50 years ago today, Ireland won the Five Nations Championship.... and so did England, Scotland, Wales, and France.
For the first and only time the competition's history, the Championship was shared among all participating teams, who had each won two and lost two - there were no bonus points or points difference tie breakers in 1973.
The tournament that year was most famous for the brave decision of the English team to travel to Dublin amid the Troubles, a year after the competition was abandoned after Scotland and Wales had refused to play in Ireland's capital.
Ireland had beaten England well that day, 18-9, and in the final match they faced off against the French in a packed Lansdowne Road.
Among the scorers that day was fullback Tony Ensor, who slotted an enormous penalty from inside the opposition half to contribute to Ireland's 6-4 win.
The Six Nations posted a marvellous clip of the kick today, with Ensor seen aggressively studding the already torn up ground to make a hold for the ball, given the non-existence of kicking tees.
One Of The Greatest Kicks Irish Rugby Has Ever Seen
𝟓𝟎 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐠𝐨 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲: This huge kick from Tony Ensor helps Ireland beat France 6-4.
In the absence of a tie-breaker, it results in the only five-way tie the Championship has ever seen - with each team having won two at home and lost two away.
Everyone’s a winner 🏆 pic.twitter.com/pqmQbAJEVx— Guinness Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) April 14, 2023
10 February 1973; Irish rugby ; Terry Moore of Ireland in action against England during the game between Ireland and England at Lansdowne Road, Dublin. Picture credit; Connolly Collection / SPORTSFILE
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Also on the scoresheet that day was Ireland's talisman Mike Gibson, who chipped in with a try.
His brilliance and leadership was described by Dick Milliken, who shared the advice that Gibson gave him that day.
"In that France game I was marking Jo Maso, who was at the peak of his powers. I was anxious, and Gibson said to me, 'Look, just stand on his feet, stare at him, unsettle him,' and sure enough after five minutes of messing about in any way I could think of, you could see Maso's shoulders shrugging. He just disappeared. Gibson was a canny man."
SEE ALSO: Irish Rugby : Ronan O'Gara Explains Difficulty French Clubs Face When Competing On Both Fronts
