# 1948 Five Nations Championship

The 1948 Five Nations Championship was the nineteenth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the fifty-fourth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played between 17 January and 29 March. It was contested by England, France, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The tournament was won by Ireland, who achieved a Grand Slam by defeating all the other participants, a feat they would not accomplish again until 2009 and their first on home soil.

## Participants

The teams involved were:
| Nation | Venue | City | Captain |
| England | Twickenham | London | Tommy Kemp/Edward Scott/Bob Weighill |
| France | Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir | Colombes | Guy Basquet |
| Ireland | Lansdowne Road/Ravenhill Stadium | Dublin/Belfast | Ernest Strathdee/Karl Mullen |
| Scotland | Murrayfield | Edinburgh | Donny Innes |
| Wales | National Stadium | Cardiff | Haydn Tanner |

## Table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts |
| 1 | Ireland | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 19 | +17 | 8 |
| 2 | France | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 40 | 25 | +15 | 4 |
| 2 | Scotland | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 15 | 31 | −16 | 4 |
| 4 | Wales | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 23 | 20 | +3 | 3 |
| 5 | England | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 16 | 35 | −19 | 1 |

## Results

* 1 January 1948
| France | 6–13 | Ireland |
| Try: Soro Basquet | Report | Try: Reid McCarthy Mullan Con: Mullan (2) |
* Stade Olympique de Colombes, Paris
| FB | 15 | Lucien Rouffia (US Romans) |
| RW | 14 | Michel Pomathios (SU Agen) |
| OC | 13 | Michel Sorondo (US Montauban) |
| IC | 12 | Maurice Terreau (US Bourg) |
| LW | 11 | Pierre Jeanjean (RC Toulon) |
| FH | 10 | Andre Alvarez (US Tyrosse) |
| SH | 9 | Gerard Dufau (RC France) |
| N8 | 8 | Guy Basquet (SU Agen) |
| OF | 7 | Jean Prat (FC Lourdes) |
| BF | 6 | Jean Matheu-Cambas (Castres Olympique) |
| RL | 5 | Alban Moga (CA Begles) |
| LL | 4 | Robert Soro (US Romans) |
| TP | 3 | Lucien Caron (Castres Olympique) |
| HK | 2 | Lucien Martin (Section Paloise) |
| LP | 1 | Eugene Buzy (FC Lourdes) |
| Coach: ||
| FB | 15 | Dudley Higgins (NI Civil Service) |
| RW | 14 | Bertie O'Hanlon (Dolphin) |
| OC | 13 | Des McKee (NIFC) |
| IC | 12 | Paddy Reid (Garryowen) |
| LW | 11 | Barney Mullan (Clontarf) |
| FH | 10 | Jack Kyle (Queen's University) |
| SH | 9 | Ernie Strathdee (Queen's University, c) |
| N8 | 8 | Jim McCarthy (Dolphin) |
| OF | 7 | Bob Agar (Malone) |
| BF | 6 | Bill McKay (Queen's University) |
| RL | 5 | Ernie Keeffe (Sundays Well) |
| LL | 4 | Colm Callan (Lansdowne) |
| TP | 3 | Albert McConnell (Collegians) |
| HK | 2 | Karl Mullen (Old Belvedere) |
| LP | 1 | Jimmy Corcoran (London Irish/UCC) |
| Coach: ||
* 17 January 1948
| England | 3–3 | Wales |
* Twickenham, London
* 7 February 1948
| Wales | 14–0 | Scotland |
* National Stadium, Cardiff
* 14 February 1948
| England | 10–11 | Ireland |
| Try: Guest (2) Con: Uren (2) | Report | Try: Callan Kyle McKay Con: Mullan |
* Twickenham, London
| FB | 15 | Dick Uren (Waterloo) |
| RW | 14 | Dickie Guest (Waterloo) |
| OC | 13 | Norman Bennett (Portsmouth) |
| IC | 12 | Edward Scott (Redruth, c) |
| LW | 11 | Cyril Holmes (Manchester) |
| FH | 10 | Ivor Preece (Coventry) |
| SH | 9 | Richard Madge (Exeter) |
| N8 | 8 | Brian Vaughan (Devonport Services) |
| OF | 7 | Micky Steele-Bodger (Edinburgh University) |
| BF | 6 | Don White (Northampton) |
| RL | 5 | Humphrey Luya (Headlingley) |
| LL | 4 | Samuel Perry (Cambridge University) |
| TP | 3 | George Gibbs (Bristol) |
