12 January 2023 , 07:00
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St Helens boss Paul Wellens looks back and “cringes” at what went on while it’s so long ago that captain James Roby was still the “young lad” of the squad.
The legendary Super League duo are referring to when they famously helped Great Britain defeat Australia in Sydney. It was 2006 and famous because neither the Lions nor England have still ever beaten them anywhere since. But it’s also a crucial experience to draw upon when Wellens and Roby pair up to head Down Under again for Saints' World Club Challenge against revered NRL champions Penrith Panthers on February 18.
That classic 2006 Tri-Nations clash is memorable for Jamie Peacock’s dust-up with Willie Mason after the Aussie forward’s cheap shot floored Stuart Fielden. Mason also elbowed Saints scrum-half Sean Long in the head and still stayed on the field but the Lions came out 23-12 victors in an iconic Test.
Full-back Wellens - now 42 and just starting out as Saints chief - scored in the epic win and recalled: “Me and Robes were actually room-mates on that tour, it was that long ago! It was one of the standout moments of my playing career.
“We went in as heavy underdogs. No one really gave us a chance. Anybody who watches it back now, some of the things that went on, you look back and cringe at how people got away with certain things. The game’s developed in such a short space of time. It was a wonderful experience and, at the time, you don’t feel the enormity of it.
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“Beating Australia Down Under is certainly something you reflect on after your career. Now we have our own chance to go there and win with Saints. We’ve won it before in the UK but this is different. This group loves a challenge, though, especially when the odds are stacked against them."
Paul Wellens, back, celebrates with St Helens and Great Britain team-mate Lee Gilmour after Gilmour scores for the Lions against Australia in Sydney in 2006. (Photo by Matthew King/Getty Images) (Getty Images Sport)And hooker Roby, 37, has put off retirement for another year just for this sort of occasion. He admitted: “It’s great for me before I do hang up my boots. But it’s great for the club and the town of St Helens as well to get the name and brand out there.
“Back in 2006, with Great Britain, I was only 20 and the young lad of the squad. I kept my head down and did what I was told. I probably didn’t realise until these last few years just how lucky you are to be a part of an experience like that.
“It’s still never been done since. It was a very special occassion and I remember parts of the game and celebrations afterwards. I learned a lot on that tour. And now I’m looking forward to going down there with Saints for the first time and showing what we can do."