1903 British Lions tour to South Africa

March 2014 March 2014 9 July – 12 September Johnny Hammond SCO Mark Coxon Morrison South Africa 1876 1–0 SCO Jimmy Gillespie (4) Australia 1899 Australia & New Zealand 1904 The 1903 British Isles tour to South Africa was the fifth tour by a British Isles rugby team and the third to South Africa. It is retrospectively classed as one of the British Lions tours, as the Lions naming convention was not adopted until 1950. Led by Scotland's Mark Morrison and managed by Johnny Hammond the tour took in 22 matches. Of the games three were test matches, played against the South Africa national rugby union team. The British Isles drew the first two test matches and lost the final encounter. Having lost only one game out of 40 matches in the previous two tours of South Africa, the British Isles team were truly tested by the South African rugby nation on this tour. Of the 22 games played, the tourist won eleven, drew three and lost eight. Unlike past teams, the British Isles three-quarter line was not seen as the team's strongest asset and more reliance was placed in the pack. Of the backs, only Reg Skrimshire, the only Welsh player selected, was judged to have shown any true flair; while the pack failed to live up to expectations, even when led by Scottish power-house David Bedell-Sivright. The tour included Louis Leisler Greig, who later became well known as a royal equerry, friend of George VI and became a prominent member of the far right January Club. Touring party Manager: Johnny Hammond Full Backs Edward Montague Harrison (Guy's Hospital/Middlesex/Barbarian F.C.) Three-Quarters Alfred Hind (Cambridge University/Leicester/Midland Counties) Ian Davidson (North of Ireland) Gilbert Collett (Gloucestershire/Cambridge University) Reg Skrimshire (Newport/Blackheath F.C./Kent/Barbarian F.C.) Edward Forbes Walker (Lennox/Middlesex)FOOTBALL. NOTES BY FULL BACK. Otago Witness, Putanga 2590, 4 Whiringa-ā-rangi 1903, Page 58 – containing a profile of the 1903 British touring side Half backs Louis Greig (Cambridge University/Glasgow Academicals/United Services and Scotland) John Imrie Gillespie (Edinburgh Academicals and Scotland) Robert Miln Neill (Edinburgh Academicals and Scotland) Pat Hancock (Richmond/Surrey) Forwards Mark Morrison (Royal HSFP and Scotland) (captain) David Bedell-Sivright (Cambridge University and Scotland) William Patrick Scott (West of Scotland and Scotland) William Cave (Cambridge University/Blackheath F.C./Kent) J.C. Hosack (Edinburgh WanderersNever capped for Scotland.) Robertson Smyth (Dublin University and Ireland)Sewell 1919 179–180 Alfred Tedford (Malone RFC and Ireland) Joseph Wallace (Wanderers/Dublin University and Ireland) James Wallace (Wanderers/Dublin University) Frank Stout (Richmond/Barbarian F.C./Gloucester and England) Thomas Alexander Gibson (Cambridge University) Results British Isles 1903 1903 22 11 3 8 3 0 2 1 RSA 1876 3 0 2 1 #ffff99 silver Test matches DateOpponentLocationResultScore 19 JulyWestern Province CountryCape TownLost7–13211 JulyWestern Province TownsCape TownLost3–12313 JulyWestern ProvinceCape TownLost4–8418 JulyPort ElizabethPort ElizabethWon13–0 520 JulyEastern ProvincePort ElizabethWon12–0622 JulyGrahamstownGrahamstownWon28–7725 JulyKing William's TownKing William's TownWon37–3827 