September - October - November - December - January - February

Take a trip down memory lane courtesy of our historian John Griffiths.

February

1

1890 - Billy Bancroft, legendary fullback, makes his Wales debut against Scotland at Cardiff. He goes on to make 33 consecutive Test appearances before retiring in 1901.

1930 - Herbert Waddell's last-minute dropped goal (then valued at four points) brings Scotland an out-of-the-blue 12-9 win against Wales at Murrayfield.

1947 - Travel arrangements are disrupted during one of the coldest British winters on record. As a result only 2000 Welshmen are among the small crowd that sees Wales romp to a 22-8 defeat of Scotland at Murrayfield.

1958 - Peter Jackson's last-minute try brings England a 9-6 victory at Twickenham against the Fourth Wallabies.

1969 - Wales reap the rewards of their squad system approach to team preparation by opening their Five Nations campaign with a 17-3 win against Scotland at Murrayfield. Mervyn Davies and J P R Williams make notable debuts for the Welsh.

1975 - Jean-Pierre Rives makes a rousing Test debut in France's 27-20 win against England at Twickenham.

1986 - Welsh fullback Paul Thorburn kicks the longest penalty goal in Championship history to steer Wales to a 22-15 win against Scotland at Cardiff.

2

1907 - Wales's experiment of fielding eight backs and seven forwards, started successfully the season before, is finally shelved after an unexpected 6-3 reverse against Scotland in Edinburgh.

1935 - A late dropped goal worth four points kicked by their fullback Viv Jenkins brings Wales a 10-6 Championship win against Scotland at Cardiff.

1963 - Clive "The Kick" Rowlands masterminds Wales's first Edinburgh victory (6-0) for ten years in a match of a record 111 line-outs.

1974 - Andy Irvine's towering last-minute penalty goal brings Scotland a 16-14 Calcutta Cup win at Murrayfield.

1980 - Bill Beaumont leads England to their first Paris victory for 16 years. Half-backs Steve Smith and John Horton pull the strings as England win more comfortably than the 17-13 margin suggests.

1991 - Craig Chalmers becomes the first Scot to go through the card of scoring actions in a Test. His try, conversion, penalty and dropped goal help Scotland to a 32-12 defeat of Wales at Murrayfield.

2008 - Wales win at Twickenham for the first time for twenty years, coming from behind to sink England 26-19 on the opening weekend of the Six Nations season.

3

1894 - Ireland launch their first Triple Crown season with a narrow 7-5 win against England at Blackheath's Rectory Field.

1906 - Scotland miss a certain try at Cardiff when a kick over the Welsh goalline is deflected out of play by the Chief Constable of Police who happens to be parading in the Welsh in-goal area.

1924 - On a Sunday sight-seeing trip to the Forth Bridge, Welsh players are told to take a good look because they won't be seeing it again at the expense of the WRU. They had lost 35-10 to Scotland the day before.

1934 - More than 15,000 Welshmen make the journey north to populate Murrayfield's giant terraces for the Championship game against Scotland. All told more than 60,000 spectators gather to see a young and inexperienced Welsh XV triumph 13-6.

1951 - Number Eight Peter Kininmonth drops a towering goal to set up a 19-0 win for Scotland against Wales at Murrayfield.

1996 - Rory Underwood scores his 50th Test try (49 for England and one for the Lions) in a 21-15 defeat of Wales at Twickenham.

2001 - Will Greenwood's hat-trick of tries sets England up for a 44-15 win against Wales at Cardiff on the opening Saturday of the Six Nations tournament.

2007 - Jonny Wilkinson returns to play his first Test for England since the 2003 World Cup Final and scores 27 points, including a full-house of scoring actions, to set up a fine 42-20 success against Scotland at Twickenham.

4

1888 - Wales defeats Scotland for the first time. London Welsh wing Tom Pryce Jenkins scores the only try of the game staged at Newport.

1893 - First Welsh victory on Scottish soil. The men in scarlet win 9-0 at Raeburn Place on their way to their first Triple Crown.