| HK | 2 | Alan Henderson (Cambridge University) |
| LP | 1 | Harry Walker (Coventry) |
| Coach: ||
| FB | 15 | Jack Mattson (Wanderers) |
| RW | 14 | Bertie O'Hanlon (Dolphin) |
| OC | 13 | Des McKee (NIFC) |
| IC | 12 | Paddy Reid (Garryowen) |
| LW | 11 | Barney Mullan (Clontarf) |
| FH | 10 | Jack Kyle (Queen's University) |
| SH | 9 | Hugh de Lacy (Harlequins) |
| N8 | 8 | Jim McCarthy (Dolphin) |
| OF | 7 | Des O'Brien (London Irish) |
| BF | 6 | Bill McKay (Queen's University) |
| RL | 5 | Jimmy Nelson (Malone) |
| LL | 4 | Colm Callan (Lansdowne) |
| TP | 3 | Chris Daly (London Irish) |
| HK | 2 | Karl Mullen (Old Belvedere) |
| LP | 1 | Albert McConnell (Collegians) |
| Coach: ||
* 14 February 1948
| Wales | 3–11 | France |
* National Stadium, Cardiff
* 21 February 1948
| Scotland | 9–8 | France |
* Murrayfield, Edinburgh
* 28 February 1948
| Ireland | 6–0 | Scotland |
| Try: Mullan Kyle | Report | |
* Lansdowne Road, Dublin
| FB | 15 | Dudley Higgins (NI Civil Service) |
| RW | 14 | Bertie O'Hanlon (Dolphin) |
| OC | 13 | Des McKee (NIFC) |
| IC | 12 | Mick O'Flanagan (Lansdowne) |
| LW | 11 | Barney Mullan (Clontarf) |
| FH | 10 | Jack Kyle (Queen's University) |
| SH | 9 | Hugh de Lacy (Harlequins) |
| N8 | 8 | Jim McCarthy (Dolphin) |
| OF | 7 | Des O'Brien (London Irish) |
| BF | 6 | Bill McKay (Queen's University) |
| RL | 5 | Jimmy Nelson (Malone) |
| LL | 4 | Colm Callan (Lansdowne) |
| TP | 3 | Chris Daly (London Irish) |
| HK | 2 | Karl Mullen (Old Belvedere) |
| LP | 1 | Albert McConnell (Collegians) |
| Coach: ||
| FB | 15 | W.C.W. Murdoch (Hillhead) |
| RW | 14 | Graeme Jackson (London Scottish) |
| OC | 13 | Charlie Drummond (Melrose) |
| IC | 12 | Donny Innes (Aberdeen) |
| LW | 11 | David MacKenzie (Edinburgh University) |
| FH | 10 | Peter Hepburn (Woodford) |
| SH | 9 | Dallas Allardice (Aberdeen) |
| N8 | 8 | Douglas Elliott (Edinburgh Academicals) |
| OF | 7 | Bill Black (Glasgow) |
| BF | 6 | Russell Bruce (Gordonians) |
| RL | 5 | Leslie Currie (Dunfermline) |
| LL | 4 | Howard Campbell (London Scottish) |
| TP | 3 | Stewart Coltman (Hawick) |
| HK | 2 | Dod Lyall (Gala) |
| LP | 1 | Ian Henderson (Edinburgh Academicals) |
| Coach: ||
* 13 March 1948
| Ireland | 6–3 | Wales |
| Try: Mullan Daly | Report | Try: B. Williams |
* Ravenhill, Belfast Attendance: 32,000
| FB | 15 | Dudley Higgins (NI Civil Service) |
| RW | 14 | Bertie O'Hanlon (Dolphin) |
| OC | 13 | Des McKee (NIFC) |
| IC | 12 | Paddy Reid (Garryowen) |
| LW | 11 | Barney Mullan (Clontarf) |
| FH | 10 | Jack Kyle (Queen's University) |
| SH | 9 | Ernie Strathdee (Queen's University) |
| N8 | 8 | Jim McCarthy (Dolphin) |
| OF | 7 | Des O'Brien (London Irish) |
| BF | 6 | Bill McKay (Queen's University) |
| RL | 5 | Jimmy Nelson (Malone) |
| LL | 4 | Colm Callan (Lansdowne) |
| TP | 3 | Chris Daly (London Irish) |
| HK | 2 | Karl Mullen (Old Belevdere) |
| LP | 1 | Albert McConnell (Collegians) |
| Coach: ||
| FB | 15 | Frank Trott (Cardiff) |
| RW | 14 | Ken Jones (Newport) |
| OC | 13 | Bleddyn Williams (Cardiff) |
| IC | 12 | Billy Cleaver (Cardiff) |
| LW | 11 | Leslie Williams (Cardiff) |
| FH | 10 | Glyn Davies (Pontypridd) |
| SH | 9 | Haydn Tanner (Cardiff, c) |
| N8 | 8 | Gwyn Evans (Cardiff) |
| OF | 7 | Leslie Manfield (Cardiff) |
| BF | 6 | Ossie Williams (Llanelli) |
| RL | 5 | John Gwilliam (Cambridge University) |
| LL | 4 | Rees Stephens (Neath) |
| TP | 3 | Emlyn Davies (Aberavon) |
| HK | 2 | Maldwyn James (Cardiff) |
| LP | 1 | Cliff Davies (Cardiff) |
| Coach: ||
* 20 March 1948
| Scotland | 6–3 | England |
* Murrayfield, Edinburgh
* 29 March 1948
| France | 15–0 | England |
* Stade Olympique de Colombes, Paris