Ian McCrae laid claim to his footnote in rugby history on this day © PA Photos

Enlarge

1969
The first substitution in the Five Nations - the new Law was invoked by Scotland who brought on scrum-half Ian McCrae when Gordon Connell retired injured with torn ankle ligaments in the first half. Telfer lead by example scoring the winning try for Scotland in a 6-3 victory. France dominated the match but were left with nothing other than anger at what they claimed was bias by the English referee. Scotland captain Jim Telfer was more objective ' The French were a very good side, imaginative and clever. But this time they forgot that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line." McCrae enjoyed a long career, playing club rugby for Gordonians in four decades (1959 to 1981).

1902
A first for Wales who won in London for the first time, beating England 9-8 at the Rectory Field in Blackheath. England led 8-6 - two tries each with England adding a conversion - until seven minutes from time when Billy Bancroft slotted the winning penalty

1988
The blazers running the RFU put the players in their place by refusing the England squad permission to train at Twickenham six days before the Five Nations opener there against Wales. The pitch was in good shape but the RFU made clear it wanted it to stay that way, so packed the side off to St Paul's School in Hammersmith. Eventually the RFU made one concession, allowing kickers Rob Andrew, Huw Davies and Stuart Barnes to practise on the hallowed turf for a couple of hours the day before the game.

1913
Bordeaux staged its first major international match as the Springboks wound up their European tour with a 38-5 defeat of France. The Springboks had already completed a Grand Slam of the Home Unions but were not finished yet, running nine tries past the French in a rout.

1948
France chalked up their first Test win against a major tour side, defeating the Wallabies 13-6 in Paris. In front of over 40,000 at the Stade Yves du Manoir, skipper and No.8 Guy Basquet sealed the game with a brace of tries, all France's points coming in a 20-minute spell before half-time.

1961
Newport pushed Avril Malan's Springboks to the wire in a hard match at Rodney Parade. A Piet van Zyl try in the opening minutes was the only score of a match watched by 22,000.

1925
The Invincible All Blacks kicked-off the French leg of their tour with a 37-8 Sunday afternoon victory over a strong French Selection at Stade Colombes in Paris.

1962
England hooker Brian Moore was born in Birmingham.