1996 Five Nations Championship

Last updated
1996 Five Nations Championship
Date20 January - 16 March 1996
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 England.svg  England (22nd title)
Triple Crown Flag of England.svg  England (19th title)
Matches played10
Tries scored30 (3 per match)
Top point scorer(s) Flag of England.svg Paul Grayson (64 points)
Top try scorer(s) Flag of Scotland.svg Michael Dods
Flag of France (lighter variant).svg Émile Ntamack (3 tries)
1995 (Previous)(Next) 1997

The 1996 Five Nations Championship was the sixty-seventh series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship, and the first in the sport's professional era, which officially began in August 1995. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the hundred-and-second series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played over five weekends from 20 January to 16 March. England were the winners, losing only the first game with France, thus missing the Grand Slam, but winning the Triple Crown. France went into the final week needing a victory to clinch the championship themselves thanks to superior points difference, but lost by a single point to Wales, who not only avoided a whitewash but climbed above Ireland on points difference in doing so.

Contents

Scotland missed out on a fourth Grand Slam after losing to England at Murrayfield, this was the second successive season Scotland lost out on a Grand Slam.

Participants

The teams involved were:

NationVenueCityHead coachCaptain
Flag of England.svg  England Twickenham London Jack Rowell Will Carling
Flag of France (lighter variant).svg  France Parc des Princes Paris Jean-Claude Skrela Philippe Saint-André
IRFU flag.svg  Ireland Lansdowne Road Dublin Murray Kidd Jim Staples/Niall Hogan
Flag of Scotland.svg  Scotland Murrayfield Edinburgh Jim Telfer Rob Wainwright
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Wales National Stadium Cardiff Kevin Bowring Jonathan Humphreys

Squads

Standings

PosTeamPldWDLPFPAPDPts
1Flag of England.svg  England 43017954+256
2Flag of Scotland.svg  Scotland 43016056+46
3Flag of France (lighter variant).svg  France 42028957+324
4Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Wales 41036282202
5IRFU flag.svg  Ireland 410365106412
Source: [ citation needed ]

Results

20 January 1996
15:00
France  Flag of France (lighter variant).svg15–12Flag of England.svg  England
Pen: Lacroix (3)
Drops:: Castaignède
Lacroix
Pen: Grayson (2)
Drops: Grayson (2)
Parc des Princes, Paris
Attendance: 45,000
Referee: David McHugh (Ireland)
20 January 1996
15:00
Ireland  IRFU flag.svg10–16Flag of Scotland.svg  Scotland
Tries: Clohessy
Con: Elwood
Pen: Elwood
Tries: Dods
McKenzie
Pen: Dods
Drops: Townsend
Lansdowne Road, Dublin
Referee: Brian Campsall (England)

3 February 1996
15:00
England  Flag of England.svg21–15Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Wales
Tries: Guscott
R. Underwood
Con: Grayson
Pen: Grayson (3)
Tries: Howley
Taylor
Con: A. Thomas
Pen: A. Thomas
Twickenham, London
Referee: Ken McCartney (Scotland)
3 February 1996
15:00
Scotland  Flag of Scotland.svg19–14Flag of France (lighter variant).svg  France
Tries: Dods (2)
Pen: Dods (3)
Tries: Benazzi
Pen: Castaignède
Lacroix (2)
Murrayfield, Edinburgh
Attendance: 65,000
Referee: Clayton Thomas (Wales)

17 February 1996
15:00
France  Flag of France (lighter variant).svg45–10IRFU flag.svg  Ireland
Tries: Accoceberry
Campan
Castel (2)
Ntamack (2)
Saint-André
Con: Castaignède (5)
Tries: Penalty try
Con: Humphreys
Pen: Humphreys
Parc des Princes, Paris
Referee: Ed Morrison (England)
17 February 1996
15:00
Wales  Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg14–16Flag of Scotland.svg  Scotland
Tries: Proctor
Pen: A. Thomas (3)
Tries: Townsend
Con: Dods
Pen: Dods (3)
National Stadium, Cardiff
Attendance: 47,000
Referee: Joel Dume (France)

2 March 1996
15:00
Ireland  IRFU flag.svg30–17Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Wales
Tries: Corkery
Fulcher
Geoghegan
Woods
Con: Mason (2)
Pen: Mason (2)
Tries: I. Evans (2)
Con: A. Thomas (2)
Pen: A. Thomas
Lansdowne Road, Dublin
Referee: Didier Mene (France)
2 March 1996
15:00
Scotland  Flag of Scotland.svg9–18Flag of England.svg  England
Pen: Dods (3)Pen: Grayson (6)
Murrayfield, Edinburgh
Attendance: 67,000
Referee: Derek Bevan (Wales)

16 March 1996
15:00
England  Flag of England.svg28–15IRFU flag.svg  Ireland
Tries: Sleightholme
Con: Grayson
Pen: Grayson (6)
Drops: Grayson
Pen: Mason (4)
Drops: Humphreys
Twickenham, London
Attendance: 75,000
Referee: Edward Murray (Scotland)
16 March 1996
15:00
Wales  Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg16–15Flag of France (lighter variant).svg  France
Tries: Howley
Con: Jenkins
Pen: Jenkins (3)
Tries: Castaignède
Ntamack
Con: Castaignède
Pen: Castaignède
National Stadium, Cardiff
Attendance: 52,000
Referee: Brian Stirling (Ireland)

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