Blanco breaks the line ... and Wallaby hearts

Brendan Gallagher delves into some of rugby’s most enduring images, their story and why they are still so impactful What's happening here?

It’s the Concord Oval, Sydney on June 13, 1987, and France are playing hosts Australia in the semi-final of the inaugural World Cup. It’s been a thrilling, high intensity contest and right at the death France have launched a lastditch multi-phase attack in an attempt to snatch victory. Inspirational fullback Serge Blanco is stretching for the line and trying to ride a superb textbook covering tackle from Aussie Tom Lawton, one of the modern breed of big athletic hookers who were coming into the game.

The story behind the picture?

This was a cracking ding-dong semifinal between two attack minded sides with a twist at the end. A 76th minute penalty from Michael Lynagh had seen Australia complete an impressive comeback and with the clock ticking down they were camped deep in the France half looking to manufacture a dropped goal opportunity to finish the job.

The French tackling was fierce though and they dislodged the ball in midfield on their 22 and quickly recycled the turnover ball, Blanco throwing out a loose pass to the leftwing Patrice Lagisquet. Off the French went on a slightly madcap attack which threatened to break down on three or four occasions but they wouldn’t let the ball die. It wasn’t a thing of beauty, one of those aesthetically gorgeous tries the French can conjure from nowhere, but it was full of Gallic elan and a never-say-die attitude.

Eventually, with bodies strewn all over the pitch, No.8 Laurant Rodrigues shipped the ball out to Blanco who by now was loitering on the left wing. The Biarritz full-back was playing with a strained right hamstring which was bandaged and hampering him a little. Could he reach the line? He bit the bullet, pinned his ears back and embarked on what for him was a slowmotion sprint. Lawton was the only Aussie in a position to make a tackle, could he get across?

What happened next?

The rugby world waited to see what decision Scottish referee Brian Anderson would make. In the modern day world of the TMO, a host of camera angles would be employed and a long debate would ensue. Extraordinary athlete and gymnast that he was, Blanco does incredibly well to somehow twist and stretch infield a little despite the outside arc of his sprint.

It’s very close and four or five feet out he is definitely still legal. There were only two camera angles that day and neither shows what’s happening with the Blanco torso on that touchline at the actual moment of touchdown.

All referee Brian Anderson had to go on was his own view of the incident and that of his touch judges. A try it was and with Didier Camberabero slotting the touchline conversion, France were suddenly six points up with less than a minute left. Les Bleus fielded the restart and kicked deep to touch and the final whistle went just as the lineout was forming. They were in the final.

Why is the picture iconic?

It’s a belting action picture, no question, with an almost cliche lunge for the line by Blanco and a last ditch tackle by Lawton but for me this is the image and the passage of play that made the World Cup as a competition.

Prior to this wonderful match and dramatic finale, RWC1987 had been underwhelming to say the least. It’s public presence and profile in Australia had been minimal with the sporting community scarcely appreciating it was on. Attendances were very low and even when the tournament reached the quarter-finals the fans were treated to an absolute dog of a match in the mud at Ballymore when England and Wales contested one of the poorest games imaginable. An advert for the game it was not.

Meanwhile, over in New Zealand, the competition hadn’t really ignited either, a process which started with a laughably low-key opening ceremony in front of the empty terraces of Eden Park before the first game against Italy.

On the pitch the All Blacks then dismantled sides from the off and looked like champions elect. Nobody could touch them.

The tournament was rather spluttering along but suddenly it caught fire. First Australia started to flex their muscles in their quarter-final against Ireland which set up the semi-final against the French.

The country was hardly going World Cup crazy – a modest crowd of 17,768 made their way to the ground – but they were treated to a thriller, the first World Cup classic in the tournament’s history. More importantly a live TV audience around the world witnessed the action and lapped it up.

This experimental tournament might have something going for it after all, the big sponsors might pile in. The French were celebrating victory more than their Grand Slam earlier that year. Rugby World Cup might have legs, the blazers might decide to stage another in four years’ time.

Footnote: Frace lost 29-9 to NZ in the final. Australia sucked it up and four years later worked off their frustration by winning RWC1991 in front of 72,000 fans at Twickenham. The World Cup was here to stay.

“This is the image and passage of play that made the World Cup as a competition”