# 1896 Home Nations Championship

The 1896 Home Nations Championship was the fourteenth series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Six matches were played between 4 January and 14 March. It was contested by England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

## Table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts |
| 1 | Ireland | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 8 | +10 | 5 |
| 2 | Scotland | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 6 | +5 | 3 |
| 3 | England | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 29 | 21 | +8 | 2 |
| 3 | Wales | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 33 | −23 | 2 |

## Results

* 4 January 1896
| England | 25–0 | Wales |
* London
* 25 January 1896
| Wales | 6–0 | Scotland |
* Cardiff
* 1 February 1896
| England | 4–10 | Ireland |
* Leeds
* 15 February 1896
| Ireland | 0–0 | Scotland |
* Dublin
* 14 March 1896
| Ireland | 8–4 | Wales |
* Dublin
* 14 March 1896
| Scotland | 11–0 | England |
* Glasgow

## The matches
### England vs. Wales

* 4 January 1896
| England | 25 – 0 | Wales |
| Try: Cattell (2) Fookes (2) Morfitt (2) Mitchell Con: Taylor Valentine | | |
* Rectory Field, Blackheath Referee: Graham Findlay (Scotland)

#### England

    S Haughton (Birkenhead Wanderers), S Morfitt (West Hartlepool), Ernest Fookes (Sowerby Bridge), EM Baker (Oxford Uni), James Valentine (Swinton), RHB Cattell (Moseley), EW Taylor (Rockcliff) capt., J Pinch (Lancaster), A Starks (Castleford), LF Giblin (Cambridge Uni), Frank Mitchell (Cambridge Uni), J Rhodes (Castleford), John William Ward (Castleford), GM Carey (Blackheath), W Whiteley (Bramley)

#### Wales

    Billy Bancroft (Swansea), Cliff Bowen (Llanelli), Owen Badger (Llanelli), Arthur Gould (Newport) capt., Bert Dauncey (Newport), David Morgan (Llanelli), Ben Davies (Llanelli), Albert Jenkin (Swansea), Arthur Boucher (Newport), Ernie George (Pontypridd), Sam Ramsey (Treorchy), Harry Packer (Newport), Charles Nicholl (Llanelli), Frank Mills (Cardiff), Wallace Watts (Newport)

### Wales vs. Scotland

* 25 January 1896
| Wales | 6 – 0 | Scotland |
| Try: Bowen Gould | | |
* Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff Referee: GH Barnett (England)

#### Wales

    Billy Bancroft (Swansea), Cliff Bowen (Llanelli), Gwyn Nicholls (Cardiff), Arthur Gould (Newport) capt., Bert Dauncey (Newport), Selwyn Biggs (Cardiff), Fred Parfitt (Newport), Jack Evans (Llanelli), William Cope (Blackheath), Barry Davies (Cardiff), Bill Morris (Llanelli), Harry Packer (Newport), Charles Nicholl (Llanelli), Fred Hutchinson (Neath), Dai Evans (Penygraig)

#### Scotland

    AR Smith (Oxford Uni), Alec Boswell Timms (Edinburgh Wanderers), GT Campbell (London Scottish), T Scott (Langholm), Robin Welsh (Watsonians), JW Simpson (Royal HSFP), WP Donaldson (West of Scotland), Andrew Balfour (Watsonians), JH Dods (London Scottish), D Patterson (Hawick), WMC McEwan (Edinburgh Acads), JH Couper (West of Scotland), GT Nielson (West of Scotland) capt., TM Scott (Hawick), HO Smith (Watsonians)

### England vs. Ireland

* 1 February 1896
| England | 4 – 10 | Ireland |
| DG: Byrne | | Try: Sealy Stevenson Con: Bulger (2) |
* Meanwood Road, Leeds Referee: Graham Findlay (Scotland)

#### England

    J. F. Byrne (Moseley), S Morfitt (West Hartlepool), Ernest Fookes (Sowerby Bridge), EM Baker (Oxford Uni), James Valentine (Swinton), RHB Cattell (Moseley), EW Taylor (Rockcliff) capt., J Pinch (Lancaster), A Starks (Castleford), LF Giblin (Cambridge Uni), Frank Mitchell (Cambridge Uni), J Rhodes (Castleford), John William Ward (Castleford), GM Carey (Blackheath), William Bromet (Richmond)