1939 - In the last official international to be staged at Cardiff Arms Park for eight years Wilf Wooller leads Wales by example in their 11-3 defeat of Scotland.

1961 - The touring Fifth Springboks are beaten for the only time on the Home Unions leg of their European tour, losing 6-0 to the Barbarians at Cardiff. Derek Morgan and Haydn Morgan, back-row boys from Gwent, score the Baa-Baas' tries. fullback Haydn Mainwaring, however, provides the lasting memory of the match with a bone-jarring touchline tackle that knocks-out Springbok skipper Avril Malan.

1978 - Gareth Edwards, winning his 50th cap, helps Wales to beat England 9-6 at Twickenham in wet, windy conditions.

1984 - All four captains of the Home Unions teams are front-row players on the day Scotland beat England (in the 100th fixture of the series) and Wales beat Ireland.

2006 - Lawrence Dallaglio's cameo appearance off the bench adds vim to England's team performance against Wales. England finish in a blaze of glory to blow away the reigning Grand Slam champions 47-13 at Twickenham.

5

1872 - England beat Scotland at Kennington Oval in the first international match to be staged on English soil.

1877 - In the first international match between teams of 15 aside England beat Ireland at The Oval. Teams of 20 aside had contested all previous internationals.

1887 - Ireland beat England for the first time. Ireland's John Macauley gets married to qualify for compassionate leave - the only way he can get time off to travel up to Dublin for the match. His wife fully endorses his enthusiasm.

1910 - A severe cut sustained by Scotland outside-half Jim Tennent early in the match against Wales leads to the IRB laying down strict safety regulations about the diameter and shape of boot studs.

1921 - The referee leads the Wales and Scotland players off the field at Swansea when spectators invade the playing area.

1938 - Harry Rees, dazed by an accidental kick to the head, is penalised in the last minutes of the Scotland-Wales match at Murrayfield. Scotland's Wilf Crawford kicks the penalty to add to the try and conversion he had scored earlier to carry his side to an 8-6 win in a Triple Crown season.

1955 - Scotland end an unwanted run of 17 successive Test defeats (since 1951), beating Wales 14-8 at Murrayfield.

1972 - Gareth Edwards scores a try in the Cardiff slime at the south-east corner of the Arms Park with a memorable solo effort from his own 25 as Wales overwhelm Scotland 35-12.

1983 - British Telecom are the first company to sponsor a home international championship match when Wales draw 13-all with England at Cardiff.

2000 - The first-ever Six Nations Championship kicks off with newcomers Italy beating Scotland 34-20 in Rome's Stadio Flaminio. Diego Dominguez contributes 29 of the winners' points.

2005 - A corner try by Shane Williams and a gigantic late penalty kicked by Gavin Henson bring Wales an 11-9 triumph over England - their first win against the old enemy for six years.

6

1892 - The Wales-Scotland match at Swansea is marred by ugly scenes when the English referee is attacked and knocked down by spectators angered by some of his decisions.

1960 - Newport supply the entire Welsh back-row for the Five Nations match with Scotland. Brian Cresswell, Glyn Davidge and Geoff Whitson aid Wales in an 8-0 win at Cardiff.

1965 - Norman Gale's late try gives Wales a 14-12 triumph in a pulsating game against Scotland at Murrayfield to keep alive hopes of a first Welsh Triple Crown for 13 years.

1971 - John Taylor's last-minute conversion gives Wales a 19-18 win against Scotland in an epic match at Murrayfield.

1982 - Rousing Gerry McLoughlin try converted from the touchline by Ollie Campbell gives Ireland a famous 16-15 win against England at Twickenham.

1982 - Wales's Gwyn Evans becomes the first player to land six penalty goals in a Five Nations match. France, the repeated offenders, are beaten 22-12 at Cardiff.

1993 - Ieuan Evans's try, the only one of the match, brings Wales an unexpected 10-9 victory over Grand Slam champions England at Cardiff. It is the first time that the new five-point try has a decisive effect on the outcome of a Test.

1999 - John Leslie's try from the kick-off for Scotland against Wales at Murrayfield is the fastest scored in Test history - timed at nine second from the start.

