1973, the year of a global oil crisis and a championship that had no losers.
This weekend, Joe Schmidt’s Ireland go into their final Six Nations game hoping to beat Scotland and, if they can, do it with a few points to spare. Four countries still have a mathematical chance of winning the 2015 Six Nations.
If that seems close, spare a thought for the teams involved in 1973’s championship.
Ireland been been denied a Grand Slam the previous year as both Wales and Scotland declined to travel to Dublin due to what they believed to be a heightened political situation, involving sectarian violence in Northern Ireland.
Ireland had beaten England and France away but were left on four points, two wins from two, and eventually finished two points behind Wales, who had beaten the English, Scots and French. Perhaps neither country wanted to splash out on plane tickets that were sky-rocketing due to an oil embargo that seriously restricted travel.
France won a lot of friends here when they travelled to Dublin, in April 1972, to play Ireland in a friendly match, which they lost 24-14.
Ireland, captained by Tom Kiernan, began 1973 in great form. They faced New Zealand in Lansdowne Road on January 20th and held them to a 10-10 draw for the first time in their history. In fact, the hosts had a chance to win the game, after Tom Grace’s try, but Barry McGann pulled his conversion left and wide.
The result instilled a genuine sense of belief with the Irish squad that they would capture the upcoming Five Nations trophy.
The championship had actually begun a week before Ireland’s draw with the All Blacks, as France defeated Scotland in Paris. Wales thrashed England in Cardiff on January 20 but then fell, 10-9, to the Scots.
Ireland’s first game was on February 10 at Lansdowne Road. McGann bounced quickly from his missed conversion disappointment, against New Zealand, and kicked 10 points as Ireland won 18-9. It was just the start Ireland wanted but the wheels came off when they hit they packed their overnight bags.
Leading 10-9 at the break against the Scots, in Murrayfield, Ireland fell away. Doug Morgan and Ian McGeechan landed three drop goals between them and a try from centre Ian Forsyth settled the tie – 19-14.
Kiernan was out with an injury for the visit to Cardiff and Anthony Ensor made his debut at fullback. Willie-John McBride led Ireland out that day but could not lead them to victory, despite a second half try from Mike Gibson.
If all looked lost on March 10, the picture was somewhat rosier by April 14 when Ireland played their final match against France. The Scots and Welsh had lost respective games in England and France.
The French had two wins from three and entered the final match as favourites. A draw would do for them. Their major stumbling block was facing Ireland at a sold-out Lansdowne Road. If any French rugby fan wanted to do some research on the country, they simply had to tune into this documentary that appeared on their national station TV3:
Ireland had some problems of their own. Kiernan was still out and they had also lost McGann. They gave debuts to three players – Seamus Dennison (right wing), Michael Quinn (out-half) and Roger Clegg (tight-head prop). Mick Molloy was recalled to partner McBride, who retained the captaincy.
The match was a cagey affair and Ireland led 3-0 at half-time. Anthony Esnor kicked that penalty but missed another. France were having a worse time of it from the kicking tee as Jean-Pierre Romeu missed three penalties and a conversion. Gibson landed a second penalty for Ireland and it proved crucial as the French crossed for the game’s only try, by Jean-Francois Philiponeau.
Ireland held on and won 6-4. Points difference would not be introduced until 1994 so, with all teams winning two and losing two, the trophy was shared. It was the only time in the history of the competition that all 10 matches were won by the home side.
One could then look upon the 1974 Five Nations as a double down championship. Ireland started off, that year, by losing to France and drawing with Wales. They rebounded with two wins – Scotland and England – to win the championship outright.
