As explained by John Griffiths:
The first use of the term Grand Slam came in The Times preview of the 1957 England v Scotland match on March 16th. Uel Titley (thinly disguised as Our Rugby Football Correspondent) used the Bridge phrase grand slam, but reverted to writing in his Monday match report: “England [did] sweep the board….won the Calcutta Cup for the seventh consecutive year, gained the Triple Crown – purely imaginative but immensely coveted - and became the season’s international champions.”
Michael Melford in the Daily Telegraph report of the match used the phrase in his sixth paragraph and the newspaper’s subeditor must have liked it because it appears in the match headline you’ll notice...
Original Title
First use of term "Grand Slam" in Daily Telegraph March 17th 1957
As explained by John Griffiths:
The first use of the term Grand Slam came in The Times preview of the 1957 England v Scotland match on March 16th. Uel Titley (thinly disguised as Our Rugby Football Correspondent) used the Bridge phrase grand slam, but reverted to writing in his Monday match report: “England [did] sweep the board….won the Calcutta Cup for the seventh consecutive year, gained the Triple Crown – purely imaginative but immensely coveted - and became the season’s international champions.”
Michael Melford in the Daily Telegraph report of the match used the phrase in his sixth paragraph and the newspaper’s subeditor must have liked it because it appears in the match headline you’ll notice...
As explained by John Griffiths:
The first use of the term Grand Slam came in The Times preview of the 1957 England v Scotland match on March 16th. Uel Titley (thinly disguised as Our Rugby Football Correspondent) used the Bridge phrase grand slam, but reverted to writing in his Monday match report: “England [did] sweep the board….won the Calcutta Cup for the seventh consecutive year, gained the Triple Crown – purely imaginative but immensely coveted - and became the season’s international champions.”
Michael Melford in the Daily Telegraph report of the match used the phrase in his sixth paragraph and the newspaper’s subeditor must have liked it because it appears in the match headline you’ll notice...
Finest Pack for Years Routs Scots In Closing Minutes England
By MICHAEL MELFORD 16 pts Scotland
F England were to win their fourth victory of
the season and all the glory that went with it, the ideal always was that they win it handsomely and conclusively in a game worthy of the presence of the Queen, Prince Philip and 72,000 others.
So, happily, It wasand the trail that began a shade luckily
at Cardiff in January with a Welsh threequarter getting offside far away from the ball, ended now with England battering ceaselessly at the Scottish line and with the fine Scottish pack INTERNATIONAL TABLE Pts. routed foi: the first time. D . L. F. A. Pis. p.4 W. England 4 0 0 34 8 8
T w o goals, a penalty goal a n d Ireland
4 2 0 2 21 21 4 4 2 0 2 21 27 4 a try to a penalty goal s e e m e d a n Scotland Wales 3 1 0 2 1 2 17 2 unlikely e n d after a n e v e n first France 3 0 0 3 11 2 6 0 half. W i t h 10 m i n u t e s to go, Eng- Remaining Match.March 2 3 : France v land still only led 6-3. Y e t o n Wales (Paris). those last m i n u t e s , t h e m a r g i n w a s ' HigSins. Thus It was, a a d Higsias fair enough. T h e longer t h e rubbed it in by Instigating the m a t c h lasted, t h e m o r e E n g l a n d second try and scoring the third. m u s t h a v e scored. Their forwards had had to overcome JEEPS' BIG PART a tough, flery, well-knit pack. Their Bartlett Passes Well backs had had to beat magnificent No one has contributed more to tackling. Scotland were no easy prey season's success thar Jeeps, so and only a side of unusual ability the often a ninth forward or a second could have swamped them as Eng- full-back. Now, with his rare speed land did in the end. in gathering and dispatching the A lot of nonsense is often talked ball, with his accuracy of service and about team spirit but even the general appearance of knowing casual watcher must have remarked exactly what was going on, he the unusual accord in this England showed his talents as an attacking sifle ofplayers from 11 different clubs scrum-half as well. and universities. Bartlett passed admirably and it was no fault of his that the threeFINE CAPTAIN quarters' activities were not more profitable. T h e Scottish backs lay Careful Team-building up and fairly hurled Butterfield The grand slam of four victories, well Davies down. Not until the very last achieved by England in 1928, and last of the game did Davies would not have been possible with- make move the only orthodox opening. out a captain of character in Evans and selectors who built carefully over McClung, Macdonald and Smith two seasons and, once satisfied, were looked utterly solid and Allan, for prepared to back their judgment. whom on recent form one felt some They have needed only 17 players apprehension, looked as safe as anythis season, only 22 in the last two one in perhaps the most difficult task seasons, some of those replacement."; of allagainst Jackson. for casualties He was helped by the niunber of Mostly, Saturday's events con- passes that went astray between firmed reputations. They confirmed Davies and Jackson. Jackson does that this was the finest England pack not believe in going outside if he can for a long time and that Robbins and jink inside and is probably at his best Marques in their respective spheres with a centre who can give h i m a were the outstanding English for- scissors pass. Davies. one suspects, has quite wards of recent years. Currie had one of his best games enough trouble delivering the orthodox pass accurately without having for England yet, joining Marques in some brilliant line-out play. Evans, to embark on the complications of among other things, heeled three under-arm flips and the like.