#### Ireland

    J Fulton (NIFC), W Gardiner (NIFC), S Lee (NIFC) capt., Lawrence Bulger (Dublin Uni.), TH Stevenson (Queen's Uni, Belfast), Louis Magee (Bective Rangers), GG Allen (Derry), JH O'Conor (Bective Rangers), JH Lytle (Lansdowne), WG Byron (NIFC), H Lindsay (Wanderers), Jim Sealy (Dublin Uni.), Thomas Crean (Wanderers), Andrew Clinch (Wanderers), CV Rooke (Monkstown)

### Ireland vs. Scotland

* 15 February 1896
| Ireland | 0 – 0 | Scotland |
* Lansdowne Road, Dublin Referee: EB Holmes (England)

#### Ireland

    GH McAllen (Dungannon), W Gardiner (NIFC), S Lee (NIFC) capt., Lawrence Bulger (Dublin Uni.), TH Stevenson (Queen's Uni, Belfast), Louis Magee (Bective Rangers), GG Allen (Derry), JH O'Conor (Bective Rangers), JH Lytle (Lansdowne), WG Byron (NIFC), H Lindsay (Wanderers), Jim Sealy (Dublin Uni.), Thomas Crean (Wanderers), Andrew Clinch (Wanderers), CV Rooke (Monkstown)

#### Scotland

    AR Smith (Oxford Uni), James Gowans (London Scottish), GT Campbell (London Scottish), CJN Fleming (Edinburgh Wanderers), W Neilson (London Scottish), JW Simpson (Royal HSFP), WP Donaldson (West of Scotland), Andrew Balfour (Watsonians), JH Dods (London Scottish), MC Morrison (Royal HSFP), WMC McEwan (Edinburgh Acads), JH Couper (West of Scotland), GT Nielson (West of Scotland) capt., GO Turnbull (West of Scotland), HO Smith (Watsonians)

### Ireland vs. Wales

* 14 March 1896
| Ireland | 8 – 4 | Wales |
| Try: Crean Lytle Con: Bulger | | Drop: Gould |
* Ballynafeigh, Belfast Referee: EB Holmes (England)

#### Ireland

    GH McAllen (Dungannon), W Gardiner (NIFC), S Lee (NIFC) capt., Lawrence Bulger (Dublin Uni.), TH Stevenson (Queen's Uni, Belfast), Louis Magee (Bective Rangers), GG Allen (Derry), JH O'Conor (Bective Rangers), JH Lytle (Lansdowne), WG Byron (NIFC), H Lindsay (Wanderers), Jim Sealy (Dublin Uni.), Thomas Crean (Wanderers), Andrew Clinch (Wanderers), CV Rooke (Monkstown)

#### Wales

    Billy Bancroft (Swansea), Cliff Bowen (Llanelli), Gwyn Nicholls (Cardiff), Arthur Gould (Newport) capt., Bert Dauncey (Newport), Llewellyn Lloyd (Newport), Fred Parfitt (Newport), Jack Evans (Llanelli), Arthur Boucher (Newport), Fred Miller (Mountain Ash), Bill Morris (Llanelli), Harry Packer (Newport), Charles Nicholl (Llanelli), Fred Hutchinson (Neath), Dai Evans (Penygraig)

### Scotland vs. England

* 14 March 1896
| Scotland | 11 – 0 | England |
| Try: Fleming Gedge Gowans Con: Scott | | |
* Old Hampden Park, Glasgow Attendance: 16,000 Referee: WM Douglas (Wales)

#### Scotland

    Gregor MacGregor (London Scottish), James Gowans (London Scottish), GT Campbell (London Scottish), CJN Fleming (Edinburgh Wanderers), HTS Gedge (London Scottish), M Elliot (Hawick), WP Donaldson (West of Scotland), Andrew Balfour (Watsonians), JH Dods (London Scottish), MC Morrison (Royal HSFP), WMC McEwan (Edinburgh Acads), TM Scott (Hawick), GT Nielson (West of Scotland) capt., GO Turnbull (West of Scotland), HO Smith (Watsonians)

#### England

    RW Poole (Hartlepool Rovers), S Morfitt (West Hartlepool), Ernest Fookes (Sowerby Bridge), EM Baker (Oxford Uni), James Valentine (Swinton), RHB Cattell (Moseley), Cyril Wells (Harlequins), JH Baron (Bingley), E Knowles (Millom), Harry Speed (Castleford), Frank Mitchell (Blackheath) capt., J Rhodes (Castleford), John William Ward (Castleford), GE Hughes (Barrow), T Broadley (Bingley)