7

1925 - Ian Smith runs in four tries for Scotland in their 24-14 win against Wales. The Flying Scot had also scored four (against France) in Scotland's previous Five Nations match.

1931 - Long before replacements are allowed Watcyn Thomas breaks his collar-bone playing for Wales against Scotland at Cardiff. He bravely plays on and later scores a crucial try near the posts in his side's 13-8 victory.

1945 - Gerald Davies, Lions 2009 tour manager to South Africa and distinguished Lions and Wales centre/wing born.

1948 - Cardiff, the most successful British club side of the day, supply a then record ten players for the Welsh side that beats Scotland at the Arms Park.

1981 - J P R Williams wins the last of his then record 55 Welsh Test caps in a lacklustre performance at Murrayfield where Wales are beaten 15-6 by Scotland. Andy Irvine is awarded the first penalty try ever recorded in the International Championship when he is obstructed by Gareth Davies.

1998 - The Stade de France in St Denis on the Paris outskirts stages its first rugby Test. 80,000 - a new record attendance for a rugby international on French soil - watch the home side defeat England 24-17.

2002 - Graham Henry, the man they called "The Great Redeemer," quits as Wales coach in the wake of their 54-10 drubbing in Dublin four days earlier.

8

1902 - Leicester's famous Welford Road ground stages its first international match. A crowd of 20,000 watches England beat Ireland 6-3, though none of the Tigers' players features in the match.

1930 - Ireland pip England 4-3 at Lansdowne Road thanks to a dropped goal by out-half Paul Murray. It is the third Five Nations match of the season to be decided by a drop-goal.

1947 - In the first Five Nations Championship season after the War Ireland hammer England 22-0 in Dublin.

1958 - Prior to the England-Ireland match at Twickenham the capacity crowd pays silent tribute to the Manchester United players and officials who perished in the Munich air crash earlier in the week. Dr Jack Kyle makes his 45th official Test appearance for Ireland - a new record for major internationals between the senior IB nations.

1964 - In the fifth and final Test of their tour the Fifth All Blacks retain their unbeaten international record, beating France 12-3 in Paris. Chris Laidlaw, making his New Zealand Test debut, gives a flawless display at scrum-half.

1964 - Mike Gibson makes a fairytale Test debut at fly-half, spearheading Ireland's 18-5 win over England at Twickenham. All the points are scored from tries and conversions in Ireland's first win at the ground since 1948.

9

1929 - Ireland's first win at Twickenham. George Stephenson, nearing the end of a long career, leads the men in green to a 6-5, the half-backs Eugene Davy and Mark Sugden scoring Ireland's tries.

1935 - Bus-driver Harry Boughton of Gloucester becomes the first England player to kick three penalties in an international. His goals help England sink Ireland 14-3 at Twickenham.

1952 - England's scheduled match at Twickenham against Ireland is postponed after the death of HM King Geoge VI.

1957 - England fullback Bob Challis creates something of a stir in Dublin when he elects to use place-kicks to find touch from penalties. The tactic is effective, England winning 6-0.

1963 - Ireland and England's 0-0 draw in Dublin is the last scoreless Test to date in the International Championship.

2008 - Two spectacular tries by flying wing Shane Williams help Wales to a 30-15 home win against Scotland in the second leg of a Grand Slam season.

10

1906 - Ireland copy the Welsh experiment of fielding eight backs with only seven forwards for their match with England at Leicester. The trial is deemed an outstanding success as Ireland run away to a 16-6 victory.

1912 - England score five tries on their way to beating Ireland 15-0 at Twickenham, but there is a need for an accurate goal-kicker as all five conversion attempts fail.

1923 - England play a Test at Leicester for the last time. "Dave" Davies leads the home side to a 23-5 win against Ireland during a Grand Slam season. The match remains the only home England Test in the International Championship played away from Twickenham since 1910.

1962 - The great Willie-John McBride makes his Ireland debut among nine new caps in a side thumped 16-0 by England at Twickenham.

