1897 Home Nations Championship

International rugby union competition 1897 Home Nations Championship 9 January - 13 March 1897 ENGIRE 1783SCOWAL 1807 4 ENG Byrne (12) IRE 1783 Bulger (2) IRE 1783 Gardiner (2) 1896 1896 Home Nations Championship 1898 1898 Home Nations Championship 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 Football Board in February 1897 due to the Gould Affair, and was therefore ineligible to play any further international matches. 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.Godwin (1984), pg 49. Most sources list the results of the 1897 championship as "not completed" due to the tied results. Table main WDL Q 2 points ENG ENG IRE 1 IRE 1783 WAL 1 WAL 1807 SCO 1 SCO 1 0 2 21 27 1 0 1 16 17 1 0 0 11 0 1 0 1 11 15 complete 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 9 January 1897 WAL 1807 11 – 0 ENG Try: Pearson Boucher Jones Con: Bancroft Rodney Parade, Newport JT Magee (Ireland) Wales: Billy Bancroft (Swansea), Cliff Bowen (Llanelli), Gwyn Nicholls (Cardiff), Arthur Gould (Newport) capt., Tom Pearson (Newport), Selwyn Biggs (Cardiff), Daniel Jones (Aberavon), Jack Evans (Llanelli), Arthur Boucher (Newport), Jack Rhapps (Penygraig), Bill Morris (Llanelli), Harry Packer (Newport), Dick Hellings (Llwynypia), Fred Cornish (Cardiff), Dai Evans (Penygraig) England J. F. Byrne (Moseley), FA Byrne (Moseley), Ernest Fookes (Sowerby Bridge), EM Baker (Oxford Uni), T Fletcher (Seaton), Cyril Wells (Harlequins), 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) Ireland vs. England 6 February 1897 IRE 1783 13 – 9 ENG Try: Gardiner (2)BulgerGM: Bulger Try: Robinson Pen: Byrne (2) Lansdowne Road, Dublin 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 SCO 8 – 3 IRE 1783 Try: TurnbullCon: TM ScottPen: TM Scott Try: Bulger Powderhall, Edinburgh 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 ENG 12 – 3 SCO Try: Fookes Robinson Con: Byrne Drop: Byrne Try: Bucher Fallowfield, Manchester 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 Godwin Terry The International Rugby Championship 1883-1983 1984 Willows Books London 0-00-218060-X Griffiths John The Phoenix Book of International Rugby Records 1987 Phoenix House London 0-460-07003-7 References External links http://www.rugbyfootballhistory.com/6nations.htm 6 Nations History rugbyfootballhistory.com 2008-01-19 https://web.archive.org/web/20071230175842/http://www.rugbyfootballhistory.com/6nations.htm 30 December 2007 live 1896-97 Category:1896–97 in British rugby union Category:1896–97 in English rugby union rugby union rugby union Category:January 1897 in Europe Category:February 1897 in Europe Category:March 1897 in Europe Category:1896–97 in Scottish rugby union