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Silver Foxes raid Chook coop
[ Sunday 15 April, 2007 ]
By Chris Wilson/The Canberra Times

Richard Harry (Gary Schafer/The Canberra Times)

Legendary centre pairing Tim Horan and Jason Little yesterday played together for the first time since Australia's 1999 World Cup victory. Prop Richard Harry claimed he was still wearing the same mouthguard and boots from that very tournament.
 
Flanker David Wilson looked fit enough to still play for Australia, while former centre Matt O'Connor was more appropriately dressed in the number one jersey of a loosehead prop. Harry called him the "sumo with sublime skills".

Some bigger, some balder, all slower, a dozen former Australian Wallabies with 374 Test caps reunited in Bungendore yesterday for a charity rugby match, their only preparation some pre-game banter over a few bottles of wine the previous night.

But the old combinations clicked as the Wallabies legends, dubbed the Silver Foxes, beat the second-division Bungendore Mudchooks 77-38.

That was the official score, although not many in the big crowd seemed to be counting. The only person who really cared was Mudchooks captain-coach Peter Payten, who claimed it surely must have been closer.

"We've got a bit of work to do, but I think we'll go all right," Payten said of the Mudchooks, who kick off their season next weekend.

The game was played at the home of the Mudchooks, affectionately known as the 'Coop of Pain'. But 'The Chicken Dance', which played sporadically throughout the match, seemed more fitting of the social mood.

Horan started the game with an injury, a strained calf from Wednesday night touch footy.

Still, he showed some class to set up Little for the second try, coming off soon after and rewarding himself with a light beer.

"That was the first time we've run on a field together probably since the '99 World Cup," Horan said. "Jas [Little] has got a bit more running left in him than I."

Little fitted the Silver Foxes' image perfectly, grey hair at his temples but ever cunning.

"Jason Little was able to play 80 minutes of football, not make one tackle and not get tackled once," said current Wallabies skipper George Gregan, an amused spectator. "It was the perfect game from an ex-player.

"Matty O'Connor's got some deft passing touches, but he was blowing hard at quarter-time.

"Dave Wilson looked like he could be playing Super 14, he's still as fit as anything. Dicky Harry hasn't changed, he was just terrible, the team carried him."

Harry pulled on Bungendore's green, blue and gold jumper for the final quarter, but ruled out a comeback with the Mudchooks.

Harry, who bought a sheep and cattle property near Bungendore almost two years ago, organised the event to boost community spirit.

The event raised more than $30,000 for charity, The Greater Good Foundation.

"Communities get lost in big cities and this is what it's all about," Harry said. "This is a fabulous community here and they showed their true colours today."

Ex-Wallabies: Andrew Blades 32 Tests; Marco Caputo 5; Tim Gavin 47; James Grant 4; Richard Harry 37; Tim Horan 80; John Langford 4; Jason Little 75; Matt O'Connor 1; Tim Wallace 2; Warwick Waugh 8; David Wilson 79.