The 1878-79 Home Nations rugby union matches are a series of international friendlies held between the England

England national rugby union team

The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...

, Ireland

Ireland national rugby union team

The Ireland national rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team competes annually in the Six Nations Championship and every four years in the Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final stage in all but two competitions The Ireland national rugby union...

 and Scotland

Scotland national rugby union team

The Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...

 national rugby union

Rugby union

Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...

 teams. The only recognised competition held between the countries was the inaugural Calcutta Cup

Calcutta Cup

The Calcutta Cup is a rugby union trophy awarded to the winner of the annual Six Nations Championship match between England and Scotland. It is currently England's since the 2009 Six Nations Championship....

 match, contested between England and Scotland. It was the first challenge for the Cup, and ended in an unspectacular draw.

Results

Scoring system

The matches for this season were decided on goals scored. A goal was awarded for a successful conversion after a try

Try

A try is the major way of scoring points in rugby league and rugby union football. A try is scored by grounding the ball in the opposition's in-goal area...

, for a dropped goal or for a goal from mark

Goal from mark

A goal from mark is a former scoring move in rugby football. It occurred when a player "marked" the ball by making a fair catch and shouting "mark". From this position the player could not be tackled. The player then had the option of a free kick, which can be taken as a place, drop, or tap kick...

. If a game was drawn, any unconverted tries were tallied to give a winner. If there was still no clear winner, the match was declared a draw.

Ireland vs. Scotland

Ireland: RB Walkington, T Harrison, JC Bagot, RN Matier, AM Whistestone, WJ Goulding, WEA Cummins, AM Archer, HC Kelly, W Finaly, JA McDonald, JW Taylor, WC Neville capt., G Scriven, H Purdon

Scotland: Bill Maclagan

Bill Maclagan

William Edward "Bill" Maclagan was a Scottish international rugby union forward who played club rugby for London Scottish F.C....

, Malcolm Cross

Malcolm Cross

Malcolm Cross was a Scottish rugby union player.He was capped nine times for between 1875-80. He also played for Merchistonians.He was the brother of William Cross who was also capped for Scotland, and who scored the first ever conversion in international rugby.-References:* Bath, Richard The...

, Ninian Finlay

Ninian Finlay

Ninian Jamieson Finlay was a Scottish international rugby players. He was capped nine times for between 1875-81, and is generally considered to be the youngest player ever to be capped for - he was seventeen years and thirty six days old when he was capped against on 8th March, 1875...

, WH Masters, James Campbell

James Campbell (rugby union)

James Alexander Campbell was a Canadian-born rugby player who represented at international level...

, Robert Ainslie, DR Irvine

Duncan Irvine

Duncan Irvine was a Scottish rugby football player.He was capped three times for between 1878-79. He also played for Edinburgh Academicals.He was the brother of Bulldog Irvine who was also capped for Scotland, including the first ever rugby international....

, JB Brown, D. Somerville

D. Somerville

D. Somerville was a Scottish rugby union player of the late nineteenth century.He was capped six times for between 1879-84 including the 1883 Home Nations Championship....

, RW Irvine

Bulldog Irvine

Doctor Robert W. Irvine, nicknamed "Bulldog", was a Scottish rugby football player.-Rugby career:He was capped 13 times for between 1871–80, including the first ever rugby international...

 capt., AG Petrie, JHS Graham, HM Napier, NT Brewis, ER Smith

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Scotland vs. England

Scotland: Bill Maclagan

Bill Maclagan

William Edward "Bill" Maclagan was a Scottish international rugby union forward who played club rugby for London Scottish F.C....

, Malcolm Cross

Malcolm Cross

Malcolm Cross was a Scottish rugby union player.He was capped nine times for between 1875-80. He also played for Merchistonians.He was the brother of William Cross who was also capped for Scotland, and who scored the first ever conversion in international rugby.-References:* Bath, Richard The...

, Ninian Finlay

Ninian Finlay

Ninian Jamieson Finlay was a Scottish international rugby players. He was capped nine times for between 1875-81, and is generally considered to be the youngest player ever to be capped for - he was seventeen years and thirty six days old when he was capped against on 8th March, 1875...

, JA Neilson, James Campbell

James Campbell (rugby union)

James Alexander Campbell was a Canadian-born rugby player who represented at international level...

, Robert Ainslie, Duncan Irvine

Duncan Irvine

Duncan Irvine was a Scottish rugby football player.He was capped three times for between 1878-79. He also played for Edinburgh Academicals.He was the brother of Bulldog Irvine who was also capped for Scotland, including the first ever rugby international....

, JB Brown, EN Ewart, RW Irvine

Bulldog Irvine

Doctor Robert W. Irvine, nicknamed "Bulldog", was a Scottish rugby football player.-Rugby career:He was capped 13 times for between 1871–80, including the first ever rugby international...

 capt., AG Petrie, JHS Graham, HM Napier, NT Brewis, JE Junor

England: WJ Penny, H Huth

Henry Huth (rugby)

Henry "Harry" Huth was an English rugby union footballer of the 1870s who at representative level played for England, and at club level for Huddersfield, playing at Fullback, i.e. number 15...

 (Huddersfield

Huddersfield Giants

Huddersfield Giants are a professional rugby league club from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire who play in the European Super League competition. They play their home games at the Galpharm Stadium which is shared with Huddersfield Town F.C....

