FROM THE ARCHIVES:Ireland won its first Triple Crown in 1894 and The Irish Timeshad the distinction of being the first to use the term in this match report of the final game against Wales.
AFTER LONG years of seemingly hopeless struggle Ireland has achieved the triple crown honours of Rugby football.
For the first time in the annals of the game has the Shamrock proved beyond cavil or doubt her right to be dubbed champion of the nations, and that the Irishmen fully deserve the great distinction no one will deny.
Heretofore Ireland has had none the best of the luck in international engagements, her representatives being on several occasions within hailing distance of the promised land, only to see her hopes dashed to the ground at a critical moment. But at last the fickle goddess has smiled on the Hibernians, and, after the sensational wins over England and Scotland, both of which matches were pulled out of the fire in the last five minutes, the climax was capped on Saturday in Belfast, when Ireland just managed to gain a victory over Wales by 3 points, after a most exciting encounter.
Saturday’s win cannot be considered anything other than a lucky one, for it will be admitted on all hands that to be beaten, as Wales was, by a penalty goal was very tantalising to the Taffies, who on the day’s play were slightly superior to the Ireland team.
To the home backs must be given all the credit for the victory, the defence shown by them, when time after time the visitors were swarming on the line, being simply magnificent, and they were a hit in front of the much- vaunted and, by all accounts, infallible Welsh rear division.
Everybody expected that once the Leek representatives got to within measurable distance of our lines a score would inevitably result; but strong as their attack was our defence proved quite equal to the occasion, and many and sundry were the sighs of relief of the home partisans when Wales was repeatedly driven back, and disaster averted.
We said that the Hibernians were lucky to win, but no one will grudge them this slice of fortune’s favour, remembering, as all footballers must, the cruel hard lines we have had in previous years. It will be fresh in the memory of all that Wales, after being at the bottom rung of the ladder of fame, suddenly jumped into championship honours twelve months ago, greatly to the consternation of English and Scottish Rugbyites . . .
The occasion under notice was the first on which the Welsh match was played in Belfast, and if the Taffies can possibly do anything to prevent it it will be the last. The venue – the Ulster Cricket Club enclosure – is by no means an ideal football ground, and the visitors showed lively dissatisfaction with it, and before the commencement of the game entered a protest against the match being played.
Their contention was that the ground was . . . some eight yards too narrow and six yards short of the standard dimensions [and] that the corners bordering on the cinder track were decidedly dangerous.
http://url.ie/9zqn