The Wales side that won the Triple Crown and finished 1905 with a win over the All Blacks © PA Photos

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1905
England crashed to their - at the time - heaviest defeat on Welsh soil, losing 25-0 at Cardiff Arms Park. The home side ran in seven tries in front of 30,000 spectators with the Times saying the difference between the sides was "at three-quarter and fullback where [Sam] Irvin showed no capacity either in tackling or kicking and the three-quarters (some of them in strange positions) kept no formation". Unsurprisingly, it was Irvin's first and last test cap.

1996
England's Wade Dooley made the front pages of the tabloids for all the wrong reasons after he was arrested for drink-driving following an incident when he knocked over a teenager in his land Rover. The headline that his career "looked like ending in disgrace" probably sold copies but overlooked the fact he had retired 18 months earlier. Dooley was later banned for 18 months and fined £300 after being found twice the legal limit but, to the surprise of many, kept his job as a policeman. The girl spent three weeks in hospital with head injuries and had to undergo surgery to remove a blood clot.

1956
For the first time in six years Scotland opened their Five Nations with a win. Their forwards laid the foundations for a decisive 12-0 victory against a French side who were without the recently-retired Jean Prat. Lock Hamish Kemp scored both of the Scottish tries.

1967
Jo Maso, in his first Five Nations match, injured his leg early on against Scotland and had to leave the field. France lost narrowly 9-8 to the disappointment of their captain, Christian Darrouy, who had put his 30th birthday champagne on ice the day before, anticipating a Saturday-night double celebration.

2008
New Wales coach Warren Gatland sprung a surprise by naming the recently-retired Martyn Williams in his Six Nations squad. Williams had called time on his Test career following Wales' exit from the Rugby World Cup, but was coaxed back into the fold by Gatland. He went on to play another 27 times for his country.

1889
The touring New Zealand Native team, in their seventh game since New Year's Day, fell to Castleford 9-3. Both sides scored three tries (valued then at a point each) but the Yorkshire side's superior goal-kicking made up the difference between the teams.

2007
The Heineken Cup staged its 800th match and what a cracker it turned out to be as the Ospreys drew 22-22 with Stade Français in a pool match at the Liberty Stadium.

2009
Premier Rugby announced that the Premiership clubs had agreed to freeze their annual £4million salary cap for the next two seasons. At a meeting of club chairmen and shareholders from English rugby's top flight it was also agreed to implement "a series of other cost control measures" to continue the growth of the club game in a difficult economic climate.