1888 Home Nations Championship
| 1888 Home Nations Championship | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | 4 February - 10 March 1888 | ||
| Countries |  Ireland Scotland Wales | ||
| Tournament statistics | |||
| Champions | Not completed[1] | ||
| Matches played | 3 | ||
| Top point scorer(s) | Rambaut (1) Carpendale (1) Berry (1) | ||
| |||
The 1888 Home Nations Championship was the sixth series of the rugby union
Table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ireland
|
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 2 |
| 1 | Scotland
|
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 2 |
| 1 | Wales
|
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | −2 | 2 |
Results
Scoring system
The matches for this season were decided on goals scored. A goal was awarded for a successful conversion after a try, for a dropped goal or for a goal from mark. If a game was drawn, any unconverted tries were tallied to give a winner. If there was still no clear winner, the match was declared a draw.
The matches
Wales vs. Scotland
| 4 February 1888 |
| Wales | 1T – nil | Scotland |
| Try: Pryce-Jenkins |
| Rodney Parade, Newport Referee: J Chambers (Ireland) |
Wales:
Scotland: HFT Chambers (
Wales achieved their first victory over Scotland with a debut try from Pryce-Jenkins. After the try Wales switched their tactics to spoil the game by lying on the ball or kicking the ball into touch to prevent Scottish play. During the game Scotland grounded the ball over the Welsh line on five occasions but were not given a try by referee Chambers.
Ireland vs. Wales
| 3 March 1888 |
| Rambaut Drop: Carpendale |
| Lansdowne Road, Dublin Attendance: 4,000 Referee: George Rowland Hill (England) |
Ireland:
Wales:
This was Ireland's first win over Wales, which saw Ireland employ Shanahan, a forward, into a wing-forward role. This is believed to be the first time a forward had been used to fill a winging position. Shanahan had an excellent game, setting up Warren's try and scoring himself. Wales played poorly, with eight of the players, including captain Clapp, never selected to represent Wales again.
This game was also noted as the first game in which the Welsh selectors made no changes in the Welsh pack keeping the same forward players as the match against Scotland. It was also the last time Wales fielded nine forwards, adopting the four threequarter system after its successful use in the encounter with the
Scotland vs. Ireland
| 10 March 1888 |
| Scotland | 1G – nil | Ireland |
| Try: Macfarlan Con: Berry |
| Raeburn Place, Edinburgh Referee: J McLaren (England) |
Scotland: HFT Chambers (
Ireland: RW Marrow (Lisburn),
The match was notable for being the last international game by Scotland's influential captain Charles Reid, who ended his career with twenty caps, a record for a forward.
Although Ireland lost to Scotland for the sixth consecutive time, their superior score over Wales enabled them to win the tie-breaker decision for best record in the tournament, though the Championship itself was deemed not to have been completed due to the missing English side.
References
External links
- "6 Nations History". rugbyfootballhistory.com. Archived from the original on 14 October 2007. Retrieved 2007-10-28.
Bibliography
- Godwin, Terry (1984). The International Rugby Championship 1883-1983. London: Willows Books. ISBN 0-00-218060-X.
- Griffiths, John (1987). The Phoenix Book of International Rugby Records. London: Phoenix House. ISBN 0-460-07003-7.