'Amazing monsters': 5 times rugby clubs upset the odds against national sides

Rugby clubs vs nations: A fixture once common in the last century but now all but erased by the modern, congested Test match calendar.

Even if they are now rare, that doesn’t mean they didn’t matter. Here are five famous club-over-nation results that deserve to be remembered.

San Isidro Club (aka SIC) 22–22 Australia ‘A’ (1987)
Before anyone says “It was only Australia A, not the Wallabies”, consider the names involved. That Australia A side included Nick Farr-Jones, Simon Poidevin, Michael Lynagh, Troy Coker, Steve Cutler and Cameron Lillicrap. Most of them would win the 1991 Rugby World Cup, yet in 1987 they were pushed to the brink by San Isidro Club.

Australia toured Argentina that October, facing the Pumas and several major clubs such as Rosario RU, Santa Fé and SIC. San Isidro were the first challenge, and against all expectations the match was tighter than a pickled gherkin jar.

Australia opened the scoring, but SIC grew into the contest thanks to the kicking of Marcelo Loffreda – yes, that Marcelo Loffreda.

With the clock in the red, SIC had one last chance to draw level. All they needed was to shove the Wallabies back in a five-metre scrum. And they did exactly that.

Mustering every ounce of power, the Argentinians drove the tourists off the ball and number eight Ignacio Cirio grounded it.

22–22. SIC had done it. A draw against a side stacked with some of the game’s greats. Fans poured onto the pitch while the Australians weren’t sure whether to smile, be angry or applaud.

Estanislao Corral later told La Nación: “In the pregame talk, Veco, El Gringo (Emilio Perasso), Juanjo and others were devising a strategy to win the game. And, I was like ‘How can these guys believe that we can beat such amazing monsters?’”

They came very close. It remains one of the greatest feats by an Argentinian club.

Club Banco Nación 29–21 England (1990)
If SIC’s heroics didn’t impress, Banco Nación’s will. On 14 July 1990, at Vélez Sarsfield Stadium, the club faced England in the tour opener.

England arrived with stars: Richard Hill, Will Carling, Brian Moore, Andy Robinson, Chris Oti, Dave Egerton, Mike Skinner and Victor Ubogu.
But it wasn’t enough – not when Banco Nación had Hugo Porta.

Porta scored 21 points from the tee, landing two drop goals and five penalties, while orchestrating both of his team’s tries.
England were repeatedly torn apart whenever Porta or Claudio Gentile carried the ball.

By full-time, Banco Nación had earned a famous win, with Porta cementing his status in Argentine sporting folklore.

Porta told La Nación: “Nowadays, it doesn’t exist anymore that idea of a main national side playing against a local club. It was the biggest honour you could bestow on a club that had won the Argentinian Premiership, to face the upcoming country that would be touring Argentina.”

The story still lives strongly among those who played that day.

Llanelli RFC 9–3 All Blacks (1972)
Wilt Chamberlain becomes the first NBA player to hit 30,000 points. The Godfather premieres. Al Green releases “I’m Still in Love with You”. And Llanelli RFC beat the All Blacks at Stradey Park in front of 22,000.

The Five Nations was cancelled that year due to the aftermath of Bloody Sunday, and Welsh fans were eagerly awaiting the All Blacks tour.

New Zealand played more than 30 matches from October to February, including games against Wales, Cardiff, Gwent, East Glamorgan, Newport, Neath, Aberavon and Llanelli.

Only one Welsh club beat them.

Llanelli fielded Gareth Jenkins, Ray Gravell and JJ Williams, while the tourists had Ian Kirkpatrick, Bruce Robertson and Andy Haden.

Llanelli struck first: Roy Bergiers charged through, chased his kick and grounded it, with Phil Bennett converting.

New Zealand replied with a penalty from Joe Karam, but they could not break Llanelli’s fierce defensive line. Andy Hill added another penalty, sealing the win.

A town of 35,000 people had brought down a global rugby titan. If you consider Munster as a province, Llanelli remain the last club side ever to beat the All Blacks.

Munster 12–0 All Blacks (1978)
No list of club-over-nation results is complete without the most famous of all: Munster 12, All Blacks 0.

In 1978, New Zealand toured the Home Nations, playing 18 matches. They won 17. The one blemish came in Limerick.

Munster were preparing for the Interprovincial Championship and had not lifted the title outright since 1974.
Before facing Ireland, the All Blacks beat Cambridge University, Cardiff, West Wales XV and London Counties. Munster were meant to be an appetiser.

Instead, they served something historic.

Thomond Park was packed with more than 12,000 fans. Munster, loaded with Irish legends such as Pat Whelan, Brendan Foley, Moss Keane, Gerry McLoughlin and Tony Ward, rose to the occasion.

Foley sliced through the All Blacks defence before feeding Christy Cantillon for the opening try.
Tony Ward converted and added two drop goals.
The All Blacks, suffocated by a thunderous crowd, failed to score a single point.

Seven of the New Zealand players would start the Test against Ireland five days later.

Whether in Guinness ads or Edmund Van Esbeck’s accounts, the match lives on as one of the greatest results in rugby history.

Munster came within two points of repeating the feat in 2008, but it wasn’t to be,

Sydney Rugby Union 16–14 France (1981)
A result that has faded from memory – and almost from the internet – but it truly happened: Sydney Rugby Union beat the reigning Five Nations Grand Slam champions, France.

France toured Australia in 1981 after conquering the Five Nations. In June and July they faced Queensland Reds, Queensland Country, Victorian Rugby Union, NSW Waratahs, ACT, NSW Country and Sydney RU.

Sydney Rugby were the first to topple them, mounting a comeback to win 16–14.

The Canberra Times reported that Michael Martin (a six-cap Wallaby) scored the decisive try, with Geoff Richards adding a penalty to seal victory.

For France, prop Robert Paparemborde and fullback Michel Fabre scored tries, while Bernard Viviès kicked two penalties.

Despite sparse surviving information about the tour, newspapers of the era recorded each game.

France recovered to beat Victoria RU, the Waratahs and ACT before losing to the Wallabies on 5 and 11 July.

France head coach Jacques Fouroux later told rugby.com.au in 1986: “After our tour here in 1981, I went back to France, thinking of the Australian way of rugby. (…) Australian rugby in 1981 has been our reference. We have used Australian names for our moves since.”