1908 Home Nations Championship

Last updated
1908 Home Nations Championship
Date18 January - 21 March 1908
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
Champions Flag of Wales (1807-1953).svg  Wales (5th title)
Grand Slam Flag of Wales (1807-1953).svg  Wales (1st Title)
Triple Crown Flag of Wales (1807-1953).svg  Wales (5th Title)
Matches played6
Top point scorer(s) Flag of Scotland.svg MacLeod (14)
Top try scorer(s) Flag of England.svg Birkett (3)
Flag of Scotland.svg MacLeod (3)
Flag of Wales (1807-1953).svg Williams (3)
1907 (Previous)(Next) 1909

The 1908 Home Nations Championship was the 26th series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Six matches were played between 18 January and 21 March. It was contested by England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

Contents

Although not officially part of the tournament until 1910, matches were arranged with the French national team which were played during the Championship. During the 1908 Championship, two Home Nations faced France, England and Wales. As Wales beat all three Home Nation opponents and France, they not only took the Triple Crown but were the unofficial winners of the Championship's first Grand Slam.

Table

PosTeamPldWDLPFPAPDPts
1Flag of Wales (1807-1953).svg  Wales 33004528+176
2Flag of Scotland.svg  Scotland 3102323202
2Flag of England.svg  England 3102414762
2Saint Patrick's Saltire.svg  Ireland 31022435112
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 was worth four points, while a goal from mark and penalty goals were worth three points.

Matches

England vs. Wales

18 January 1908
Flag of England.svg  England 18 28Flag of Wales (1807-1953).svg  Wales
Try: Birkett (2)
Lapage
Williamson
Con: Wood (2)
Roberts
Try: Gabe (2)
Bush
Gibbs
Trew
Con: Winfield (2)
Bush
Drop: Bush
Pen: Winfield
Ashton Gate, Bristol
Attendance: 25,000
Referee: John Tulloch (Scotland)

England: AE Wood (Gloucester), WN Lapage (United Services), JGG Birkett (Harlequins) capt., D Lambert (Harlequins), A Hudson (Gloucester), J Peters (Plymouth), RH Williamson (Oxford University), R Gilbert (Devonport Albion), F Boylen (Hartlepool Rovers), GD Roberts (Harlequins), CEL Hammond (Harlequins), LAN Slocock (Liverpool), WA Mills (Devonport Albion), H Havelock (Hartlepool Rovers), Robert Dibble (Bridgwater & Albion)

Wales: Bert Winfield (Cardiff), Johnnie Williams (Cardiff), Billy Trew (Swansea), Rhys Gabe (Cardiff), Reggie Gibbs (Cardiff), Percy Bush (Cardiff), Tommy Vile (Newport), James Watts (Llanelli), George Travers (Pill Harriers), Charlie Pritchard (Newport), John Alf Brown (Cardiff), Billy O'Neill (Cardiff), Jim Webb (Abertillery), William Dowell (Newport), Arthur Harding (Swansea) capt.


Wales vs. Scotland

1 February 1908
Flag of Wales (1807-1953).svg  Wales 6 5Flag of Scotland.svg  Scotland
Try: Trew
Williams
Try: Purves
Con: Geddes
St. Helen's Swansea
Referee: W Williams (England)

Wales: Bert Winfield (Cardiff), Johnnie Williams (Cardiff), Billy Trew (Swansea), Rhys Gabe (Cardiff), Reggie Gibbs (Cardiff), Percy Bush (Cardiff), Tommy Vile (Newport), James Watts (Llanelli), George Travers (Pill Harriers) capt., George Hayward (Swansea), John Alf Brown (Cardiff), Billy O'Neill (Cardiff), Jim Webb (Abertillery), William Dowell (Newport), Arthur Harding (Swansea)

Scotland: DG Schulze (Royal Navy College, Dartmouth), T Sloan (London Scottish), H Martin (Oxford University), MW Walter (London Scottish), ABHL Purves (London Scottish), LL Greig (US Portsmouth) capt., George Cunningham (Oxford University), IC Geddes (London Scottish), JA Brown (Glasgow Acads), GM Frew (Glasgow HSFP), JC MacCallum (Watsonians), LM Speirs (Watsonians), GC Gowlland (London Scottish), Bedell-Sivright (Edinburgh University), JMB Scott (Edinburgh Acads.)


England vs. Ireland

8 February 1908
Flag of England.svg  England 13 3Saint Patrick's Saltire.svg  Ireland
Try: Hudson (2)
Williamson
Con: Wood (2)
Pen: Parke
Athletic Ground Richmond
Referee: TD Schofield (Wales)

England: AE Wood (Gloucester), WN Lapage (United Services), JGG Birkett (Harlequins), Henry Vassall (Oxford University), A Hudson (Gloucester), GV Portus (Blackheath), RH Williamson (Oxford University), R Gilbert (Devonport Albion), F Boylen (Hartlepool Rovers), TS Kelly (Exeter), CEL Hammond (Harlequins) capt., LAN Slocock (Liverpool), John Hopley (Blackheath), H Havelock (Hartlepool Rovers), Robert Dibble (Bridgwater & Albion)

Ireland: WP Hinton (Old Wesley), GGP Beckett (Dublin University), C Thompson (Belfast Collegians), James Cecil Parke (Dublin University), HB Thrift (Dublin University) capt., Herbert Aston (Dublin University), FNB Smartt (Dublin University), Bethel Solomons (Dublin University), Tommy Smyth (Malone), C Adams (Old Wesley), A Tedford (Malone), HG Wilson (Malone), E McG Morphy (Dublin University), TG Harpur (Dublin University), George Hamlet (Old Wesley)


