Former England skipper Bill Beaumont was a regular columnist for Rugby World and in his January 1983 column, he previewed the upcoming Five Nations Championship.
Proclaiming the sides much of a muchness, he reflected, “Ten years ago, a unique event occurred in the International Championship. England, France, Wales, Scotland and Ireland each won their home matches while losing their away fixtures. The result was the first quintuple tie in rugby history. Will history repeat itself in 1983?”
As it turned out, no, not quite. Ireland and France shared the title with three wins each, and Wales would have joined them but for a draw with England, Beaumont’s pre-tournament favourites. Where did they finish? With the wooden spoon. You can read the full prognostications of not so Mystic Bill here.
