This left Cowan in second position and Paddy Hopkirk's Austin 1800 in third place. Approaching the Nowra checkpoint at the end of the penultimate stage with only  to Sydney, the Frenchmen were involved in a head-on collision with a motorist who mistakenly entered a closed course, wrecking their Citroën DS and hospitalising the pair.
Cowan was in second place, while Paddy Hopkirk's Austin 1800 came in third after the Nowra checkpoint on the penultimate stage with only Sydney remaining. The Frenchmen were involved in a head-on collision with a motorist who mistakenly entered a closed course, wrecking their Citroën DS and injuring the pair.