THE CHINA MAIL SEPTEMBER 6, 1999.
FRENCH,
REMINISCENCES OF SCOTTISH RUGBY FIXTURES
"Riot" Match In 1913; Police Protect Players
Referee Does The Disappearing Act
GLASGOW, AUGUST 23.—Although it was announced recently that Rugby relations between Scotland and France had been resumed, the international situation at the moment is not such as to inspire any great hopes that these games will be played for some time.
Nevertheless, Scottish fixtures in Paris provide a wealth of experiences which make interesting" reading, writes our Home correspondent.
When in 1911 Scotland first went to aplomb, Abercrombie calmly claimed play France at home and lost 16-15 a try. A. O. Jones, the referee, how the result simply astounded the Rugby ever, reminded the Scot there had world, and there is no doubt it still been no touch-down, and Scotland's stands as the biggest surprise there last chance had gone. has ever been in an international match. How Scotland was beaten can be told another time but the match had its own comical incident. In an endeavour to get a winning score, Scotland pressed continuously near the end of the match and eventually the late C. H. Abercrombie burst over the
line with the ball.
THE "RIOT" MATCH The "riot" match which resulted in was Scotland breaking off relations played in 1913, but the next day the writer met a noted Scottish forward who played in that game. He recall- ed how when the whistle went and the crowd broke in, a troop of mounted gendarmes galloped on to the field and surrounded the players. Some of the spectators tried to slip between the legs of the horses and reach the play- ers. Stones were thrown, and this old friend was one of those who received a nasty head injury as a result of the little "bombing." It took the players half
Wanting to make the margin as safe as possible he attempted to run behind the posts but was challenged by three or four opponents. The big naval of- ficer thereupon ran back out of goal
and was smothered. A serum was ordered, but possessing no
an hour to reach their dressing-room, and there they were besieged for very long time before the crowd was dispersed. "But that didn't spoil the evening," said the former Scotland skipper.
A TALE OF PATSY HENDREN
Cricketing history relates how, on occasion at Lord's, Patsy Hendren was the only "player" in a team which was all "gentlemen" except Patsy.
Notwithstanding, Patsy had to go through the "players' gate. Custom would not be brooked. He was a "player" and the rest were "gentle-
men.'
"
When relations were resumed after the war the Scottish party who travel- led to Paris for the game on New Recently aristocrats and the sons of Year's Day 1920 got a great reception aristocrats carried Patsy shoulder high. at the Gare du Nord. There were They took him into the select places
platform, hundreds on the station
at Lord's and toasted his health in numberless officials, and dozens of champagne. Nothing was too good for journalists and Press photographers. Patsy. And amidst all the enthusiasm C. M.
After thirty-one years of baffled en- Usher, now commanding the Gordon deavour Harrow defeated Eton in the Highlanders, who was honeymooning annual cricket match held at Lord's. in Paris and a member of the Scottish Their last victory in 1008 was follow-
and down led by twelve losses team, was marching up
and fourteen playing his pipes.
drawn games.. CHAIRED BY ORDER
These success of Harrow was due All the papers had columns about to the genius of Patsy Hendren, cric- the game and all conveyed a strong keting coach of the Harrow team. appeal to memorial. The huge crowd stood uncovered and there wasn't sound except the wail of the pipes. When the team marched gaily back to the dressing-room they had a terrific reception, and it was no surprise that they received the freedom of Paris at (Continued at foot of next Column)
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REFEREE'S DISAPPEARING TRICK
Scotland lost for the second time in
Paris in 1924, and the only feature of that match not concerning the actual play, was the sudden change of venue. Bad weather for some days had caus-
ed the Seine to flood Colombes and on the morning of the game it was found necessary to arrange that play: take place at the Stade Pershing, Vincennes. Under the circumstances that only about 15,000 saw France win by two points was no surprise.
W. M. Llewellyn, Wales, who was referee in 1926, had to suffer rather more noisy abuse than had been the case in the two previous years, but the 1928 match provides a good story. On that occasion what astounded - the Rugby world was that the Scottish players wore numbers, a thing which other countries had been doing for some time. It was nothing short of sensational, and how it came about is a tale which may be told another day. The joke was, however, that the pro- grammes did not show numbers op- posite the Scottish players names.... ́*
A Scottish critic-one's recollection is that he was the only one who tra- velled from home for the match--- write: "It Is not unfitting that we should leave the sensation of the day to the last. The Scottish Union have at long last bowed to popular clamour and had our men numbered. does this presage? It. seems revolutionary." Like everyone else the critic was misled for it was not
What almost
Until five years later that numbers were again worn by a Scottish team, but the practice has continued since then.
..
The comic touch, in 1928 was pro vided by the referee, R. A. Magrath, the old Irish internationalist, and one of the great personalities in the game to-day. Only those who know him will fully appreciate the story. The ganie was very dull and disappointing, and, the crowd of 55,000 seemed to get more enjoyment out of showing its disapproval of the referee than watch- ing the play. Tha chorus of dissension was continuous and reached its climax when shouts of "Sorter le" ·(Chuck him out) became general,
"Dicky" Magrath, however, had heard all right and in the last- moments,: when play was, -near stand, he most discreetly blew the whistle ands appeared, down.
dressing-rooms.
he dise there emerged. crowd of and the crowd were so taken by sur prise that they forgot to indulge, their usual demonstration of hostility.