The Final Whistle for Wallaby Great, Trevor "Tubby" Allan

The toughest tackler of them all

Phil Wilkins, c/o Rugby Heaven
Monday, January 29, 2007

OBITUARY

Trevor Allan, one of Australia's greatest rugby players, has passed away peacefully at his Turramurra home, aged 80.

"Tubby" Allan personified the gentlemanly nature of the then amateur game while establishing himself as one of the most devastating tacklers of international rugby.

Emerging as a boy wonder from North Sydney Technical High, he resisted rugby league's early overtures for five years to play 14 Tests for Australia, touring New Zealand with the Wallabies in 1946.

Allan became captain of Australia days after his 21st birthday when he led the Wallabies in their sixth match of the 1947-48 tour of Great Britain after Bill McLean sustained a broken leg, the second youngest Test captain to P.J. Jimmy Flynn, who led Australia in 1914 at the age of 20 years and seven months.

McLean called Allan to his side as he was stretchered from the field with a broken ankle and told him: "It's all yours, Tubby!"

So successful were the 47-48 Wallabies under Allan's captaincy that they defeated England at Twickenham, Scotland at Murrayfield and Ireland at Lansdowne Road, losing only to Wales, two penalty goals to nil, in their attempt to win the grand slam. They remain the only Wallabies never to have their line crossed in an international in Britain.

Allan became the most famous rugby player of his day. Wearing his distinctive headgear after early injuries at school and for his beloved Gordon Highlanders, he proved a superb attacking centre and inspirational captain, but it was his crash-tackling defence that won him as many honours.

In Tales For All Seasons, Neil Marks recalls Allan's encounter with the feared England three-quarter Douggie Greenall. Having decided to turn to rugby league with the Leigh club in England for the then record fee of £6250, Allan was knocked unconscious by a Greenall stiff-arm tackle.

Chosen to play for Other Nationalities against England some weeks later, Allan found himself pitted against Greenall.

Allan told his centre partner, another famed Australian, Tony Paskins, to allow Greenall through when he left a gap for him. "Don't miss him!" Paskins warned. Allan vowed: "Let him through! I won't miss him!"

Greenall swept through the hole vacated by the centres and, with the try line beckoning, he glimpsed head gear as he was caught from behind in Allan's tackle, shoulder beneath Greenall's chin, crashing him to hard ground and sliding several metres on his face.

Later, drinking together after the game, Greenall said: "Ee, Tubby, why don't we call it off, laad, and have a truce?"

Allan always considered he played his finest football in Leigh's colours and that Australia never saw the best of him.

After his football career ended, Allan became a highly respected television personality of ABC Sport, calling rugby union for 27 years, appearing for the first time in 1959.

He received the Order of Australia medal in 1991 and became a member of Australia's Sporting Hall of Fame in Melbourne and at the Leigh Sporting Hall of Fame.

He is survived by his wife, Judy, and son Glen and daughter, Leigh, whom he named after his beloved rugby league club in England.

Part of Greg Growdens "Monday Maul", c/o Rugby Heaven:

.....Adding to the sadness is the news that one of the real gentleman of the game, Trevor Allan, has passed on. Apart from being among the 10 greatest Wallabies, Allan was a marvellous human being. Generous, fascinating and a rugby union and league intellect.

For many Sydneysiders, he was their first link to rugby - childhood memories of watching grainy black-and-white TV in the '70s, and hearing the legendary Norman May and Allan calling the club matches, with Allan backing up to give a summary on the 7pm ABC news. His enthusiasm for the game always came through. And it was done with style and presence.

Thankfully amid this gloom are some encouraging signs. Venturing to Aussie Stadium last Thursday night provided hope. This was Monday Maul's first sighting of Kurtley Beale.

When the 18-year-old ran on to the field for the second half of the NSW-Crusaders trial match, he grabbed your attention. It wasn't his white head gear. It was the young five-eighth's frenetic behaviour.

He was bobbing this way and that, immediately trying to do something different, attacking the advantage line, attempting chip kicks, making a general nuisance of himself.

Crusaders coach Robbie Deans was right. Within seconds, you knew Beale was an "excitement machine".

He made some mistakes and was bumped off easily in the lead-up to one Crusaders try. But he bounced back.

Just before the final bell, he made the break, and threw the precise pass to Josh Holmes to win the game. With it came more glowing Beale headlines. They are deserved.

As encouraging is that NSW coach Ewen McKenzie will take his time bringing Beale along. Slow maturation is the correct method for one bound to become a vintage footballer.

However, with all this is a sad footnote. Allan's passing, for many reasons, is untimely; one being that he would have taken so much pleasure in witnessing the rise and rise of Beale.