Hugh Lachlan Murray Buntine

Murray Buntine was a slightly built inside back who survived the trench warfare of the Western Front to earn a Test debut in the twilight years of his rugby career.

Born in Port Macquarie, Buntine was a sturdy defender, a bright attacker with good all-round qualities, and a fine goal-kicker. He was educated at The Scots College in Sydney where his sporting prowess saw him captain the 1st XV, the 1st XI and the tennis team. He was selected in the school’s swimming and athletics teams, won three successive College Sports Cups (1912-1914) and was named the Honour Cap winner for 1914.

After school Buntine played first grade with Mosman before he enlisted in the Australian Infantry Force, joined the 33rd Battalion and set sail for England. Buntine was promoted to Lieutenant and entered France where he fought in the Battle of Messines and the disastrous Passchendaele battle in the winter of 1916-17. As a result of his actions Buntine earned mention in Sir Douglas Haig’s despatches. Discharged in 1919, Buntine first showed in Sydney rugby for GPS Old Boys (1921) but the next season switched to Western Suburbs, the club with whom he played out the remainder of his senior career.

In 1923 New South Wales hosted the Maori before they embarked on their own tour of the Dominion. Unfortunately, the selection of the touring party was thrown into disarray when 11 players - Pup Raymond, Larry Wogan, John Pym, Harry Tancred, Watty Friend, Wakka Walker, Owen Crossman, John Bonner, Max Hesslein, Reg Foote and Roy Cooney - the first eight of whom played in the home series against the Maori, were unavailable to take part. As a consequence, Buntine, on the back of his ‘meritorious play each week’, received a call-up for the squad alongside ten other players new to State honours.

After a start in the first tour match against Wellington-Manawatu, Buntine was selected as a reserve for the opening international in Dunedin. When Norm Smith retired with a broken collarbone, Buntine came off the bench as the replacement. Although he did not know it at the time that match was also Buntine’s official Test debut following an ARU decision in 1994 which elevated the remaining 34 New South Wales matches played against international opposition in the 1920-28 period to Test status (the five 1927/28 Waratahs’ internationals were given Test status in 1986).

The highlight of Buntine’s career came in 1924 when he was selected in the second Test run-on XV to face Mark Nicholls and Bert Cooke, one of the greatest five-eighth combinations ever to take the field for New Zealand. That match proved to be Buntine’s representative swansong although he continued to show for Wests until his retirement in 1928.

Murray Buntine played two Tests for Australia in a two-year international career.

Highlights

1923 Buntine won his first Test cap when he replaced Norm Smith on the wing in the 1st Test, 9-19 loss to New Zealand at Carisbrook.

1924 When Bot Stanley withdrew with a hand injury Buntine was promoted from the reserves to play inside centre in the 2nd Test, 5-21 defeat to New Zealand at the Sydney Showground.