January 13 down the years
France get off and running
Jehoida Hodges was on the scoresheet for Wales on this day in 1906
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1962
France opened their defence of the Five Nations title with a solid but unspectacular 11-3 win against Scotland at Murrayfield. Fly-half Pierre Albaladejo landed two penalties and converted winger Henri Rancoule's try for the reigning champions, who went on to claim their fourth successive Five Nations Championship title.
1906
Wales, fielding seven forwards and eight backs for the first time in a Championship match, defeated England 16-3 at Richmond. Centre Gwyn Nicholls skippered the visitors, who scored four tries through wings Hop Maddock and Teddy Morgan and forwards Charlie Pritchard and Jehoida Hodges.
1954
The All Blacks were lucky to escape with a win from the last match of the Irish leg of their tour. A last-minute try by John Tanner saw the New Zealanders to a 6-3 triumph over Munster at the Mardyke Ground in Cork.
1962
Northampton fielded six England internationals but lost 14-0 in a classic Anglo-Welsh encounter at Neath. For the Saints it was only their second defeat of the season.
1973
France staged their first international at the re-developed Parc des Princes national stadium in the south-west of Paris. Scotland are beaten 16-13 in a tight game, where French centre Claude Dourthe scored the crucial try and Scottish fly-half Ian McGeechan landed a drop-goal.
1976
Tony Ward's two penalties and drop-goal and Seamus Deering's try inspired a lively Munster performance against the Wallabies. The tourists won 15-13 in Cork thanks to 11 points from the boot of Paul McLean.
2009
SA Rugby announced the formation of a new franchise based in South
Africa's Eastern Cape, with the eventual aim of playing in the Super 14. The new franchise was a joint venture between the Eastern Cape and Border Rugby Unions and had the full backing of the South African Rugby Union (SARU). Their eventual debut came as the Southern Kings, against the British & Irish Lions in June 2009 at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth. The Kings did not succeed in gaining access to Super Rugby, though, losing out to the Melbourne Rebels late in the year.
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