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1977–78 Divisional Championship (rugby union)

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1977–78 Divisional Championship
Countries England
ChampionsNorth (1st title)
Runners-upMidlands
1980-81 →

The 1977–78 Divisional Championship was the first edition of a new event in England's rugby calendar, played in its entirety across three weeks in December 1977. During the first season of the competition, there were sub-divisional trial matches held among the four divisions prior to the semi-final stage.[1]

In the championship's first final, held on 17 December 1977 at Twickenham, the North beat the Midlands 22-7, while earlier in the day London beat the South & South-West 22–15 in the play-off for third and fourth place.[2]

Results

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Inter-Divisional round

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3 Dec 1977
North-East9–16North-West
Headingley
Referee: B Head-Rapson (Notts, Lincs, Derby)
3 Dec 1977
Midlands West12–6Midlands East
Coventry
Referee: M J Fisk (Yorkshire)
3 Dec 1977
South-West18–13South
Exeter
Referee: O E Doyle (Ireland)
3 Dec 1977
London South12–25London North
Esher
Referee: M D M Rea (Ireland)

Semi-finals

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10 Dec 1977
London6–52North
Sudbury
Referee: L Prideaux (North Midlands)
10 Dec 1977
South & South-West3–19Midlands
Bath
Referee: B Head-Rapson (Notts, Lincs, Derby)

3rd/4th play-off

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17 Dec 1977
London22–15South & South-West
Twickenham
Referee: P E Hughes (Lancashire)

Final

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17 Dec 1977
North22–7 [1]Midlands
Tries: Caplan (2)
Maxwell
Con: Caplan
Young
Pen: Young
DG: Horton
Try: Knee
Pen: Hare
Twickenham
Referee: Alan Welsby (Lancashire)
FB 15 David Caplan (Headingley)
RW 14 England Peter Squires (Harrogate)
OC 13 England Tony Bond (Broughton Park)
IC 12 Andy Maxwell (Headingley)
LW 11 John Carleton (Orrell)
FH 10 John Horton (Bath)
SH 9 England Malcolm Young (Gosforth)
N8 8 P Moss (Orrell)
OF 7 England Tony Neary (Broughton Park)
BF 6 England Peter Dixon (Gosforth)
RL 5 J Butler (Egremont) downward-facing red arrow 33'
LL 4 England Bill Beaumont (Fylde) (c)
TP 3 England Fran Cotton (Sale) downward-facing red arrow 70'
HK 2 K Pacey (Broughton Park)
LP 1 Colin White (Gosforth)
Replacements:
LK -- T Roberts (Gosforth) upward-facing green arrow 33'
PR -- Jeff Bell (Middlesbrough) upward-facing green arrow 70'
flag denotes international
(at time of match)
FB 15 England Dusty Hare (Leicester)
RW 14 P Knee (Coventry)
OC 13 England Barrie Corless (Moseley) (c)
IC 12 Paul Dodge (Leicester)
LW 11 Tim Barnwell (Leicester)
FH 10 England Martin Cooper (Moseley)
SH 9 Ian Peck (Bedford)
N8 8 Nick Jeavons (Moseley)
OF 7 D Warren (Moseley)
BF 6 J Shipsides (Coventry)
RL 5 I Darnell (Coventry) downward-facing red arrow 69'
LL 4 R Field (Moseley)
TP 3 W H Greaves (Moseley)
HK 2 G N Cox (Moseley)
LP 1 England Robin Cowling (Leicester)
Replacements:
LK -- Derek Nutt (Moseley) upward-facing green arrow 69'
flag denotes international
(at time of match)

Report

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The four Lions in the North's pack - Beaumont, Cotton, Dixon and Neary - played a large part in their side's success. Additionally Malcolm Young upheld his England status with a lively display at scrum-half and Caplan, who was later to win his first cap, showed his capabilities as an attacking full-back by scoring two tries. The best moment of the match came in the second half when Maxwell, the North centre, burst clean through past Corless from just inside halfway for a superb individual try. Altogether seven of the North team were picked for the first international (of the 1978 Five Nations), against France.[1]

Horton, the Lancashire fly-half, opened the scoring in the ninth minute with a well-taken dropped goal for the North, to which Hare replied with a mammoth penalty goal from a metre inside his own half for the Midlands. An unconverted try by Caplan, taking an inside pass from Carleton, gave the North a lead of 7–3 at half-time. From then on they forged further ahead with a penalty goal by Young, a second try by Caplan, converted by Young, and Maxwell's splendid try, which Caplan converted from wide out. At 22-3 the match was virtually over, but the Midlands had the last word. From a short penalty, Cooper, Corless and Dodge moved the ball rapidly to Knee, who ran in for an unconverted try near the corner.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Jenkins, Vivian (Editor). Rothmans Rugby Yearbook 1978-79. Macdonald and Jane's, Queen Anne Press. pp 115. ISBN 0354-09047-X.
  2. ^ "A trip down memory lane courtesy of historian John Griffiths". ESPN. Retrieved 20 July 2020.