Colin Meads (grounded) was given his marching orders for aiming a kick in the direction of Scotland's fly-half David Chisholm © Scrum.com

Enlarge

1967
New Zealand lock Colin Meads was sent off by Irish referee Kevin Kelleher during the All Blacks' 14-3 Test win against Scotland at Murrayfield. Meads was given his marching orders for aiming a kick in the direction of Scotland's fly-half David Chisholm. It was only the second time that a player had been sent off in a Test, with Meads' compatriot Cyril Brownlie having been dismissed against England in 1925. The Daily Telegraph reported of the incident: "For one with Meads' world-wide reputation for robust play, this was rather like sending a burglar to prison for a parking offence."

1972
Prop Keith Murdoch scored New Zealand's only try in their 19-16 Test win against Wales in Cardiff. But the real story came later that night when Murdoch was involved in an incident involving a security guard at team hotel and was later sent home from the tour in disgrace. He never returned to New Zealand - stepping off the plane in Australia and heading in to a self-imposed exile in the outback. Journalist Margot McRae 'found' Murdoch in 1990 while working on a TV show, and subsequently wrote a fictionalised account of her search in the play Finding Murdoch.

1905
The Original New Zealand All Blacks beat England 15-0 with wing Duncan McGregor scoring four of their five unconverted tries. The match was played at Crystal Palace rather than Blackheath because the fromer had a larger capacity of 50,000. However, it is estimated between 70,000 and 100,000 people attended the match. Those present included the Prince of Wales (the future King George V) and the attendance was a record for a rugby or football match in the capital.

1983
A family clash with a difference as Tony Underwood broke his jaw during North's 21-15 Divisional Championship win against South-West, who featured older brother Rory. The Leicester wing was injured in a crunching tackle on South West's England full-back Jon Webb. "He hit me on my hip and I heard the crack of the bone," said a clearly distressed Webb after the game.

1924
Llanelli gave the Invincible All Blacks arguably the hardest match of their tour before losing 8-3 at Stradey Park. Pembrokeshire-born Ernie Finch scores the Scarlets' try with a brilliant solo effort from half-way but they became one of the 32 sides to fail to beat the tourists.

1939
In their first war-time match Cardiff, led by Wilf Wooller, defeated Neath 8-0 at the Arms Park. Wooller and many of his players, it was reported, were with a Royal Artllery unit stationed at Penylan.

1953
The Combined Services, preparing for their Boxing Day engagement with the All Blacks, gained a remarkable 18-9 victory over Cardiff - recent victors against the New Zealanders - at the Arms Park.