Andrew Alec Stewart

Andy Stewart was a tearaway openside flanker who only had one season in the Australian team. Nonetheless it was a special season in which the Wallabies enjoyed one of their most significant breakthrough victories in history and on that day Stewart was heroic.

Regarded as one of the finest club flankers to appear in Sydney since the war, Stewart gave Northern Suburbs many years of faithful service. He played the odd representative game - for Sydney against Fiji in 1976 and then against Wales in 1978. Stewart also played for New South Wales against Wales and then against Ireland in 1979. The problem at hand was that Australia had an embarrassment of riches in the loose forward department during his era - Tony Shaw, Mark Loane, Gary Pearse and Greg Cornelsen. 

Stewart’s fortunes changed during the 1979 tour by New Zealand. Coach Dave Brockhoff believed the Wallabies needed out-and-out pace to counter All Black flankers Graham Mourie and Leicester Rutledge. As a consequence Tony Shaw was moved to lock and Stewart given a Test debut for the one-off match in Sydney. Stewart starred as he nullified both Mourie and Rutledge, disrupted a great deal of the All Blacks' rhythm, hounded halfback Mark Donaldson incessantly, and tackled his heart out. Few Wallaby loose forwards had made a more impressive debut. Australia prevailed 12-6 to beat the All Blacks for just the second time since 1964, win the Bledisloe Cup for the first time since 1949 and defeat New Zealand on home soil for the first time since 1934.

Andy Stewart played three Tests for Australia.

Highlights

1976

Represented Australia, a.k.a. ‘The Wallaroos’, at the inaugural Hong Kong 7s.

1979

Stewart won his first Test cap at flanker in partnership with Greg Cornelsen and Mark Loane in the 12-6 victory over New Zealand at the S.C.G. He played on the flank in each of the two Tests against Argentina in Buenos Aires. Represented Australia at the Hong Kong 7s.

1980

Represented Australia at the Hong Kong 7s.