1973 - England are given a standing ovation by the Lansdowne Road crowd in Dublin for honouring their fixture with Ireland at the height of "The Troubles."

1973 - France spring a surprise on Ian Kirkpatrick's All Blacks by winning the Paris Test against the tourists 13-6.

2007 - Five Jonny Wilkinson penalties are needed for England to beat a defiant Italy 20-7 in a lacklustre early-afternoon match at Twickenham. Later the same afternoon there are ten penalties at Murrayfield where Scotland (who kick seven) beat Wales (three) 21-9 in another dull Six Nations encounter.

11

1905 - Cork stages its first international match. England, after a tiring journey by third-class railway carriage, crash 17-3 at the Mardyke ground. Ireland's Basil Maclear - Portsmouth-born, Bedford-educated but rejected by England as "not good enough" - enjoys an outstanding Test debut.

1911 - Tom Smyth, returning captain of the 1910 Lions in South Africa, crosses for the only score of an exciting match in Dublin, Ireland beating England 3-0 in perfect conditions.

1939 - In England's last official Twickenham international before World War II Ireland surprise their hosts and win 5-0 through a Sinclair Irwin try converted by Harry McKibbin.

1956 - An inexperienced England side (with eight players winning only their second caps) takes apart a poor Irish side, winning 20-0 - a staggering margin at the time - in cold conditions at Twickenham.

1961 - Arthur Smith's try is the only score of Scotland's 3-0 Murrayfield win against Wales. The same afternoon Budge Rogers makes his England Test debut in an 11-8 defeat by Ireland in Dublin.

1967 - France beat Australia 20-14 in Paris in a match that is a triumph for the Camberabero brothers. The diminutive French half-backs score all their side's points.

2007 - Croke Park in Dublin opens its gates to rugby union for the first time while Lansdowne Road is closed for refurbishment. France win a thriller 20-17 thanks to a last-gasp try by Vincent Clerc.

12

1910 - On their first visit to the RFU's new ground at Twickenham Ireland hold England to a rare scoreless draw.

1938 - England run up their highest international score between the wars, beating Ireland 36-14 in Dublin with fullback Grahame Parker kicking six conversions and a penalty goal. Despite the win England skipper Peter Cranmer is relieved of the captaincy for their next match.

1966 - Bernard Marie becomes the first Frenchman to take full charge of a Five Nations Championship match, controlling England's game with Ireland at Twickenham.

1972 - Veteran Irish centre Kevin Flynn scores a last-minute try converted by Tom Kiernan to give Ireland a 16-12 win at Twickenham against England. Unbeaten Ireland are denied further Five Nations success when their games with Scotland and Wales are cancelled owing to "The Troubles."

2005 - Wales successfully negotiate the second leg of a Grand Slam with a straightforward six-try 38-8 win against Italy in Rome.

2006 - Scott Murray becomes the first Scotsman sent off in an International Championship match when he gets his marching orders from Steve Walsh for retaliation in the match against Wales at Cardiff. The Scots, disrupted by his loss for the last hour, go down 28-18.

13

1904 - Led by John Daniell of Richmond, England thump Ireland 19-0 at Blackheath to record their best victory in an international match for eight years.

1906 - The original All Blacks wind up their 35-match northern hemisphere tour with a 65-6 win against British Columbia in San Francisco.

1926 - Ernie Crawford, charismatic Irish captain of the 1920s, leads his side to a 19-15 win over England - their first against the men in white for 15 years.

1937 - Hal Sever, England's match-winner with a dropped goal against Wales the month earlier, pulls the match against Ireland out of the fire with a memorable touchline sprint for a try that brings a 9-8 win at Twickenham.

1960 - Irish fullback Tom Kiernan makes his Test debut at Twickenham where Ireland are robbed of victory by a late David Marques try that Don Rutherford converts. Final score: England 8, Ireland 5.

1970 - News breaks that Ireland wing Bill Brown is unable to play against England and will be replaced by veteran Lion turned businessman, Tony O'Reilly, for the next day's match with England.

