Bill McLean

After the war McLean was selected in and captained an Australia XV versus The Rest trial match. His opposing captain was his tour teammate Keith Windon and when The Rest won the game, McLean was picked as tour captain for the first post-war Wallaby tour of [[New Zealand national rugby union team|New Zealand]]. Injured in the trial McLean missed the first six tour matches but played and captained the Wallabies in the two Tests against the [[All Blacks]] and the Test against the New Zealand Maori. The following year he again met the [[All Blacks]] when they visited Australia. He captained once against them and played in both Tests, the second as captain.

After the war McLean was selected in and captained an Australia XV versus The Rest trial match. His opposing captain was his tour teammate Keith Windon and when The Rest won the game, McLean was picked as tour captain for the first post-war Wallaby tour of [[New Zealand national rugby union team|New Zealand]]. Injured in the trial McLean missed the first six tour matches but played and captained the Wallabies in the two Tests against the [[All Blacks]] and the Test against the New Zealand Maori. The following year he again met the [[All Blacks]] when they visited Australia. He captained once against them and played in both Tests, the second as captain.

In 1947, McLean and Phil Hardcastle were candidates for the national captaincy. After McLean led The Rest to a victory over an Australian XV, he was appointed captain, becoming the seventh Queenslander to lead the national team. The [[1947-48 Australia rugby union tour of Britain, Ireland, France and North America|nine-month tour]] involved a circumnavigation of the globe and leadership of a mixture of battle hardened war veterans and young rugby stars. It was a singular honour on one of the world's great sporting tours. For McLean a return to the British Isles was in some ways a completion of unfinished business from 1939 and an opportunity to play on [[Twickenham Stadium|Twickenham's]] hallowed turf as his father and brother had before.

In 1947, McLean and Phil Hardcastle were candidates for the national captaincy. After McLean led The Rest to a victory over an Australian XV, he was appointed captain, becoming the seventh Queenslander to lead the national team. The subsequent nine-month international tour included several veterans of [[World War II]]. For McLean a return to the British Isles was in some ways a completion of unfinished business from 1939 and an opportunity to play on [[Twickenham Stadium|Twickenham's]] hallowed turf as his father and brother had before.

The tour was only six matches old when McLean fulfilled his dream of playing at [[Twickenham Stadium|Twickenham]] in a minor clash against Combined Services. The match was near completion when he was hit by three tacklers from different angles. Writers Howell, Tressider and Shehadie (all present on the tour) each described the snap of bone breaking being audible to onlookers. McLean suffered a serious spiral fracture of the tibia and fibula. He played no further games on the tour and had now played his last representative match for Australia. The tour captaincy passed at that moment to the 21-year-old vice-captain [[Trevor Allan (rugby)|Trevor Allan]]. McLean played for Queensland again in 1951 and 1952, also coaching both the Queensland and the Australian national side in those years. {{citation needed|date=September 2014}}

The tour was only six matches old when McLean fulfilled his dream of playing at [[Twickenham Stadium|Twickenham]] in a minor clash against Combined Services. The match was near completion when he was hit by three tacklers from different angles. Writers Howell, Tressider and Shehadie (all present on the tour) each described the snap of bone breaking being audible to onlookers. McLean suffered a serious spiral fracture of the tibia and fibula. He played no further games on the tour and had now played his last representative match for Australia. The tour captaincy passed at that moment to the 21-year-old vice-captain [[Trevor Allan (rugby)|Trevor Allan]]. McLean played for Queensland again in 1951 and 1952, also coaching both the Queensland and the Australian national side in those years. {{citation needed|date=September 2014}}