Sound Place-kicking
So what with wayward passes,
Jackson not perhaps lieing prepared to trust his recently damaged hand too far and the unfailing tackling, the English backs promised more than they achieved for a long time. Chains had an uncertain first half but. like Scotland, K. J. F., who once again looked a.';tonishingly calm and safe for a full-back of limited experience, .showed his flair for the big occasion by some excellent secondhalf place-kicking. Three kicks, three goals, including one conversion from the touchline. If the dccllne_of the Scottish forwards in the last 20 minutes was unexpectedly abrupt, there was no disE. EVANS R. E. G. JEEPS grace attached to going down before heavier pack and one of England's Captain of character a n d attack- atalents. Greenwood was perhaps in ing scrum-hali. a cla.ss of his own and just once he broke away and showed his remarktimes against the loose head, with Jacobs and Hastings always seeming able control with the ball at his feet. to have the under-shove on the DEFENSIVE BACKS Scottish front row. For all the successes of this Scot- No Penetration tish pack, it had always seemed that T h e Scottish backs never looked their back row must suffer in com- c a n a h l e nf Innnr-hlncr a n e n p t r n t i v p
TWICKENHAM TRIUMPH. P. H. Thompson crashing over in
the corner for England's second try.
a lot of a young m a n of 19 to adJust himself to the extra pace of
International football with such as Robbins breathing fire on him. Earlier this season Scotland seemed to accept their lack of midfield thrust and, with McClung at stand-off half, to be content to exploit the attacking talents they had, such as the speed of A. R. Smith in pursuit of the diagonal kick. In their victories over France and Wales there was method in all the backs did. This time their achievements were all defensive. T h e first seconds of the match set the pattern for m u c h of the first half. From Scotland's kick-off deep into the 25, England started a pas.sing movement, got into trouble and had to be extricated by the inevitable Robbins. T h e willingness to take risks in the cause of attack was one of the most cheering parts of England's performance. The early line-outs produced some curious manoeuvring, while the Scottish forwards, by standing well back, operated a plan designed to isolate Marques and Currie. This, however, needed a long throw and was quickly foiled by the brisk wind. It was 20 minutes before Scotland won the ball from the line-out, and though they then won it 10 times before half-time by bunching, England soon sorted that out.
yards out and half-way to touch.
Challis duly kicked his first goal. Within five minutes Davies knocked on a high punt ahead and Jeeps, in front of him, picked the ball up. From the resultant penalty for off-side, only six yards short of half-way. Scotland (K. J. F.) put his .side within range again. It was a situation which in theory .should have revived Scotland's morale. All that happened was that England returned fiercer than ever to the a.ssault and snuffed out the last flame in the Scottish forwards.
Spectacular Move
With eight minutes to go, Jack.son
came inside to launch a spectacular passing movement which was halted near the left corner. The try that followed, as an England forward of the post-war years .said, would have warmed the .soul of the insatiable theorist of those days. B. H. Travers. who reckoned that for a wheel to be successful in modern Rugby, the opposing back row must be incompetent. Scotland heeled near the line and wheeled. Higgins promptly picked the ball up and pa.ssed it to Thompson who. with the Scottish forwards still busy wheeling, crashed over in the left corner . By now Scotland, exhausted by much honourable tackling, were slowly up and when Jeeps was caught after a scrum in front of the ScotENGLAND LEAD tish posts, Higgins recovered possesLuck, Sleight of Hand .sion and wrestled his way over on own. T h e Calcutta Cup. the T h e try by which England led at his Crow-n and the Championhalf time was a blend of luck and Triple sleight of hand. Scotland won the ship, were well and truly won. E N G L A N D : R. Challis (Brisloll: P. B ball from a line-out after 37 minutes Jackson W. P. C. Davies (Harleand Waddell made some progress quins). J.(Coveniry). Biillerfleld (Northampton). P. H. rHeadinslcy)-. R. M. Bartletl (Harlebefore passing hurriedly and ankle- Thompson R. E. G. Jeeps (Northampton)-. G. W. high. McClung. sensibly enough, fly- qiiins). (Gloucester), E. Evans (Sale) (capt). kicked hard only for Butterfield, four C.Hastings R. Jacohs (Nortbamnon). R. W. D . Marques (Cambridge & Harlequins). J. D . Curric yards away, to make a fantastic (Oxford Univ.Univ.& Clifton). P. G. D. Rohhins catch somewhere around his ear. (Oxford Univ. & Coventry). A. Asheroft (Waterloo). R. Hicgins (Liverpool). He was already in full stride and S C O T L A N D : K. J. F. Scotland (Army F.P.): A. R. Smith (Cambridee Univ.). raced half-right for the line passing T.Herinfs McCIung (Edinbiirsh Acad.). K. R. Macto Davies as he reached it. donald (Stewart's Coll P.P.). 3. L. F. Allan Univ.): G. H. Waddell (L. Scottish The second half began with grow- (Cambridae R.N.). A. F. Dorward (Ciala): H. F. McLeod ing pressure by the English forwards. &T. (Hawiclc). R. K. G. MacEwen (L. Scottish). Elliot (Galea). E. J. S. Michle (L. Scottish). The Scottish front row by now W. Y. Kemp (Glaszow H.S. F.P.). G. K. showed signs of wilting imder the J.Smith (Kelso). J. T. Greenwood (Perthshire strain and after 20 minutes they Acad.) (capt.). A. Rohson (Hawick). coilan.serl. vielrlinp- a o e j i a J i y ^ e r 40 Referee : R. Mitchell (Ireland).