2005 - England score two tries to none but lose 18-17 at Twickenham to France for whom Dimitri Yachvili kicks six penalty goals.

14

1914 - HM King George V, on his first visit to Twickenham, sees England beat Ireland 17-12 during a Grand Slam season. Kid Lowe scores his first two international tries on the way to becoming England's record try-scorer (a distinction he holds until Rory Underwood overtakes him in the 1990s).

1931 - UCD centre Larry McMahon scores the late try that gives Ireland a 6-5 win against England at Twickenham - the same as their winning score there two years earlier.

1948 - Ireland, led for the first time by Karl Mullen, beat England 11-10 at Twickenham on the way to their only Grand Slam to date.

1959 - The penalty goal all too frequently dominates international matches of the late 50s and early 60s. In Dublin, England gain their only win of a Five Nations season in which they fail to score a try. Bev Risman kicks a penalty to give them to a 3-0 defeat of Ireland.

1970 - Tony O'Reilly's shock eleventh-hour recall for the game with England - his first cap for seven years - does little for the Irish cause as they lose 9-3 at Twickenham. O'Reilly's selection is at the expense of Brian O'Driscoll's father, Frank, a bench replacement who never subsequently wins an official Irish cap.

1999 - Richmond win their last home match in the Premiership, beating Manchester Sale 29-24 with big names Agustin Pichot and Ben Clarke scoring tries. A month later the club goes into administration and is eventually jettisoned from the professional ranks.

15

1875 - England and Ireland meet in an international match for the first time. England win by a converted try, a try and a dropped goal to nil (before the introduction of scoring by points) at The Oval.

1890 - Wales beats England for the first time. Bill Stadden scores the only try (worth one point at the time) in their 1-0 win at Dewsbury.

1964 - Wilson Whineray, the popular captain of the All Blacks, scores the eighth and final try of a 36-3 win against the Barbarians at Cardiff.

1975 - A Welsh team of all the talents registers its sixth successive Cardiff win against England, running in three tries in a 20-4 victory.

1984 - Bristol's Alan Morley crosses for his 313th try for the club in their fixture with the Royal Navy. He thus becomes the then world record holder for most tries for one club, passing the mark set by Andy Hill for Llanelli.

1986 - Gavin Hastings kicks 21 points, a new Scotland record for a Test, as the Scots massacre England 33-6 at Murrayfield - their highest score and biggest winning margin for the series.

1992 - France lose their heads in a 31-13 Five Nations thrashing by England. As Gallic tempers flare the French concede a penalty try and have two of their front-row sent off by referee Steve Hilditch of Ireland.

1997 - England set a then all-time Five Nations record winning margin, beating Ireland 46-6 in Dublin.

2003 - Italy open their Six Nations season with a first-ever victory (30-22) against Wales in Rome's Stadio Flaminio.

16

1889 - In their only international match of the year and their first ever against overseas opponents, England overcome the New Zealand Native team (the Maori) with a 7-0 win at Rectory Field, Blackheath.

1974 - Willie-John McBride, overtaking Colin Meads's world record of 55 Test appearances, celebrates by helping Ireland to a 26-21 win at Twickenham.

1980 - Dusty Hare's three penalties for England outscore two Welsh tries in a Twickenham Test that is remembered for the sending-off of Welsh flanker Paul Ringer.

2002 - England enjoy one of their finest hours at Twickenham for many years. They score 28 points in a purple patch in the middle of the match against Ireland before finally running out 45-11 victors.

2002 - SANZAR postpones proposals for enlarging the Super-12 to a 14-team competition. News Ltd and the Tri Nations are unable to agree the fine detail of the conditions for the tournament despite agreeing in principle to an extended competition.

2003 - David Humphreys fires Ireland to their first Murrayfield win for 18 years with 26 points in their 36-6 Six Nations win in a Sunday fixture against the Scots.

17

1920 - In a Shrove Tuesday Five Nations match in Paris Wales are lucky to escape with a 6-5 victory. French captain Philippe Struxiano is deprived a try in the corner after the referee sees that the Welsh touch-judge has his flag up for a foot in touch.

