Five Nations XV v Overseas Unions XV explained

Five Nations XV v Overseas Unions XV
Event:IRFB Centenary
Team1:Five Nations XV
Team1score:13
Team2:Overseas Unions XV
Team2score:32
Date:19 April 1986
Stadium:Twickenham Stadium
City:London
Referee:D I H Burnett (Ireland)
Result:13–32

The Five Nations XV v Overseas Unions XV was a rugby union match played on Saturday, 19 April 1986 to commemorate the centenary of the International Rugby Football Board. The Five Nations XV featured players from England, France, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales who had played in the 1986 Five Nations Championship. The Overseas Unions XV was effectively a World XV and featured players from Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. The Overseas Unions XV won the match 32–15. [1] [2] Controversially, the squad included a number of white South Africans at a time when the relationship of rugby union and apartheid was being questioned at high levels.

The match

Unlike the British Lions v World XV three days earlier in a wet Cardiff Arms Park, this game was played in ideal conditions at Twickenham.[3] At the time, there were only eight Unions affiliated to the Board, thus only players from those unions were chosen.

Five Nations XV: Serge Blanco ; Trevor Ringland, Philippe Sella, Mike Kiernan, Rory Underwood ; Malcolm Dacey, Richard Hill ; Jeff Whitefoot, Steve Brain, Iain Milne, Jean Condom, Donal Lenihan (captain), John Jeffrey, Iain Paxton, Laurent Rodriguez

Overseas Unions XV: Roger Gould ; John Kirwan, Danie Gerber, Warwick Taylor, Carel du Plessis ; Naas Botha, Dave Loveridge ; Enrique Rodriguez, Andy Dalton (captain), Flippie van der Merwe, Steve Cutler, Andy Haden, Simon Poidevin, Steve Tuynman, Mark Shaw

Notes and References

  1. Starmer-Smith, p184, image of programme
  2. Starmer-Smith, p186
  3. http://www.scrum.com/scrum/rugby/story/108204.html Scrum.com match summary
  4. Jim Webster, For Love Not Money - The Simon Poidevin Story