Who played in 1986 Celebration Matches?

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By sheek, 5 Jan 2010 The Crowd is a Roar Pro

Tagged:: british and irish lions, International Rugby, Rugby Union, Simon Poidevin

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Despite all my efforts on the internet, and some books I have at home, I am unable to come up with complete teams and scorers from two celebration matches in 1986.

On 16 April, the British and Irish Lions played The Rest (made up of French, Aussies, Kiwis and Saffies).

The Rest won 15-7.

On 19 April, the Five Nations played the Overseas XV (the French switching to the 5 Nations). The Overseas Unions XV won comfortably 32-15.

I know the Lions team for the 16 April match was as follows: Gavin Hastings (Sco), Trevor Ringland (Ire), Brendan Mullin (Ire), John Devereux (Wal), Rory Underwood (Eng), John Rutherford (Sco), Robert Jones (Wal), Nigel Carr (Ire), John Beattie (Sco), John Jeffrey (Sco), Donal Lenihan (Ire), Wade Dooley (Eng), David Fitzgerald (Ire), Colin Deans (Sco-c), Jeff Whitefoot (Wal). Bench: Michael Kiernan (Ire), Malcolm Dacey (Wal), Richard Hill (Eng), Ian Paxton (Sco), Ian Milne (Sco), Steve Brain (Eng).

According to Simon Poidevin’s book, For Love Not Money, the Overseas XV that played the Five Nations on 19 April was: Roger Gould (Aus), John Kirwan (NZL), Danie Gerber (RSA), Warwick Taylor (NZL), Carel du Plessis (RSA), Naas Botha (RSA), Dave Loveridge (NZL), Steve Tuynman (AUS), Simon Poidevin (Aus), Mark Shaw (NZL), Andy Haden (NZL), Steve Cutler (Aus), Gary Knight (NZL), Andy Dalton (NZL-c), Topo Rodriguez (Aus). Bench: Andrew Slack (Aus), Michael Lynagh (Aus), Nick Farr-Jones (Aus), Murray Mexted (NZL), Shalk Burger snr (RSA), Flippie van der Merwe (RSA), Tom Lawton (Aus).

If anyone has access to actual day match programmes, or can remember the teams from back then, and can fill in all the gaps, it would be greatly appreciated.

1986 was an eventful year in rugby.

In the 5 Nations, France and Scotland shared the spoils with three wins apiece. Ireland, unbeaten the previous year (1985) with three wins and a draw, failed to win a match.

The Lions tour of South Africa was cancelled, and the match against The Rest (Overseas Unions XV) provided the only opportunity for players that year to don the famous Lions jersey.

Then later, the rugby world was agog with the news that a rebel team, the NZ Cavaliers, would tour South Africa instead.

Cavaliers skipper Andy Dalton had his jaw cowardly smashed in the opening tour game. The Boks went on to claim the series 3 tests to one: 21-15; 18-19; 33-18; 24-10.

The Wallabies were triumphant in 1986, beating both the French and Pumas (twice) at home, before winning a Bledisloe Cup series in NZ by two tests to one: 13-12; 12-13; 22-9.

The year ended with the All Black’s squaring the series in France, the second test being remembered as one of the most brutal in history, with All Blacks eightman Buck Shelford suffering a dangerously painful testicle injury.

For the Kiwis, 1986 was a “annus horribilis”. But it all came good for the All Blacks in 1987.

Spectacularly so!

Furthermore, if anyone can provide the teams for the 29 November 1980 clash between the England-Wales XV versus Scotland-Ireland XV, it would also be appreciated.

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The Crowd Says (8) | Page 1 of Comments

Wavell Wakefield said | January 5th 2010 @ 5:49am | Report comment

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/British-Lions-v-The-Rest-1986-Rugby-Programme_W0QQitemZ180346386995QQcategoryZ75705QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp4340.m263QQ_trkparmsZalgo%3DSIC%26its%3DI%26itu%3DUCI%252BIA%252BUA%252BIEW%252BFICS%252BUFI%26otn%3D11%26ps%3D63

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sheek said | January 5th 2010 @ 8:32am | Report comment

Thanks Wavell,

I did see the match programme for sale, but it didn’t provide me with the immediate answer. Perhaps I will have to purchase the programme!