1951 - 48,500 - a then record for a club match - watch Newport beat Cardiff at the Arms Park.

1979 - Tony Ward's eight points inspire Ireland to a 12-7 win against an improving England side in Dublin.

1990 - Wales are routed 34-6 (four tries to one) by England at Twickenham - their then biggest losing margin against the English since scoring by points was introduced in the late 1800s.

1996 - France run up their then highest score and biggest winning points margin for a Five Nations match, overwhelming Ireland 45-10 at Parc des Princes.

2001 - Brian O'Driscoll's corner try sets up unbeaten Ireland's 22-15 Six Nations victory over France at Lansdowne Road.

2001 - Current Six Nations records are set as Jonny Wilkinson collects 35 points in England's 80-23 thumping of Italy at Twickenham.

18

1889 - The New Zealand Native side (the Maori) beat London Welsh by two tries to one (2-1 under the scoring values of the day) at the Richmond Athletic Ground. The splendidly-named Dr Abel Christmas Davies scores the Welsh try.

1961 - In a match proclaimed as for the unofficial world title France and South Africa finish an uncompromising game with honours even from a nil-all draw in Paris.

1989 - Wales, the previous year's joint champions, move inexorably to a Five Nations wooden spoon, suffering a then record 31-12 defeat against France in Paris.

1995 - Gavin Hastings's last-minute try under the posts and subsequent conversion bring Scotland a 23-21 victory against France in Paris. It is their first victory at the redeveloped Parc des Princes and their first in the French capital for 26 years.

1995 - Welsh prop John Davies becomes the first player to receive a red card in Five Nations rugby. He is dismissed by French referee Didier Mené for kicking Ben Clarke while playing against England at Cardiff.

1996 - Peter Clohessy, the Irish tight-head, is cited for a stamping offence in the previous day's France-Ireland match and receives a 26-week ban.

19

1881 - Wales make their Test rugby bow with a disastrous defeat by seven goals, six tries and a dropped goal to nil (82-0 under today's values) against England. For the match played at Blackheath the teams use the local Princess of Wales hostelry as an impromptu changing room.

1889 - The punishing fixture schedule for the visiting New Zealand Natives brings them a 7-3 defeat against a strong Cambridge University side barely 24 hours after their game against London Welsh.

1977 - France, on their way to claiming only their second Grand Slam, struggle to eke out a 4-3 win at Twickenham against a rejuvenated England side.

1990 - In the wake of Wales's record defeat at Twickenham, their coach John Ryan resigns and is replaced by Neath's Ron Waldron.

1994 - Wales beat France 24-15 at Cardiff to register their first victory in the fixture since 1982. Scott Quinnell provides the lasting memory of the match, bursting away from a line-out, beating three tackles and scoring a rousing try in the corner.

2000 - Jonny Wilkinson kicks England to a 15-9 victory over France in the key match of the first-ever Six Nations Championship. His brave tackle on Emile Ntamack also prevents a certain French try.

20

1954 - The Barbarians meet New Zealand for the first time. Bob Stuart's tourists triumph 19-5 at Cardiff, with Ron Jarden scoring a try and kicking two conversions and their popular fullback, Bob Scott, dropping a goal.

1982 - Ollie Campbell scores all of the points for his side in their 21-12 win against Scotland and the Triple Crown is back with Ireland for the first time for 33 years.

1982 - Dusty Hare - dropped five times previously - returns to England colours and kicks 19 points in a 27-15 victory over France in Paris.

1988 - Ieuan Evans and Jonathan Davies set the Welsh team alight with scorching tries at Cardiff as the home side cracks on to a 25-20 win against Scotland in a thrilling match.

1993 - Wales, with hopes high after their defeat of England, crash back to earth with a shattering 20-0 defeat by Scotland at Murrayfield.

1999 - London uniquely hosts two Five Nations matches the same day. England beat Scotland 24-21 at Twickenham and Ireland beat Wales 29-23 at Wembley in a "home" game for Wales while the Cardiff ground is redeveloped.

