December 3 down the years
Emotional farewell for Williams
Shane Williams celebrates his 58th Test try in his final appearance for Wales against the Wallabies
© Getty Images
2011
Welsh rugby bid an emotional farewell to Shane Wiliams as the legendary winger brought his international career to an end in front of 60,000 fans at the Millennium stadium. Wales lost the game to Australia, a couple of months after losing to the Wallabies in the third-place playoff at the World Cup in New Zealand. But fittingly, and almost inevitably, the dimunitive winger, who constantly overcame doubts over his size and suitability to modern-day rugby, went out on his own terms. In the final minute of his international career, with his final touch, he powerfully fended off Berrick Barnes before speeding over the line and touching down with a somersault. It was his 58th try in 87 Tests
1960
Scottish referee Jack Taylor offered to abandon the Wales - South Africa Test at Cardiff as monsoon conditions make the players of each side indistinguishable and the touch and goal-lines become obliterated by mud. The Springboks fared the better of the sides in one of the Arms Park's many games to be affected by the weather, winning 3-0 thanks to a lone penalty from the boot of fly-half Keith Oxlee. The game was the first on South Africa's Grand Slam tour.
1966
Phil Hawthorne and Ken Catchpole steered Australia to a 14-11 win over Wales in Cardiff. It was their first Test win against Wales for 39 years and secured thanks to tries from Jim Lenehan and Alan Cardy. Hawthorne landed a conversion and a drop-goal while Lenehan doubled his total for the game with a penalty.
1983
New Zealand fly-half Stephen Donald was born in Papakura. Donald made his All Black debut as a replacement against England in 2008 as understudy to Dan Carter. He made his first international start against the Wallabies in Hong Kong later that year, starting in tandem with Carter in a 10-12 combination. His first run in the side came in 2009 when an Achilles injury ruled Carter out of Tests against France and Italy and the opening rounds of the Tri-Nations. Donald had previously won the Junior World Championship with New Zealand Under 21 and also represented the Junior All Blacks. At domestic level he began his career with Counties Manukau before a successful switch to Waikato - where he won the 2006 Air New Zealand
Cup. At Super 14 level he is a servant of the Chiefs and made the 2009 final.
1968
At Bow Street Court nine members of Blackheath RFC were fined £10
each with £1.50 costs after pleading guilty to taking and driving away the team coach after their match against Oxford University the previous month. "This was a mad thing to do," the magistrate tells them.
1972
All Blacks manager Ernie Todd announced that disciplinary action will be taken against "one of our players" after a fracas in a Cardiff hotel in the early hours of the morning. The next day prop Keith Murdoch was sent home for punching a security guard.
1873
For the first time the Varsity Match was staged on neutral territory (at Kennington Oval in London). The match ended in a draw, the sides scoring a try apiece.
1891
The Barbarians played against an Irish team for the first time, defeating Dublin University 7-0 at the Rectory Field in Blackheath.
© Scrum.com