Ireland vs. Scotland

29 February 1908
Saint Patrick's Saltire.svg  Ireland 16 11Flag of Scotland.svg  Scotland
Try: Thrift (2)
Thompson
Beckett
Con: Parke
Hinton
Try: MacLeod
Martin
Con: MacLeod
Pen: MacLeod
Lansdowne Road, Dublin
Referee: W Williams (England)

Ireland: WP Hinton (Old Wesley), GGP Beckett (Dublin University), C Thompson (Belfast Collegians), James Cecil Parke (Dublin University) capt., HB Thrift (Dublin University), ED Caddell (Wanderers), FNB Smartt (Dublin University), Bethel Solomons (Dublin University), Tommy Smyth (Malone), F Gardiner (NIFC), A Tedford (Malone), HG Wilson (Malone), EHJ Knox (Lansdowne), TG Harpur (Dublin University), George Hamlet (Old Wesley)

Scotland: DG Schulze (Royal Navy College, Dartmouth), KG McLeod (Cambridge University), H Martin (Oxford University), MW Walter (London Scottish), ABHL Purves (London Scottish), LL Greig (US Portsmouth) capt., George Cunningham (Oxford University), JS Wilson (London Scottish), JA Brown (Glasgow Acads), GM Frew (Glasgow HSFP), JC MacCallum (Watsonians), LM Speirs (Watsonians), GA Sanderson (Royal HSFP), Bedell-Sivright (Edinburgh University), JMB Scott (Edinburgh Acads.)


Ireland vs. Wales

14 March 1908
Saint Patrick's Saltire.svg  Ireland 5 11Flag of Wales (1807-1953).svg  Wales
Try: Aston
Con: Parke
Try: Williams (2)
Gibbs
Con: Winfield
Balmoral Showgrounds, Belfast
Attendance: 15,000
Referee: JD Dallas (Scotland)

Ireland: WP Hinton (Old Wesley), GGP Beckett (Dublin University), C Thompson (Belfast Collegians), James Cecil Parke (Dublin University) capt., HB Thrift (Dublin University), ED Caddell (Wanderers), Herbert Aston (Dublin University), Bethel Solomons (Dublin University), Tommy Smyth (Malone), F Gardiner (NIFC), A Tedford (Malone), HG Wilson (Malone), JJ Coffey (Lansdowne), TG Harpur (Dublin University), George Hamlet (Old Wesley)

Wales: Bert Winfield (Cardiff) capt., Johnnie Williams (Cardiff), Billy Trew (Swansea), Rhys Gabe (Cardiff), Reggie Gibbs (Cardiff), Dick Jones (Swansea), Dicky Owen (Swansea), James Watts (Llanelli), George Travers (Pill Harriers), George Hayward (Swansea), Tom Evans (Llanelli), Billy O'Neill (Cardiff), Jim Webb (Abertillery), William Dowell (Newport), Dick Thomas (Mountain Ash)


Scotland vs. England

21 March 1908
Flag of Scotland.svg  Scotland 16 10Flag of England.svg  England
Try: MacLeod (2)
Con: Geddes
Drop: Purves
Schulze
Try: Birkett
Slocock
Con: Lambert (2)
Inverleith, Edinburgh
Attendance: 5,000
Referee: HH Corley (Ireland)

Scotland: DG Schulze (Royal Navy College, Dartmouth), KG McLeod (Cambridge University), H Martin (Oxford University), CM Gilray (London Scottish), ABHL Purves (London Scottish), AL Wade (London Scottish), J Robertson (Clydesdale), IC Geddes (London Scottish) capt., AL Robertson (London Scottish), GM Frew (Glasgow HSFP), JC MacCallum (Watsonians), LM Speirs (Watsonians), HG Monteith (London Scottish), WE Kyle (Hawick), JMB Scott (Edinburgh Acads.)

England: GH D'O Lyon (US Portsmouth), D Lambert (Harlequins), JGG Birkett (Harlequins), WN Lapage (United Services), A Hudson (Gloucester), J Davey (Redruth), RH Williamson (Oxford University), R Gilbert (Devonport Albion), F Boylen (Hartlepool Rovers), TS Kelly (Exeter), Tommy Woods (Bridgwater & Albion), LAN Slocock (Liverpool) capt., WL Oldham (Coventry), FB Watson (US Portsmouth), Robert Dibble (Bridgwater & Albion)

French matches

France vs. England

1 January 1908
Flag of France.svg  France 0 19Flag of England.svg  England
Try: Birkett
Lambert
Lapage
Mills
Portus
Con: Roberts (2)
Stade Colombes, Paris
Attendance: 5,000
Referee: CF Rutherford (Scotland)

France: H Issac (Racing Club de France), C Varseilles (Stade Français), R Sagot (Stade Français), E Lesieur (Stade Français), Gaston Lane (Racing Club de France), A Hubert (Association Sportive Français), A Mayssonnie (Toulouse), G Borchard (Racing Club de France, P Guillemin (Racing Club de France), P Mauriat (Lyon), H Moure (Universite de France), R de Malmann (Racing Club de France), Marcel Communeau (Stade Français) capt., C Beaurin (Stade Français), R Duval (Racing Club de France)

England: AE Wood (Gloucester), WN Lapage (United Services), JGG Birkett (Harlequins), D Lambert (Harlequins), A Hudson (Gloucester), GV Portus (Blackheath), HJH Sibree (Harlequins), EL Chambers (Bedford), F Boylen (Hartlepool Rovers), GD Roberts (Harlequins), TS Kelly (Exeter) capt., LAN Slocock (Liverpool), WA Mills (Devonport Albion), H Havelock (Hartlepool Rovers), Robert Dibble (Bridgwater & Albion)


Wales vs. France

Bibliography