The Last Grand Slam: Ireland's only Grand Slam came against England in 1948. An extract from The Irish Times reporter Paul MacWeeney tells how it was won.
Saturday, March 13, 1948, will go down as a red-letter day in Irish Rugby history, for by beating Wales by two tries (6pts) to one try (3pts) at Ravenhill we won the Triple Crown for the first time since 1899, and set up a new Irish record by defeating the four countries taking part in the international championship for the first time in the same season. No wonder Ravenhill was packed with 32,000 spectators who produced the most encouraging and incessant roars, and when the final whistle was blown about half the crowd invaded the pitch, seized the fifteen Irish players and chaired them in. Souvenir-hunters removed JC Daly's jersey, and altogether everyone was in a happy frame of mind.
It was a victory most thoroughly deserved, for even if Wales looked the more dangerous team in the first 40 minutes, they were penned in a vice-like grip to their own territory throughout the whole of the second half. The Irish forwards established a complete supremacy; the backs covered and tackled with deadly precision, and once the lead had been secured eight minutes after the interval shrewd touch-kicking kept Wales in the right quarter.
It was was, in the main, a grim affair of tackling and spoiling, but it was tremendously exciting, as there was always the possibility that Bleddyn Williams, the most talented runner with the ball on the field, would produce something exceptional, as he did when scoring the Welsh try.
It is easy to put a finger on the reason for Ireland's four victories this season. Not only can the pack be rated as one of the best - if not the best- we have ever had, but for the first time those eight forwards could maintain their tremendous pace right to the final whistle.
In each of the last three matches the weather conditions have been almost ideal for open rugby, yet our forwards have imposed their tactics on the opposition, and never more clearly than on this occasion against a back division which has been rated as a class above the other countries.
As an attacking force, the Irish backs were far below the technical ability of their opponents. The ball never seemed to travel with any smoothness out to the wings, but Kyle was always there to take any resonable pass, and, having decided that Irish passing was likely to give Wales opportunities, he decided to use the kick ahead, or to touch, with his usual shrewdness.
Ireland started off confidently, and after a quarter of an hour they took the lead. From a scrum near the Welsh line, Kyle went away on the blind side and threw a long pass to Mullan. The wing had to check to gather the ball but, once into his stride a dynamic burst carried him past K Jones's tackle over the line at the corner flat. After this, the Welsh team began to show their best form, and skilful work at the line-out gave the backs plenty of chances.
A try seemed certain when Gwilliam transferred to the wing near the line, but Reid came across to push Williams into touch. However, the try came from the subsequent line-out. The ball came to Tanner, who sent his backs away. Reid staggered Bleddyn Williams and almost brought him down, but the centre recovered his balance, cut inside and dived through a mass of defenders for a superb try. The kick was an easy one, but O Williams missed it.
The re-start saw Ireland tear into the attack, and, after Mullan had missed a long range penalty kick by inches Wales heeled from a scrum near their own line. Tanner was unsighted, and, like a flash, Daly and O'Brien were on the ball and dribbling it to the line, Trott was bundled aside, and Daly dived over for the try.
IRELAND: J D Higgins (Civil Service); E O'Hanlon (Dolphin), W D McKee (NIFC), P Reid (Garryowen), B Mullan (Clontarf); J W Kyle (Queen's University), E Strathdee (Queen's University); A McConnell (Collegians), C Mullen (Old Belvedere)(capt), J C Daly (London-Irish), C Callan (Lansdowne), J E Nelson (Malone), J W McKay (Queen's University), D O'Brien (London-Irish), J M McCarthy (Dolphin).
WALES: F Trott (Cardiff); K Jones (Newport), B L Williams (Cardiff), W B Cleaver (Cardiff), L Williams (Cardiff); G Davies (Pontypridd), H Tanner (Cardiff)(Capt); Cliff-Davies (Cardiff), M James (Cardiff), F Davies (Aberavon), R Stephens (Neath), J A Gwillaims (Cambridge University), O Williams (Llanelli), L Manfield (Cardiff), G Evans (Cardiff).
