Greg Cornelsen

Greg Cornesen (born 29 August, 1952 in Sydney) is a former Australian rugby union footballer, who was capped 25 times for the national team, the Wallabies from 1974 to 1982. His usual position was as flanker.

Cornelsen made his international debut for Australia at just 21 years of age, when the Wallabies took on the All Blacks in 1974 in Brisbane, which resulted in a 16-all draw. He was subsequently capped in the following match in Sydney, in which the All Blacks got up 16 to six. He next played for Australia against Japan in Brisbane, which the Wallabies won 50 to 25. Over the following two seasons, he played in matches against Scotland, Wales, England and France, all in Europe, in which the Wallabies had a tougher time winning.

In 1978, Cornelsen played two matches against the Welsh in Australia, both of which the Wallabies won. After the Welsh wins, the Wallabies faced the All Blacks in a three test series. After Australia lost the opening two matches in Wellington and Christchurch, they Australians faced a 3 to nil whitewash if they lost the fnal game at Eden Park in Auckland. In one of Cornelsen's greatests moments, he scored four tries in the third test, seeing Australia through to a 30 to 16 victory, as well as ending a long drought of losses against the Kiwis.

The following year he played another five tests for Australia, the first of which were two losses against Ireland at home, though the Wallabies then went onto defeat the All Blacks again, at home in Sydney. Cornelsen also played in the two tests against Argentina in Buenos Aires, which Australia won and lost one of. In 1980 the Wallabies hosted the All Blacks for a three tests series. Australia entered the third game with the series at 1-all, winning the final game 26 to ten in Sydney. Cornelsen was then capped against Ireland, Wales and Scotland in 1981 in Europe. In 1982 his long test career came to a close at the home of English rugby at Twickenham where the Wallabies played the English.

External links

* [http://www.sporting-heroes.net/rugby-heroes/displayhero.asp?HeroID=2183 Greg Cornelsen] on sporting-heroes.net
* [http://www.thecouriermail.news.com.au/story/0,20797,19932680-5003411,00.html Cornelsen still in record books] - Courier-Mail