21

1931 - In a typically hard Newport-Cardiff clash at Rodney Parade Hubert Day (Newport) and Tom Williams (Cardiff) are sent off for foul play at a line-out. The dismissal costs Day his place in the Welsh XV selected to play against France the week later.

1948 - France win 11-3 at Swansea to register their first Test win on Welsh soil.

1976 - Wales beat Ireland in Dublin - their first win in the Irish capital for 12 years - to secure the Triple Crown. Tight security surrounds the match after a number of Welsh players receive death threats.

1981 - Brilliant late Huw Davies try caps a fine 23-17 win for England in the Calcutta Cup match at Twickenham.

1987 - Two glorious second-half tries carry France to a 19-15 win against England at Twickenham. France go on to secure the Grand Slam in World Cup year.

1996 - John Devereux becomes the first player to hold Union and League professional contracts. He is to play for Sale in the winter and Widnes (RL) in the summer.

1998 - England rattle up a then Five Nations highest score beating Wales 60-26 at Twickenham in a match that marks Phil Vickery's Test debut.

22

1913 - A first-half hat-trick of tries by wing William Stewart launches Scotland on their way to a 29-14 Five Nations win in a fast, open game against Ireland at Inverleith in Edinburgh.

1947 - Frost and snow wreak havoc with the first-class fixture list. England's Five Nations match with France is a casualty, but at Murrayfield Ireland beat Scotland 3-0 thanks to a 64th minute try by Barney Mullan.

1969 - Budge Rogers wins his 32nd cap for England to overtake the national record set by Wavell Wakefield 42 years earlier.

1997 - Bath maintain their challenge for the Courage league title with an 18-13 away win at arch-rivals Bristol. Jerry Guscott and Nigel Redman score the tries and Jon Callard kicks the goals for the team that will finish as runners-up to Wasps.

2003 - Tries by Will Greenwood and Joe Worsley and 16 points from the boot of Jonny Wilkinson bring England their fourth successive Cardiff victory (26-9) over Wales.

2004 - Hooker Shane Byrne and captain Brian O'Driscoll, returning after an injury had compelled him to miss the opening weekend of the Six Nations, inspire Ireland to a 36-15 win against Wales. Each of the Irishmen scores two tries in a convincing Sunday victory in Dublin.

23

1907 - Cardiff visit London Welsh for the first time and return victors by 22 points to nil.

1924 - Carston Catcheside dangerously hurdles a French opponent to cross for a try in England's 19-7 victory in front of the King at Twickenham.

1963 - England register their first victory over France for five years winning 6-5 thanks to two John Willcox penalties. Beforehand hot air techniques are used for the first time at Twickenham to keep frost out of the playing surface.

1996 - Citing of players for incidents of foul play formally accepted by SANZAR for subsequent introduction in Super Twelve matches.

2003 - Scotland slump to their heaviest Paris defeat with a 38-3 reverse in a Sunday Six Nations match against France that leaves them rooted to the bottom of the Championship table.

2008 - England stage their best away performances in the Six Nations for five years to beat France convincingly (24-13) in Paris. Jonny Wilkinson kicks 14 points as England win a Six Nations match there for the first time since 2000.

24

1923 - The new grandstand at St Helen's is officially opened prior to the Wales-France Five Nations match. Wales win 16-8 in front of a record Swansea crowd.

1951 - France win at Twickenham for the first time, Jean Prat scoring eight points in an 11-3 victory.

1954 - New Zealand lose on French soil for the first time, succumbing 11-8 to a South-West Selection at Bordeaux in front of 15,000 spectators.

1962 - Michel Crauste becomes the first forward to score a try hat-trick in a Five Nations match, crossing for France in their 13-0 win against England in Paris.

1973 - England's left wing David Duckham is in commanding form scoring two tries in their unexpected 14-6 victory against France.

2007 - Italy provide the most sensational start to any Six Nations match, scoring three tries in the first six minutes on their way to a 37-17 win against Scotland at Murrayfield - their first away success in the Championship.

