1974 – England 21-26 Ireland
Back in the mid-1970s, as now, Ireland were the dominant team in this fixture. They racked up five Five Nations wins over England on the bounce and their teamsheets were decorated with legendary names: Mike Gibson, Willie John McBride, Fergus Slattery, Ray McLoughlin, Moss Keane et al. At wintry, splintery old Twickenham exactly half a century ago it was Gibson’s understated brilliance that captivated this wide-eyed nine-year-old as Ireland scored four tries to one and the visiting pack turning the screw. Johnny Moloney, the alert visiting scrum-half, capitalised on a couple of English errors to break the game open in the second half before Gibson scored twice, quietly popping up at just the right moment on both occasions. Watch the game now and the backs on both sides resemble human Twiglets in comparison with today’s gym-shaped professionals. Gibson, though, had the class and poise to have shone in any era.