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- Wavell Wakefield said | January 5th 2010 @ 10:26am | Report comment
  
  I did check the official Lions wesbite which has a history archive, sheek, but I couldn’t find the match, nor could I find anything detailed on Google. This is all I could find:
  
  http://66.102.9.132/search?q=cache:XhWl8w4YnnMJ:www.lionsrugby.com/411.php+the+lions+7+15+the+rest+of+the+world+1986&cd=5&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk
  
  N.B. The Lions beat the Rest.
  
  Reply
Dublin Dave said | January 5th 2010 @ 5:18pm | Report comment

Sheek,

I can help you out with half of the Four-Nations match played in 1980 to celebrate the centenary of the Welsh RU. As my source is a history of Irish rugby, it only gives the line up of the Ireland Scotland team. I can tell you that the result was 37 to 33 in favour of England Wales with the scores coming from seven tries, three conversions and three dropped goals to five tries, five conversions and a penalty goal.

The Ireland Scotland team was
Andy Irvine Capt., David Johnston, Jim Renwick (all S) David Irwin (I) Bruce Hay (S), Tony Ward, John Robbie (both I),
Phil Orr (I), Colin Deans (S), Mick Fitzpatrick (I), Alan Tomes (S), Donal Spring (I), John O’Driscoll (I), John Beattie (S) and Fergus Slattery (I).
Keith Robertson (S) replaced David Irwin during the match.

Irrelevancies such as the make up of the opposition were not covered in this book. Neither does my Lions history have the team sheet for the opposition in 1986.

From memory (and it was 30 years ago) Graham Price and Bill Beaumont played for England Wales and I think I remember Beaumont scoring a try. I also think David Irwin might have scored a try for Ireland Scotland and maybe even Tony Ward, something he never did for the Irish national side in his entire career.

If I dig up any more about any of those matches I’ll post it.

PS Happy New Year

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sheek said | January 5th 2010 @ 5:35pm | Report comment

DD,

Thanks for that, & happy new year to you as well.

I remember watching the E-W vs S-I of 1980 all those years ago, although remembering specific players is not so easy. Gareth Edwards, who had retired after the 1978 Five nations, came out of retirement. Phil Bennett, who had departed at the same time, also made a comeback, I think, from memory.

A few of the tries were length of the field, chain passing movements. I remember it as a great game of rugby – the last hurrah of the 70s British & Irish golden generation!

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Sam Taulelei said | January 7th 2010 @ 1:49pm | Report comment

Sheek

I’ve tried vainly to find any teamlist information on the internet for the IRB centenary celebration matches in 1986 but haven’t had any luck. I did have VHS recordings of both matches but they became worn out over time. I vividly remember Kirwans monster fend on Underwood behind his own goalline before he booted the ball into touch. Nigel Starmer Smith was the commentator and said that Kirwan (who was a relative unknown in the UK at the time) was a player of rare promise. From memory two of the French players that played in the Five Nations team against the Rest XV were Phillippe Sella and Patrick Esteve. Nick Farr-Jones was starting halfback for the Rest XV as I remember being surprised that he won ahead of Dave Loveridge at the time although with Lynagh outside him it made sense. I did have a DB NZ Rugby annual for 1986 that would have listed both teams and will try my best to find it.

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sheek said | January 7th 2010 @ 3:15pm | Report comment

Sam,

Thanks for that. I think Farr-Jones & Lynagh were the starting halves for one of the games, & Loveridge & Botha for the other.

If you can eventually find those team lists, it will be terrific!

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Sam Taulelei said | January 14th 2010 @ 9:54am | Report comment

Sheek sorry no luck.

However I sent an email to RugbyMuseum.co.nz asking if they could assist and I received a reply from them this morning stating that it would be difficult to obtain that information and would incur a charge of $22.50 NZD. Upon payment they’ll send you the team lists from both of the IRB centenary matches.

I’ve forwarded the email on to Zac to pass on to you in case you’re interested.

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Who played in 1986 Celebration Matches?

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