), L Stokes

Lennard Stokes

Dr. Lennard Stokes was a rugby union international who represented England from 1875 to 1881. He also captained his country on five occasions, notably in the first ever match against Wales...

, WAD Evanson, HH Taylor

Henry Taylor (rugby union)

Henry Taylor was a rugby union international who represented England from 1879 to 1882.-Early life:Henry Taylor was born on September 21, 1858 in Greenwich. He attended Merchant Taylors' School.-Rugby union career:...

, HH Springman

Henry Springmann

Henry Springmann was a rugby union international who represented England from 1879 to 1887.-Early life:Henry Springmann was born on 1859 in Liverpool. He was educated at Craigmount School, Edinburgh.-Rugby union career:...

, S Neame

Stuart Neame

Stuart Neame was a rugby union international who represented England from 1879 to 1880.-Early life:Stuart Neame was born on June 15, 1856 in Preston-next-Faversham, the son of Frederick Neame and Mary Tassell...

, Frank Reginald Adams

Frank Reginald Adams

Frank Adams was a rugby union international who represented England from 1875 to 1879. He also captained his country.-Early life:Frank Adams was born in 1852, the second son of Frank Adams and Ellen Straith...

 capt., FD Fowler, A Budd, G Harrison

Gilbert Harrison (rugby)

Gilbert "Gillie" Harrison was a rugby union footballer of the 1870s and '80s who at representative level played for England, and at club level was Captain for Hull, playing in the Forwards, e.g. Front row, Lock, or Back row...

 (Hull), George Burton

George Burton (rugby union)

George Burton was a rugby union international who represented England from 1879 to 1881.-Early life:George Burton was born on August 29, 1855 in Wakefield. He attended Winchester College.-Rugby union career:...

, HC Rowley

Hugh Rowley

Hugh Campbell Rowley was a rugby union international who represented England from 1879 to 1882.-Rugby union career:Rowley was originally a member of the Bowdon and Lymm Club, and was selected form this club to represent the county of Cheshire in the first match between Cheshire and Lancashire on...

, Roger Walker

Roger Walker (rugby)

Roger Walker was a rugby union forward who played club rugby for Manchester Rugby Club and international rugby for England...

, NF McLeod

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England vs. Ireland

England: WJ Penny, WAD Evanson, L Stokes

Lennard Stokes

Dr. Lennard Stokes was a rugby union international who represented England from 1875 to 1881. He also captained his country on five occasions, notably in the first ever match against Wales...

, HT Twynam

Henry Twynam (rugby union)

Henry Twynam was a rugby union international who represented England from 1879 to 1884.-Rugby union career:Twynam made his international debut on 24 March 1879 at The Oval in the England vs Ireland match. Of the 8 matches he played for his national side he was on the winning side on 7 occasions....

, WE Openshaw

William Openshaw

William Openshaw was a rugby union international who represented England from 1879 to 1879.-Rugby union career:Openshaw played his club rugby for Manchester . Openshaw made his international debut on 24 March 1879 at The Oval in the England vs Ireland match in which he was on the winning side...

, Harold Dingwall Bateson

Harold Dingwall Bateson

Harold Dingwall Bateson was an English rugby union international player.-Personal history:Bateson was born in Liverpool, Lancashire. He was the son of William Gandy Bateson & Agnes Dingwall Bateson . He was the older brother of Sir Alexander Dingwall Bateson...

, S Neame

Stuart Neame

Stuart Neame was a rugby union international who represented England from 1879 to 1880.-Early life:Stuart Neame was born on June 15, 1856 in Preston-next-Faversham, the son of Frederick Neame and Mary Tassell...

, Frank Reginald Adams

Frank Reginald Adams

Frank Adams was a rugby union international who represented England from 1875 to 1879. He also captained his country.-Early life:Frank Adams was born in 1852, the second son of Frank Adams and Ellen Straith...

 capt:, JM Biggs, A Budd, G Harrison

Gilbert Harrison (rugby)

Gilbert "Gillie" Harrison was a rugby union footballer of the 1870s and '80s who at representative level played for England, and at club level was Captain for Hull, playing in the Forwards, e.g. Front row, Lock, or Back row...

 (Hull), GW Burton

George Burton (rugby union)

George Burton was a rugby union international who represented England from 1879 to 1881.-Early life:George Burton was born on August 29, 1855 in Wakefield. He attended Winchester College.-Rugby union career:...

, HC Rowley

Hugh Rowley

Hugh Campbell Rowley was a rugby union international who represented England from 1879 to 1882.-Rugby union career:Rowley was originally a member of the Bowdon and Lymm Club, and was selected form this club to represent the county of Cheshire in the first match between Cheshire and Lancashire on...

, Edward Temple Gurdon

Edward Temple Gurdon

Edward Temple Gurdon, often known as Temple Gurdon, was a rugby union international who represented England from 1878 to 1886. He also captained his country.-Early life:Temple Gurdon was born on January 25, 1854 in Barnham Broom, Norfolk...

, NF McLeod

Ireland: WW Pike, WJ Willis, JC Bagot, J Heron, AM Whistestone, BN Casement, JR Bristow, F Schute, HW Murray, W Finaly, JJ Keon, JL Cuppaidge, WC Neville capt., G Scriven, H Purdon

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