The NSW players were clapped by a section of the crowd, but the Englishmen were hooted.

The clashes were wilder than any seen in an international match since the 1954 tour by England. On that occasion the NSW - England match was abandoned by referee Aub Oxford.

Superb form

England showed some superb form to score seven tries to NSW’s four. The English captain, Eric Ashton, scored three tries. The English team manager, Mr Stuart Hadfield, in a statement immediately after the match blamed the referee, Cliff Brown, for the trouble.

“I don’t think the referee had any control at all,” Mr Hadfield said.

“The trouble could have been avoided if he had given the players a good talking to early.”

Mr Hadfield said it was the first time that Boston had been sent off the field.

“I put all this trouble down to weak refereeing,” he said.

When the big brawl occurred late in the game, 12 men were involved.

Nasty games

Each of the last three NSW v England League matches at the SCG has produced a fracas. Six players sent off by referee Cliff Brown yesterday made a record for international league in Australia.

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On the last tour, in 1958, when there was only one NSW England game, referee Col Pearce sent off four players: Karalius (Eng), Mossop, Hawick and Dimond (NSW). The 1954 match was abandoned by referee Aub Oxford after 16 minutes of the second half. English five-eighth Ray Price had been sent off. He was charged with using bad language.