The team that wrestled back the Ashes from England in 1974/75 became known as the ‘Ugly Australians’, not because they were all bad-looking men – some were considered handsome at the time – but because of their win-at-all-cost attitude.
This was personified by captain Ian Chappell, with his hard-nosed decision-making and ruthless attitude; their intimidatory fast bowling, particularly the pair of Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson; and the constant sledging of the opposition.
Chappell and wicketkeeper Rod Marsh vied for the honour of who could wind up the English batsmen more a la Warwick Armstrong. In many ways, it set a template that successful Australian teams would follow in future.
It is not too fanciful to claim a direct link between Chappell’s side and the culture that allowed the Sandpapergate scandal to engulf Australian cricket in Cape Town 44 years later.
That series can also be regarded as Australia’s belated revenge for bodyline. While Harold Larwood terrorised the Australian batters in 1932/33, this time it was England at the receiving end.
Lillee, the English already knew. It was Thomson who was the surprise for many English batters with his exceptional pace, spearing bowling action, and ability to bowl bouncers that reared off the pitch alarmingly. He took 33 wickets at an average less than 18, and the psychological as well as physical scars he inflicted on some of his opponents helped end more than one Test career.
A combative character, Chappell had a long-running feud with Ian Botham that endured decades. It started when Botham had been playing in Australia in 1976/77 and overheard Chappell in a bar rubbishing all things English. Chappell later claimed that Botham had pressed an empty beer glass against his throat and threatened to cut him from ear to ear. The arrival of a police car stopped things getting further out of hand.
The enmity continues. In 2012, decades after they had retired and were working for respective media companies, the pair was at it again. Chappell said something provocative to Botham outside the Adelaide Oval, and the duo had to be restrained again.