25

1922 - England save their unbeaten Twickenham Championship record thanks to a late converted try that brings an 11-all draw against France.

1940 - A strong British XV beats France 36-3 in a Sunday wartime match at Parc des Princes, Paris. The match is the first between France and a British side since the break in 1931.

1950 - John Hyde, selected for England as a Wellingborough schoolboy, makes his Test debut on the wing in Paris.

1961 - After holding the Springboks to a draw the week before, an unchanged France struggle against England at Twickenham and are lucky to escape with a 5-all draw in the Five Nations. Vic Harding and Michel Crauste score the tries and the fullbacks, John Willcox and Michel Vannier, add the conversions.

1967 - England and France join in a wonderfully entertaining display of open rugby in a game that yields 28 points, the visitors winning 16-12 to record only their third win at Twickenham.

2006 - Scotland tackle England out of the game to gain an unexpected but thoroughly deserved 18-12 Six Nations victory in a Murrayfield match devoid of tries.

26

1887 - Scotland's George Lindsay scores five tries - the record that still stands for an International Championship match - in his side's victory over Wales at Raeburn Place in Edinburgh.

1927 - The Ireland-Scotland fixture is played in such extreme conditions in Dublin that an Irish centre is reported as being in a state of collapse from exposure at the end of the match.

1955 - French flanker and captain Jean Prat drops two goals in a 16-9 win against England at Twickenham.

1972 - France close a long chapter in their rugby history with a devastating 37-12 win against England in the last Test ever staged at Stade Colombes in Paris, scene of the 1924 Chariots of Fire Olympic Games.

2005 - Two early second-half tries by Martyn Williams keep alive Welsh hopes of a Grand Slam as the red devils come from behind to beat France 24-18 in Paris.

2006 - Scott Johnson takes over as caretaker coach from Mike Ruddock but sees his Welsh side blasted by Ireland in Dublin. The Sunday Six Nations encounter ends in a 31-5 defeat for the reigning champions.

27

1889 - The touring New Zealand Native team play their eleventh match of the month and go down 4-1 against Leigh.

1946 - The New Zealand Army Team (the Kiwis) suffer only the second defeat of their European tour, losing by the convincing margin of 15-0 against Monmouthshire at Pontypool. Hedley Rowlands (with a hat-trick of tries) and canny Newport scrum-half Jim Hawkins are the stars for the winners.

1954 - In the last Championship match staged at Ravenhill in Belfast, Ireland beat Scotland 6-0.

1954 - French rugby establishes itself as a serious force with a 3-0 Test victory over New Zealand in Paris. The only score of the match is a try by captain Jean Prat just before half-time.

1960 - In the Five Nations showdown of the season France and England share a 3-all draw in Paris, Mike Weston's try cancelling out Michel Vannier's earlier penalty for France. The sides are unbeaten during the season and share the Championship spoils.

1971 - Big Bob Hiller scores all of England's points in an exciting 14-all draw against Championship hopefuls, France, at Twickenham.

2005 - A rare feature of Ireland's tight and exciting 19-13 Six Nations win against England in Dublin is the fact that each side uses only one substitute.

28

1880 - For the first time the RFU stages a home international outside London. Whalley Range in Manchester is the stage for the England-Scotland match which England win decisively to become first holders of the new Calcutta Cup trophy.

1948 - Ireland's 6-0 defeat of Scotland at Lansdowne Road guarantees their first International Championship title for 13 years.

1953 - Centre Jeff Butterfield wins the first of his 28 consecutive caps for England and scores a debut try in an 11-0 win against France at Twickenham.

1963 - Severe frost compels the Barbarians to play the annual Mobbs Memorial Match at Richmond - the first time the fixture has been played outside the East Midlands. The Baa-Baas win a thrilling game of nine tries, 23-21.

1970 - Chico Hopkins substitutes for Gareth Edwards at Twickenham and is instrumental turning the 6-13 deficit into a famous 17-13 win for Wales.

2005 - John Mitchell, formerly with England and New Zealand, is confirmed as the first coach of the new Super 14 franchise to be known as the Western Force based in Perth.