XV-a-Side: Stunning start earned Scotland the Triple Crown

MYSTERY PLAYER: Who is this former Scotland and British & Irish Lions back, pictured here back in 1970, who also famously played for Borders side Gala? (Photo: SNS Group/Getty Images)

Here is this week’s XV-a-Side column, created in partnership with Rugby Memories Scotland.

WEEKLY ANSWERS

Last week’s mystery player was Alan Tait. Last week’s true or false was TRUE. England have finished in last place more than France have.

MATCH TO REMEMBER

Ireland 9 Scotland 32: Saturday, March 3, 1984 at Lansdowne Road.

Home try: Kiernan, Home penalty: Murphy, Home conversion: Murphy.

Away tries: Laidlaw two, Penalty try, Robertson, Dods. Away penalties: Dods two, Away conversions: Dods three.

Scottish supporters were euphoric as they saw their side score 12 points in the opening 14 minutes. Scotland were confident and ran riot in a very one-sided first half.

Roy Laidlaw and Peter Dods had been the scorers and Ireland had not helped their cause by conceding a penalty try. Despite the Scots’ 22-0 lead, some feared an Irish response, and to be fair at one stage it looked a distinct possibility.

They reduced the leeway with a Murphy penalty and a try by Michael Kiernan which Murphy converted, but that was to be the sum total of their afternoon’s points tally.

Keith Robertson and Peter Dods added further tries, with the Gala full-back converting Robertson’s effort. Scotland had won emphatically and earned their first Triple Crown since 1938.

They were on course for a Grand Slam if they could beat France at Murrayfield in a fortnight’s time. It would be a clash of two unbeaten sides and the winner would take all. Scrum-half Roy Laidlaw had to be replaced by Gordon Hunter, who was injured in a freak accident, colliding with a young spectator who had run on to the pitch at full-time. The collision broke Hunter’s cheekbone.

3G FAMILY QUIZ

Last week’s 3G answers:

Youth section: England: South Africa: Ayr. Seniors section: Dan Biggar: Jim Hamilton: Stirling County. Veterans section: France: Kenny Logan, Ian Jardine, Kevin McKenzie: Three. Mastermind question: There may be more, but we came up with Douglas, Biggar, Glasgow, Irvine, Callander, Hamilton, Roxburgh, Dunbar, Moffat, Currie, Johnston(e), Cowie, Keith, Lauder, Dunlop, Strachan, Calder, Pollock, Kinghorn.

This week’s questions:

YOUTH: Which two countries will play in the opening match of the 2025 Six Nations on Friday, January 31? Who are Scotland’s first opponents in the 2025 tournament? Who are their final opponents?

SENIOR: Which club plays at The Stoop? Who has scored more tries for Scotland - Stuart Hogg or Duhan van der Merwe? Only two players in the modern era have scored over 40 points for Scotland in a single game. Who are they?

VETERAN: What is the highest world ranking that the Scotland national team has achieved? For which English club did Kenny Logan play? Which Scottish players have scored hat-tricks of tries in the Six Nations tournament?

MASTERMIND: Which four clubs in this season’s National Leagues start with the letter “M”?

TRUE OR FALSE: Eric Liddell played rugby for Scotland against France in the Stades Colombes?