JulyEast LondonEast London, Eastern CapeWon7–591 AugustGriqualand WestKimberleyLost0–11104 AugustGriqualand WestKimberleyLost6–8118 AugustTransvaalJohannesburgLost3–121211 AugustPretoriaPretoriaWon15–31313 AugustPietermaritzburgPietermaritzburgWon15–01415 AugustDurbanDurbanWon22–01519 AugustWitwatersrandJohannesburgWon12–01622 AugustTransvaalJohannesburgLost4–141726 AugustRSA 1876JohannesburgDraw10–101829 AugustOrange River CountyBloemfonteinWon17–16192 SeptemberGriqualand WestKimberleyWon11–5205 SeptemberRSA 1876KimberleyDrew0–02110 SeptemberWestern ProvinceCape TownDrew3–32212 SeptemberRSA 1876Cape TownLost0–8 The matches After playing the first two Tests in white shirts, South Africa wore a green jersey (supplied by Old Diocesan's Club) for the first time in their final Test at Newlands.The great history of green and gold by Harry Jones on The Roar website, 7 Sep 2016 First Test 26 August RSA 1876 10–10 UK British Isles Try: DobbinFrewCon: Heatlie (2) Try: CaveSkrimshireCon: Gillespie (2) Wanderers Ground, Johannesburg 5,000 Bill Davidson (Scotland) Team details _collar _2_white_stripes ffffff ffffff ffffff 000000 000000 South Africa_redwhitehoops _redwhitehoops _redwhitehoops _2_white_stripes 000088 000088 000088 000066 000066 British Isles South Africa: CH Jones, DJA Morkel, WA van Renen, JD Krige, J Barry, JM Powell, FJ Dobbin, Alex Frew capt., WMC McEwan, JH Sinclair, JWE Raaff, PARO Nel, BH Heatlie, Joseph Partridge, CB Brown British Isles: EM Harrison, IG Davidson, RT Skrimshire, LL Greig, GF Collett, JI Gillespie, PS Hancock, FM Stout, Jos. Wallace, TA Gibson, RS Smyth, A Tedford, MC Morrison capt., WP Scott, WTC Cave Second Test 5 September RSA 1876 0–0 UK British Isles Athletic Ground, Kimberley 5,000 PW Day (South Africa) Team details _collar _2_white_stripes fffffff ffffff ffffff 000000 000000 South Africa_redwhitehoops _redwhitehoops _redwhitehoops _2_white_stripes 000088 000088 000088 000066 000066 British Isles South Africa: CH Jones, EAH Gibbs, S Ashley, SC de Melker, J Barry, JM Powell capt., FJ Dobbin, C Currie, HD Metcalf, JS Jackson, JWE Raaff, PARO Nel, GFT Crampton, WC Martheze, CB Brown British Isles: RM Neill, EF Walker, RT Skrimshire, LL Greig, GF Collett, JI Gillespie, PS Hancock, FM Stout, Jos. Wallace, TA Gibson, RS Smyth, A Tedford, MC Morrison capt., WP Scott, WTC Cave Third Test 12 September RSA 1876 8–0 UK British Isles Try: BarryReidCon: Heatlie Newlands Stadium, Cape Town 6,000 JH Anderson (South Africa) Team details_collarwhite _2_white_stripes 00693E 00693E 00693E 000000 000000 South Africa_redwhitehoops _redwhitehoops _redwhitehoops _2_white_stripes 000088 000088 000088 000066 000066 British Isles South Africa: WA van Renen, JA Loubser, HW Carolin, JD Krige, J Barry, HH Ferris, TEC Hobson, A Reid, MWC McEwan, P Roos, JW Anderson, PARO Nel, JA Botha, BH Heatlie capt., CB Brown British Isles: RM Neill, EF Walker, RT Skrimshire, LL Greig, GF Collett, JI Gillespie, PS Hancock, FM Stout, Jos. Wallace, TA Gibson, RS Smyth, A Tedford, MC Morrison capt., WP Scott, WTC Cave References Sewell Edward Humphrey Dalrymple E. H. D. Sewell The Rugby Football Internationals Roll of Honour 1919 T. C. & E. C. Jack London, Edinburgh British Lions Category:British & Irish Lions tours of South Africa British Lions Tour To South Africa, 1903 Lions British