As I recollect , the club games used to be mid week and the Aussies usually played all their fringe players . They were still formidable opponents though and attracted good crowds.
However today, the vast majority of our test side comes from only a few clubs and it would be a big ask for those same clubs to give them a competitive game without their test duty players.
But games against England Knights, or county teams could add more competitive fixtures. Plus it would help showcase some of the better players not in the test squad.

That would be great, I used to love those tours, I remember that night at Belle Vue when we gave them a real scare when Andy Mason scored a cracking try and we rattled them! 1990 wasn't it? My God it seems so long ago now!

Not sure about a scare, but definitely a "headache" ...in the most physical sense of the word!

I remember that game in 1990. I used to follow all the tour matches and get to as many as I could. I remember a big Aussie tangling with the someone - think it was Mark Carroll or Mark Geyer, could've been both. Think it finished something like 32-18 to Australia. Their coach Bobby Fulton had a massive fallout with Harry Gration afterwards when he accused Australia of letting people down with their ill discipline.

I remember the '78 tour, we went to the Bradford Northern v Aussies game at Odsal and if my memory serves me well Neil Fox scored two tries and then later in the tour GB won the 'Dad's Army' test at Odsal.

Your spot on Lyndsay, Foxy rolled the years back, he was 38 I think, and had a great game. He scored 1 try off an outrageous dummy. Sadly can't remember if they won .

Australia ran out winners in the end 11-21
I think Neil scored all the Bradford points....maybe one other try scorer.

Thanks PT, the big fella gave them a real scare that day.

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I was on the sleepers on the shale banking. Scored right in front of me.

I'd played rugby in the morning and travelled to watch the game, we were stood on the concrete terracing, and as I recall Neil scored at the opposite end throwing a dummy that just parted the Aussies and he cantered in from 30 yards or so. Mind you it was a week or so back and sometimes the memory is not as good as it was.

That's how I remember it

This is the dads army test match https://www.facebook.com/share/v/zvuxuzKqtqi3Dagm/

This is the dads army test match https://www.facebook.com/share/v/zvuxuzKqtqi3Dagm/

Australia won but Neil Fox showed he still had it. Peter Fox wanted to pick him for GB that year apparently but was overruled - one older player too many I think.

Yes, went to watch Leigh take on The Aussies at Hilton Park on Wednesday November 3rd 1982 (42 years ago yesterday). Leigh were reigning Champions and the Aussies initially showed a little respect by playing a pretty strong team (it certainly featured a certain Brisbane copper called Meninga - now coach). There the respect stopped - they put 44 points on us with just two John Woods penalties for Leigh. The crowd was 7680. To put that gate into perspective; Leigh's home derby against Wigan eleven days later saw 9373 attend.

I was there that day too