ONE FROM THE ARCHIVES/IRELAND WIN THE GRAND SLAM IN 1948/Ireland 6 Wales 3:In this week's original Irish Timesreport on a major sporting event, PD MacWeeney reports on Ireland's historic win over Wales at Ravenhill
SATURDAY, MARCH 13th, 1948 will go down as a red-letter day in Irish Rugby history, for by beating Wales by 2 tries (6 pts.) to one try (3 pts.) at Ravenhill we won the Triple Crown for the first time since 1899, and set up a new Irish record by defeating the other 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 J. C. Daly's jersey, and altogether everyone was in a happy frame of mind.
On the run of the play, 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. They tried every possible gambit to open up the play and get their powerful back division into action, but it was quite unavailing. 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-from Ireland's viewpoint.
HARD TACKLING
It was a less attractive game than that between Ireland and England at Twickenham a month ago, for it 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, clearly the most talented runner with the ball on the field, would produce something exceptional, as he did when scoring the Welsh try. A couple of times in the second half his side-step carried him past several opponents, but Irish defenders appeared to spring out of the ground, and eventually he was surrounded and hemmed in.
It was 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. Had there been any sign of a crack on Saturday, Wales would have won, but, the longer the game went, the more dominating the Irish pack became.
In each of the last three matches the weather conditions have been almost ideal for open Rugby, yet out forwards have imposed their tactics on the opposition, and never more clearly than on this occasion against a back division, which had been rated as a class above those of any of the other countries. Every Irish forward is able to combine the qualities of hard honest work in the set scrums and the loose mauls and speed in attack or defensive covering. McKay and McCarthy are two exceptional back row men, but they never have to work alone, for they get the closest support from O'Brien, Callan, Nelson and Daly. McConnell is the ideal solid front-row man, and Mullen completes the ideal eight by his skilful hooking and the manner in which he can bind the others around him to make a powerful unit in the battles for possession.
WELSH BACKS RATTLED
Experienced as they are, the Welsh backs were rattled to the heels by the astonishing speed in following-up shown by the Irish forwards. Any kick ahead or along the ground found four or five Irishmen tearing after the ball with such speed that Trott, usually the coolest of full-backs, simply could not resist the temptation to look up and, having done that, he was engulfed in the flood before he could clear to touch. All the other backs suffered the same fate, and were hurried out of their normal smooth game.
Each Irish back tackled with such vim that the man in possession went down hard, the only exception to this being Williams try, when the big centre shut off Reid's effort to stop him, and an idea of the cast-iron quality of our defence is best shown by the fact that not once throughout the whole match did Tanner, Glyn Davies or Cleaver have an individual run. Williams could not be pinned down to quite the same extent, but he is a really great player and, to make matters so difficult for him was a notable achievement. The wings, K Jones and L Williams, were equally closely marked by Mullan and O'Hanlon, and were rendered comparatively innocuous.
KYLE'S SKILL
As an attacking force, the Irish backs were far below the technical ability of their opponents. Strathdee's passing was indifferent at times, and neither McKee nor Reid could make an impression when in possession. The ball never seemed to travel with any smoothness out to the wings, who had no opportunities from orthodox movements, but Kyle was always there to take any reasonable 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.
In other respects, the home backs had their merits, McKee made one burst which might have given Mullan a second try, but the long pass went behind the wing; Reid, by one bit of masterly covering saved a certain Welsh try in the first half, and Higgins fielded high kicks in the most reliable manner.
The Welsh forwards had a good first half, during which Stephens, Gwyn Evans and Manfield were outstanding but the onslaught after the re-start was too much for them. They fought hard but they were up against exceptional opponents. Tanner was inclined to send his long passes slightly behind his partner, who had to be content with handing on the ball, and, as I have said, only Bleddyn Williams looked capable of making ground. Some of the passing was delightfully crisp, but the amount of ground gained was extremely small.
THE PLAY
Ireland started off confidently and, under pressure, Wales nearly let in Mullan in the first minutes. Attack and counter-attack followed, and after a quarter of an hour Ireland 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 flag. After this, the Welsh team began to show their best form, and skilful work at the line-out gave the backs plenty of chances.
Gwyn Evans, that fast wing-forward, started their best movement so far by whipping up the ball in the loose and getting right away, supported by Gwilliam and Les Williams. 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 and almost brought him down, but the big 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 - possibly a vital error. From this to the interval the Irish defence was well tested, but proved absolutely safe. 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. That was the end of Wales, and in the remaining play Mullan failed with two penalty kicks and Reid with one from very possible positions.
IRELAND - JD Higgins (Civil Service), B O'Hanlon (Dolphin), WD McKee (N.I.F.C), P Reid (Garry-owen), B Mullan (Clontarf); JW Kyle (Queen's Univeristy), E Stratthdee (Queen's University); A McConnell (Collegians), K Mullen (Old/Belvedere) (Capt); JC Daly (London-Irish), C Callan (Lansdowne), JE Nelson (Malone), JW McKay (Queens University), D O'Brien (London-Irish), JM McCarthy (Dolphin).
WALES - F Trott (Cardiff); K Jones (Newport), BL Williams (Cardiff), WB Cleaver (Cardiff), L Williams (Cardiff); G Davies (Pontypridd), H Tanner (Cardiff) (Capt ); Cliff Davies (Cardiff) M James (Cardiff), E Davies (Aberavon), R Stephens (Neath), JA Gwilliam (Cambridge University), O Williams (Lanelly), L Manfield (Cardiff), G Evans (Cardiff).
