Calder's Lions thrashed Down Under
Dominic Maguire scored one of Australia's four tries on this day in 1989
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1989
Finlay Calder's Lions crashed to a 30-12 defeat to Australia in the opening Test of their three-match series. The tourists were outscored by four tries to nil at the Sydney Football Stadium where Michael Lynagh's kicking - tactically as well as for goal - proved decisive. Flanker Scott Gourley, fullback Greg Martin and centres Dominic Maguire and Lloyd Walker scored the Wallabies' tries.
2000
New Zealand ran in eight tries in a 48-14 win over Scotland in Auckland. Tana Umaga scored a brace of tries while Ron Cribb, Chris Cullen, Alama Ieremia, Josh Kronfeld, Justin Marshall and Mark Robinson scored one apiece. Future British & Irish Lions lock Nathan Hines made his debut for Scotland.
2009
Lote Tuqiri's rugby union career was left hanging in the balance after the Australian Rugby Union (ARU) revealed that they were terminating the winger's contract with immediate effect due to an alleged discipline breach. "The employment contract of Lote Tuqiri has been terminated effective today," the ARU said in a statement. "ARU has treated this issue as a standard employment matter. The ARU will not make any further comment on the matter as it may be the subject of legal proceedings." Tuqiri, capped 67 times by the Wallabies, would eventually agree a settlement with the ARU before moving to English club side Leicester. The dual code international was then lured back to rugby league, where he made his name, by signing for the NRL's Wests Tigers.
1985
South African prop Tendai 'Beast' Mtawarira was born in Harare, Zimbabwe. The large prop often has his nickname chanted when he goes on a rampaging run or makes a hard-hitting tackle for the Natal Sharks or South Africa. He made his Test debut in a 37-21 win against Wales in Pretoria in 2008 and he enjoyed his best game in the first Test of the British & Irish Lions tour the following year when his powerful scrummaging forced his experienced opposing prop Phil Vickery to be substituted after 45 minutes. In 2010 he was forced out of the Springbok side as he was not in possession of a South African passport, later winning a recall after being granted citizenship.
1964
Former France coach Bernard Laporte was born. He was a scrum-half who was never capped for France but he led Begles-Bordeaux to the French Championship and coached Stade Français when they went from the French Third Division in 1995 to being crowned champions of France three year later. France won the Grand Slam twice under his leadership and reached two World Cup semi-finals, including one of rugby's greatest upsets in 2007 when they beat the All Blacks 20-18 in the quarter-final in Cardiff.
2010
Scotland wing Thom Evans is forced to retire due to the serious spinal injury he suffered while on duty against Wales in that year's Six Nations. The Scotsman newspaper reported that the Glasgow star had taken on board medical advice that he would not be able to return to the mobility required to play at the highest level, telling friends and family that he would hang up his boots. Evans played 10 Tests for Scotland after making his debut against Argentina in 2008, often playing alongside brother, Max.
1981
Italian international Carlo del Fava was born in Umtala, South Africa. He qualified to play for the Azzurri as he had an Italian father but first played rugby in the country of his birth, representing Natal Sharks and the South African Under-21s. He suffered a setback soon after when he had to serve a two-year ban for testing positive for the banned substance stanozolol. He has also played for Parma, Bourgoin and Magners League side Ulster. He made his Test debut against Wales in Cardiff in 2004. He also represented Italy at the 2007 World Cup, making two appearances.
2009
New Zealand Rugby Union referees manager Lyndon Bray defended assistant referee Bryce Lawrence's performance in the controversial 2nd Test between South Africa and the British & Irish Lions - won 28-25 by the Springboks. Lawrence had been criticised after Springbok flank Schalk Burger was seen to attack the eye area of Lions winger Luke Fitzgerald but was only yelllow-carded by referee Christophe Berdos, on Lawrence's recommendation. "In terms of law, the ref is the guy who has to ultimately make the decision and I fully back what Bryce did," Bray told The Dominion Post. "I admire the fact he saw it, because often these incidents are missed because they happen away from the ball and on the ground, so I thought he did an admirable job of seeing it in the first place. Then he took a discretion is the better part of valour attitude in terms of the extent to which he forced the issue of yellow or red card."
1953
The Wallabies crashed to a then record defeat for a touring side in South Africa, beaten 28-3 by Orange Free State at Kroonstad. Basie Viviers scores a try, kicks two conversions and lands three penalty goals for the State.
1959
A hat-trick of tries by Malcolm Price, two for Tony O'Reilly and one by prop Gordon Wood (father of Keith) saw the Lions secure a 25-13 victory over the NZ Universities, for whom wing "Tuppy" Diack scores all their points.
1950
Ron Elvidge scored the winning try in a 6-3 victory at Wellington over the Lions that secures the series for New Zealand.
1908
All four Anglo-Welsh threequarters crossed for tries as the tourists beat Hawkes Bay 25-3 in Napier.
1933
In the ninth match of their South African tour the Wallabies crashed to their fifth defeat, beaten 13-9 at Newlands by a strong Western Province side.
1944
Stray bomb landed near Twickenham rugby ground causing extensive damage to the West Stand.
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