- Ask Steven
Super Teddy
John GriffithsJanuary 30, 2015
Was Teddy Thomas the fastest player to score a try in a Tier One Test debut? asked Paul Allen, from the United Kingdom
The Racing Metro flyer made a dream Test debut, crossing 42 seconds after the kick-off in the France-Fiji Test in Marseilles in November before going on to score a hat-trick in the 40-15 victory.
He is the fastest French scorer on Test debut and only the second Frenchman to grab a hat-trick in his first international. Rodolphe Modin - in his sole Test appearance - scored three against Zimbabwe in the 1987 World Cup pool match.
The fastest try by any Tier One Test debutant is believed to be the score by Westoe's Fred Chapman for England against Wales at Twickenham in 1910 - the first international staged at the ground.
England's captain Adrian Stoop fielded the ball from the Welsh kick-off and surprised everyone by immediately launching an attack from his own 25 which culminated in a try by Chapman in the corner within 20 seconds of the start.
Fastest ten tries from kick-off in Tier One Tests
9 seconds - John Leslie, for Scotland v Wales in 1999
10 seconds - Leo Price, for England v Wales in 1923
13 seconds - John Frame, for Scotland v England in 1971
16 seconds - Breyton Paulse, for South Africa v France in 2001
17 seconds - Fred Chapman, for England v Wales in 1910
18 seconds - Elton Flatley, for Australia v Romania in 2003
19 seconds - Mauro Bergamasco, for Italy v Scotland in 2007
20 seconds - Pierre Berbizier, for France v Scotland in 1986
21 seconds - Jean de Villiers, for South Africa v New Zealand in 2004
24 seconds - Jonathan Webb, for England v Ireland in 1992
John Griffiths is a widely respected rugby historian and is the author of several sports books, a regular contributor to the Daily Telegraph and co-author of the IRB International Rugby Yearbook. He has provided insight for Scrum.com since 1999.
