Rugby Shorts
Ireland capped off their first Five Nations Grand Slam with a 6-3 win over Wales at Ravenhill in front of 30,000 on this day in rugby history in 1948. It was Ireland’s first Triple Crown since 1899.
At the time the Grand Slam was known as a ‘clean sweep’ and the Triple Crown carried more weight.
Karl Mullins was the captain and Jack Kyle was the mastermind of the side and played in all four matches of the run.
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"We had our training session on the Friday and then a team meeting on Friday night," says Reid. "Karl Mullen was a superb captain and he wanted everyone to have a say. We knew just how good the Welsh scrum-half, Haydn Tanner, was and had been warned about his ability to break.
"I suggested we appoint Des O'Brien to take care of him. I remember saying if Tanner scores we will blame Des, and if he does not Des will be a hero, and a hero he turned out to be as he nailed Tanner when the Welshman tried to break.
"The excitement prior to the match was immense, we were all conscious of what was at stake and that we had a great chance to become the first Ireland side to do a Grand Slam. But we also knew we had a very good team and we had a superb captain in Karl Mullen."
The game was tied 3-3 at the break but it was Ireland that grabbed the advantage in the second half and then held on knowing what was at stake.
J.C. Daly scored the winning try carrying 3-4 Welsh players over the line with him. After the score Daly is rumored to have said, "If Wales don't score again, I'll be fucking canonized."
After the final whistle the crowd swarmed the field and carried the players off the rugby pitch with several of the players rugby shirts being pulled off them and ripped apart as souvenirs.
Ireland did not have another Grand Slam run until 2009.
Ireland (v Wales): D Higgins; B O'Hanlon, D McKee, P Reid, B Mullan; J Kyle, E Strathdee; J C Daly, K Mullen (capt), A McConnell, C Callan, J Nelson, W McKay, D O'Brien, J McCarthy.
