1981 Five Nations Championship

Last updated
1981 Five Nations Championship
Date17 January – 21 March 1981
CountriesFlag of England.svg  England
IRFU flag.svg  Ireland
Flag of France (lighter variant).svg  France
Flag of Scotland.svg  Scotland
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Wales
Tournament statistics
Champions Flag of France.svg  France (7th title)
Grand Slam Flag of France (lighter variant).svg  France (3rd title)
Matches played10
Tries scored25 (2.5 per match)
Top point scorer(s) Flag of England.svg Dusty Hare (30)
Top try scorer(s)Flag of France (lighter variant).svg  France Laurent Pardo (2)
Flag of Scotland.svg Steve Munro (2)
1980 (Previous)(Next) 1982

The 1981 Five Nations Championship was the 52nd series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the 87th series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played between 17 January and 21 March.

Contents

France were the winners, winning the championship outright for the eighth time. They had also shared the title on four other occasions. In winning all their four matches they also won the Grand Slam for the third time.

Participants

NationVenueCityHead coachCaptain
Flag of England.svg  England Twickenham Stadium London Mike Davis Bill Beaumont
Flag of France (lighter variant).svg  France Parc des Princes Paris Jacques Fouroux Jean-Pierre Rives
IRFU flag.svg  Ireland Lansdowne Road Dublin Tom Kiernan Fergus Slattery
Flag of Scotland.svg  Scotland Murrayfield Stadium Edinburgh Jim Telfer Andy Irvine
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Wales National Stadium Cardiff John Lloyd Steve Fenwick

Table

PosTeamPldWDLPFPAPDPts
1Flag of France (lighter variant).svg  France 44007049+218
2Flag of England.svg  England 42026460+44
2Flag of Scotland.svg  Scotland 4202515434
2Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Wales 42025161104
5IRFU flag.svg  Ireland 40043648120
Source: [ citation needed ]

Squads

Results

17 January 1981
France  Flag of France (lighter variant).svg16–9Flag of Scotland.svg  Scotland
Try: Blanco
Bertranne
Con: Caussade
Pen: Gabernet
Viviès
Try: Rutherford
Con: Renwick
Pen: Irvine
Parc des Princes, Paris
Attendance: 44,448
Referee: K. Rowlands (Wales)
17 January 1981
Wales  Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg21–19Flag of England.svg  England
Try: Davis
Con: Fenwick
Pen: Fenwick (4)
Drop: Davies
Try: Hare
Pen: Hare (5)
National Stadium, Cardiff
Referee: J. B. Anderson (Scotland)

7 February 1981
Ireland  IRFU flag.svg13–19Flag of France (lighter variant).svg  France
Try: MacNeill
Pen: Campbell (3)
Try: Pardo
Pen: Laporte (2)
Gabernet
Drop: Laporte (2)
Lansdowne Road, Dublin
Attendance: 51,000
Referee: C. Norling (Wales)
7 February 1981
Scotland  Flag of Scotland.svg15–6Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Wales
Try: Tomes
Penalty try
Con: Renwick (2)
Pen: Renwick
Pen: Fenwick (2)
Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh
Referee: D. I. H. Burnett (Ireland)

21 February 1981
Wales  Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg9–8IRFU flag.svg  Ireland
Pen: Evans (2)
Drop: Pearce
Try: Slattery
MacNeill
National Stadium, Cardiff
Referee: F. Palmade (France)
21 February 1981
England  Flag of England.svg23–17Flag of Scotland.svg  Scotland
Try: Davies
Slemen
Woodward
Con: Hare
Pen: Hare (3)
Try: Munro (2)
Calder
Con: Irvine
Pen: Irvine
Twickenham Stadium, London
Referee: D. I. H. Burnett (Ireland)

7 March 1981
France  Flag of France (lighter variant).svg19–15Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Wales
Try: Gabernet
Pen: Laporte (3)
Gabernet (2)
Try: Richards
Con: Evans
Pen: Evans (3)
Parc des Princes, Paris
Attendance: 45,249
Referee: A. Welsby (England)
7 March 1981
Ireland  IRFU flag.svg6–10Flag of England.svg  England
Drop: Campbell
MacNeill
Try: Dodge
Rose
Con: Rose
Lansdowne Road, Dublin
Referee: J. P. Bonnett (France)

21 March 1981
England  Flag of England.svg12–16Flag of France (lighter variant).svg  France
Pen: Rose (4)Try: Lacans
Pardo
Con: Laporte
Drop: Laporte (2)
Twickenham Stadium, London
Attendance: 62,000
Referee: Alan Hosie (Scotland)
21 March 1981
Scotland  Flag of Scotland.svg10–9IRFU flag.svg  Ireland
Try: Hay
Pen: Irvine
Drop: Rutherford
Try: Irwin
Con: Campbell
Pen: Campbell
Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh
Referee: L. M. Prideaux (England)