Tomahawks, punch-ups and Bledisloe glory: New Wallaby’s colourful family history

With a grandfather who was a member of the first Wallabies side to win the Bledisloe Cup, most Australian rugby fans would hope Matt Faessler can follow in his pop’s footsteps.

But only to a point. Such was the colourful sporting career of Faessler’s grandfather Vince Bermingham - which involved thumb-chomping, tomahawk attacks and one-armed boxing bouts - it might be safer for the young Queenslander to draw the line at lifting rugby’s most missed piece of silverware, and stop there.

“I grew up hearing lots of great stories about him,” Faessler laughs.

Faessler was one of the biggest bolters in Eddie Jones’ Wallabies squad named last week, rewarded for excellent form for the Reds this season with selection as one of three Australian hookers for the Rugby Championship campaign. On his first trip to South Africa, Faessler is every chance to make his Test debut against the Springboks in Pretoria next Sunday.

A Test debut would see Faessler become the second Wallaby on his family tree, after his maternal grandfather played three eventful Tests in the 1930s.

A hard-edged country prop from Toowoomba, Bermingham was picked for the Wallabies to take on the All Blacks for two games in Sydney in 1934. In the same team were luminaries like Cyril Towers and Weary Dunlop.

New Wallabies hooker Matt Faessler, and his grandfather Vince Bermingham (inset).Credit: Getty

It was only the second series competing for the shiny new Bledisloe Cup, and after an Australian win in the opening Test and a “drab” 3-all draw in the second, the new trophy was claimed. But in a sign of things to come, Australia only won the Bledisloe Cup twice in next 46 years, and didn’t win again on home soil until 1979.

A teetotaller who stayed fit via hard work and lifting farm equipment, Bermingham played his final Test in a white strip against South Africa in 1937. His unrelenting harassment of the Boks halfback prompted the esteemed Dr Danie Craven to throw the only punch of his career, and another Springboks player, according to Faessler, went much further.

Vince Bermingham (circled) with the 1934 Wallabies, who won the Bledisloe Cup. Weary Dunlop is far left.Credit: Rugby Australia

“There was another scrap and old mate bit his finger pretty badly. He [Bermingham] had a Queensland heavyweight boxing state final a week later and he had to hide the injury,” Faessler said.

With onlookers astounded by his one-handed style, Bermingham won the fight. That story is only topped by the time Bermingham fought off an angry fan at a club game in Stanthorpe, who “invaded the away team dressing room and brandished a tomahawk”, according to his Classic Wallabies biography. Bermingham used a kit bag and a few “sharp blows” to put the man to sleep.

“I have heard that one too. It’s pretty wild. I think he didn’t mind a scrap,” Faessler said.

Faessler never met his grandfather, who died in 1983, but he grew up admiring him via the stories, the photos and occasionally pulling out his old Wallabies jerseys and Test cap.

Matt Faessler at Wallabies training on the Gold Coast this week.Credit: Getty

“I come from a pretty full-on rugby family, in that sense. All my uncles on my mum’s side played, and mum was heavily involved in the junior clubs I played for, growing up. My dad played as well,” Faessler said.

“I didn’t know him because he’d passed before I was born but there was definitely a trickle-down effect for me.”

Fittingly, Faessler was having coffee with his mum and dad when he was named in Jones’ squad last weekend. The 24-year-old had been a late call-up to Jones’ camp in April and was part of a big squad over the last month, but he was still shocked to make his first Wallabies cut.

“The change (of Wallabies coach) was beneficial for someone like myself, obviously not being an incumbent. I hadn’t been a part of it before but I guess I just had the view this year of playing well for Queensland, and getting my name out there,” Faessler said. “That’s all you can do, hey.”

It’s been a remarkable rise. At the start of 2022, Faessler didn’t even have a Super Rugby contract and after several years stuck on the fringes of the Reds, the hooker had moved to Sydney for a fresh start.

He found a job and signed up with Randwick but three weeks later, the Reds called him back as injury cover and, via outstanding form, he not only stayed in the team after his debut, but went on to play for Australia A as well.

Matt Faessler on the charge for Queensland.Credit: Getty

Jones has been impressed with Faessler’s combative style and high work-rate, and his superior lineout accuracy could easily get him the nod over Jordan Uelese this week as the Wallabies reserve hooker.

“To be honest, I don’t think it has all hit me just yet,” Faessler said.

“From that Sunday announcement, you’re straight into packing your bags and making sure you’re not forgetting anything. Then you’re pretty much just head down, bum up, straight into training and meetings, all that sort of stuff.

“From my perspective, I am just taking step by step and enjoying every part. There have been a lot of firsts. It’s my first time in South Africa, and this will be my first business class flight I have ever taken. So I will soak it all up, and then get down to work.”