1897 Home Nations Championship

Last updated
1897 Home Nations Championship
Date9 January - 13 March 1897
CountriesFlag of England.svg  England
Saint Patrick's Saltire.svg  Ireland
Flag of Scotland.svg  Scotland
Flag of Wales (1807-1953).svg  Wales
Tournament statistics
Matches played4
Top point scorer(s) Flag of England.svg Byrne (12)
Top try scorer(s)Saint Patrick's Saltire.svg  Ireland Bulger (2)
Saint Patrick's Saltire.svg  Ireland Gardiner (2)
1896 (Previous)(Next) 1898

The 1897 Home Nations Championship was the fifteenth series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Four matches were played between 9 January and 13 March. It was contested by England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Wales only completed one match during this championship as the Welsh Rugby Union withdrew from the International Rugby Board in February 1897 due to the Gould Affair, and was therefore ineligible to play any further international matches.

Contents

The rules at the time stated the final table would be decided on match points and then points scored. As all teams finished with two match points, the championship was theoretically drawn, but England claimed the title through their greater score, even though they lost their first two games and conceded more tries and points than any of the other three countries. [1] Most sources list the results of the 1897 championship as "not completed" due to the tied results.

Table

PosTeamPldWDLPFPAPDPts
1Flag of England.svg  England 3102212762
1Saint Patrick's Saltire.svg  Ireland 2101161712
1Flag of Wales (1807-1953).svg  Wales 1100110+112
1Flag of Scotland.svg  Scotland 2101111542
Source: [ citation needed ]

Scoring system

The matches for this season were decided on points scored. A try was worth three points, while converting a kicked goal from the try gave an additional two points. A dropped goal and a goal from mark were both worth four points. Penalty goals were worth three points.

Matches

Wales vs. England

Ireland vs. England

6 February 1897
Saint Patrick's Saltire.svg  Ireland 13 9Flag of England.svg  England
Try: Gardiner (2)
Bulger
GM: Bulger
Try: Robinson
Pen: Byrne (2)
Lansdowne Road, Dublin
Referee: DG Findlay (Scotland)

Ireland J Fulton (NIFC), W Gardiner (NIFC), S Lee (NIFC), Lawrence Bulger (Dublin Uni.), TH Stevenson (Queen's Uni, Belfast), Louis Magee (Bective Rangers), GG Allen (Derry), JE McIlwaine (NIFC), JH Lytle (Lansdowne), WG Byron (NIFC), M Ryan (Rockwell College), J Ryan (Rockwell College), EG Forrest (Wanderers) capt., Andrew Clinch (Wanderers), CV Rooke (Monkstown)

England J. F. Byrne (Moseley), G.C. Robinson (Percy Park), Ernest Fookes (Sowerby Bridge), JT Taylor (Castleford), WL Bunting (Richmond), S Northmore (Millom), EW Taylor (Rockcliff) capt., F Jacob (Cambridge Uni), JH Baron (Bingley), PJ Ebdon (Wellington), RF Oakes (Hartlepool Rovers), WB Stoddart (Liverpool), Frank Stout (Gloucester), W Ashford (Richmond), RH Mangles (Richmond)


Scotland vs. Ireland

20 February 1897
Flag of Scotland.svg  Scotland 8 3Saint Patrick's Saltire.svg  Ireland
Try: Turnbull
Con: TM Scott
Pen: TM Scott
Try: Bulger
Powderhall, Edinburgh
Referee: EB Holmes (England)

Scotland: AR Smith (Oxford Uni), W Neilson (London Scottish), GT Campbell (London Scottish), CJN Fleming (Edinburgh Wanderers), T Scott (Hawick), RC Greig (Glasgow Acads), M Elliot (Hawick), Robert MacMillan (London Scottish) capt., JH Dods (London Scottish), MC Morrison (Royal HSFP), WMC McEwan (Edinburgh Acads), TM Scott (Hawick), RC Stevenson (London Scottish), GO Turnbull (West of Scotland), Alex Laidlaw (Hawick)

Ireland Pierce O'Brien-Butler (Monkstown), W Gardiner (NIFC), Lucius Gwynn (Dublin Uni.), Lawrence Bulger (Dublin Uni.), TH Stevenson (Belfast Albion), Louis Magee (Bective Rangers), GG Allen (Derry), JE McIlwaine (NIFC), JH Lytle (Lansdowne), WG Byron (NIFC), M Ryan (Rockwell College), Jim Sealy (Dublin Uni.), EG Forrest (Wanderers) capt., Andrew Clinch (Wanderers), CV Rooke (Monkstown)


England vs. Scotland

13 March 1897
Flag of England.svg  England 12 3Flag of Scotland.svg  Scotland
Try: Fookes
Robinson
Con: Byrne
Drop: Byrne
Try: Bucher
Fallowfield, Manchester
Referee: JT Magee (Ireland)

England J. F. Byrne (Moseley), G.C. Robinson (Percy Park), Ernest Fookes (Sowerby Bridge), Osbert Mackie (Cambridge Uni), WL Bunting (Richmond), Cyril Wells (Harlequins), EW Taylor (Rockcliff) capt., F Jacob (Cambridge Uni), J Pinch (Lancaster), E Knowles (Millom), RF Oakes (Hartlepool Rovers), WB Stoddart (Liverpool), HW Dudgeon (Richmond), LF Giblin (Cambridge Uni), JAS Davidson (Aspatria)

Scotland: AR Smith (Oxford Uni), W Neilson (London Scottish), Alf Bucher (Edinburgh Acads), AW Robertson (Edinburgh Acads), T Scott (Hawick), JW Simpson (Royal HSFP), M Elliot (Hawick), Robert MacMillan (London Scottish) capt., JH Dods (London Scottish), MC Morrison (Royal HSFP), WMC McEwan (Edinburgh Acads), TM Scott (Hawick), RC Stevenson (London Scottish), GO Turnbull (West of Scotland), Andrew Balfour (Cambridge Uni)

Sources

References

  1. Godwin (1984), pg 49.