As the England vs Australia game approaches, thoughts turn to previous encounters between the two countries and at Rhino we have particularly fond memories of the 1984 Grand Slam tour by the Wallabies. That tour marked a significant breakthrough for the original roller-based Powerhouse scrum machine invented by Tim Francis and which launched Rhino as a company. The Wallabies used the machine, which they nicknamed ‘Matilda’ throughout their record breaking trip and dominated the scrums against all four home countries, including famously a pushover try against Wales.
Phil and Topo meet Matilda again at Twickers.© www.photofortyone.com 2012
We took the opportunity of Rugby Expo at Twickenham today to stage a reunion between Topo Rodriguez, legendary dual Argentinian and Australian international who propped for that Grand Slam, Rhino co-founder Phil Keith-Roach and an original Powerhouse machine (thanks to Reeds Weybridge RFC). Topo and Phil are amongst the leading scrummaging gurus in world rugby and the former has recently launched his magnum opus ‘The Art of Scrummaging’ following many years of research.
The unthinkable happens...Australia score a pushover try against Wales.