not going to lose another game, fellows,
We're going to win the next four, which we did.
We played Wanganui Bay of Planning in North Auckland and

(01:21):
interestingly on the Tuesday at the Bay of Auckland, our
Test pack played that day and five of the Test
players for the following Saturday played, so there are only
two changes from the Tuesday side to the Test match
at Eden Park in seventy eight. So yeah, it was
a sad time for us. Of course our was gravely ill.
But what an unbelievable day that we had wonderful game

(01:45):
of rugby.

Speaker 1 (01:46):
So you scored four tries your only tries and Test
matches one or two of them fell into your lap.
It would be fair to say you got the bounds
to the ball. But you had a great game.

Speaker 2 (01:57):
Yeah, I mean I didn't receive a part to score
the tries. They I just picked them up off the
ground or fell in the lap, as you say. But
you know, you don't score four tries in the game
unless you're playing with an exceptional team. And we had
a day out and you know, and you know, as
far as the Orbacks are concerned, of course they had

(02:17):
won the series. At that stage, we were at our
absolute best and they possibly didn't turn up, certainly in
the first half or the first fifty odd minutes we
were eighteen three ups, but the All Blacks came back
and I think it was eighteen thirteen a game on
and we just went on from there. But here, you know,
my tries were pretty lucky actually, and you know, it's

(02:38):
a bit embarrassing watching the in company.

Speaker 1 (02:40):
There's some wonderful stats around you, Greg Cornelson. You were
the first forward to score four tries and a Test
since eighteen eighty one. At the time, your sixteen points
made you the highest individual scorer against the All Blacks
and a Test, beating ok Geffen by memory the goal
prop forward or lock for South Africa, and thirty points

(03:05):
was the most points scored against the All Blacks in
a Test match up until then. Of course, we got
a complete flogging in the weekend when the box put
forty three past us, but it was a great test.
What I remember about it is you gave a young kid,
an eighteen year old fresh out of school a game
at first five eight Tony Melrose.

Speaker 2 (03:25):
Yes, Tony was the captain of the famous nineteen seventy
seven schoolboy side. They went through Britain undefeated and they
were a colossal team with the other boys Michael o'conna
and many wonderful forwards as well. So it was his
first Test that pushed ten right to inside center and
they both had absolute blinders. But you know, the player

(03:47):
that I'd like to mention is John Hippoll who was
our No, he wasn't the captain. Tony Shaw was our captain.
But John Hipple was the greatest wallaby in our era.
He started in nineteen sixty six and finished his career
in eighty two. Yeah, so he was a wonderful player. Yeah,
but Tony bel rays. Sadly we lost Toney to rugby

(04:07):
league at the end of nineteen seventy nine, so he
was only playing test rugby before for two years and
as you mentioned, that was his first Test in had
an absolute blinder all the time in the world. He
slighted the beautiful Fiel gold and it's a shame we
lost in the league.

Speaker 1 (04:25):
Yeah, a magnificent talent. It was also the Test Match
debut of Chris Bought a handy. What a great character
he is. Hey Greg Cornelson, what are you up to
these days? Something in the back of my mind says
you used to have a rural upbringing.

Speaker 2 (04:39):
Yeah, I was from the land. My father had a
property at the place called Joggler, forty miles east of
armadaal on the New England between Sydney and Brisbane and
New England. And yeah, I went back there a couple
of times. That chose to do other things in my life.
But you know, you think back on it and dear regret. No,
I don't. I don't regret, but it was pretty tough

(04:59):
on doubt time, hoping obviously that I would take over.
So I've got on with my life and seventy three
years of age will be on the gold case. Have
been here is nineteen ninety. I still quite enjoy golf
and pretty well retired.

Speaker 1 (05:13):
Yeah, and you're doing the speaking circuit. You've got a
great story to tell. Do you give your alsie's a chance?
Just quickly?

Speaker 2 (05:20):
I do my word, I do. I don't know who's
who's available for them. Of course we've had quite a
few injuries over the last couple of weeks, but no
idea that they've been going well at set Peace. They've
got a very very good back line. I don't know
who's available for the for our halves, but yes I do.
But of course New Zealand I've got Roy Garden, Katie
Taylor I think back available. They're very very good players.

(05:43):
But the Springbock did us no favors at all a
couple of weeks ago, so I'm really looking forward to
Jay Schmidt has done a marvelous job with the Wallabies.
They're they're they're really playing well and you know he's
just got to be so proud of them. But one
of the real shames is that has played at in
Australia times through just up to three or fox the
Aussie RULs Grand Finals on at two thirty now so

(06:04):
many people watch that. There's so much interest now in
back into rugby, and certainly the Bazley Cup. If it
was played at five or five thirty out time, you'd
have the whole of Australia watching. So that's the shame
of it all but down but anyway, that's.

Speaker 1 (06:17):
Okay, okay, Greg corn Elson, great to catch up again.
Thank you so much for your time. Great reminiscing on
a wonderful Test match way back in nineteen seventy eight
when the Wallabyes beat the All Blacks at Eden Park
by thirty points to sixteen chairs.

Speaker 2 (06:31):
Thanks Jamie, Thanks a lotch