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1An Officer and a Gentleman

‘THE GREATEST DISCOVERY IN MODERN TIMES.’

– The Yorkshire Post on Basil Maclear, Irish Rugby International, 1905.

As the light faded on a fine November day in Belfast in 1906, Basil Maclear was about to secure his place in Irish rugby history.

From a distance, the 25-year-old was easy to spot. He was muscular, nearly six feet tall, with a handlebar moustache, and as usual was wearing distinctive white gloves. Over the last year he had become a crowd favourite, which had begun when he scored on his debut against England and helped Ireland to secure a famous victory in Cork. That night, after the 17–3 victory, he had been the toast of Munster. Now it was Ulster’s turn to see if the Maclear magic could be repeated.

As kick-off approached, around 15,000 spectators were crammed into the Balmoral Showgrounds to watch Ireland play host to South Africa. The bumper crowd had generated takings of £800, which was a record for a rugby match in Belfast. With spectators packed behind the touchlines and squeezed together under the covered stand, every vantage point was taken. Naturally they had come to cheer on the home side, but many had travelled out of curiosity to see what these giants from the Southern Hemisphere had to offer. It was the first time anyone in Ireland had seen the visitors in action, and their inaugural trip to the British Isles and France had captured the public’s imagination. The Irish match was the eighteenth game of the South Africans’ tour, and they had only been beaten once. A week earlier, on a rain-sodden pitch, Scotland triumphed by 6 points to nil in Glasgow.

Such results would prove to be rare, and by the time they returned home to Cape Town they would have amassed a staggering total of 600 points in twenty-nine games, statistics that would establish them as one of the world’s leading rugby nations. The historic tour would also introduce the term ‘Springbok’ into the language of international rugby.

In Belfast, Basil Maclear was selected to play on the wing, although he was a versatile back, and could also play as an out-half and a centre. He was known for his turn of pace, his kicking and his handling, but also for the fact that he wore white gloves, which helped him to grip the ball. He always brought two pairs to each game, and religiously changed them at half-time. The young soldier was also renowned for the way in which he ‘handed off ’ opponents, and his technique was greatly admired.

If much was expected from Maclear, there was also a lot resting on the shoulders of another talented Irish back who had a reputation for winning games. James Cecil Parke, or JC as he was often known, was a centre from County Monaghan who had won his first Irish cap in 1903 while he was still a student at Trinity College. He was an excellent place kicker and a natural sportsman who excelled at athletics and golf. Parke had recently won a series of Irish tennis titles, and in later years would take part in the Olympics and at Wimbledon. Parke, Maclear and the rest of the Irish team received a great reception when they ran out onto the pitch, which, despite the time of year, was in perfect condition. There were also sporting cheers for the South Africans, who had forsaken their traditional green shirts and wore their change strip of white. It was the visitors who got the game underway, and after a signal from the Scottish referee, J. D. Tulloch, the Springbok half back, Paddy Carolin, kicked off.

The opening minutes did not go well for Ireland, and the team appeared disjointed and slightly overawed. At half-time the South Africans were in control, and had established a 12–3 lead.

In the second half, Parke successfully kicked a penalty and brought the score back to 12–6, but there was little to inspire the home crowd.

Halfway through the second half the game changed when Ireland won a scrum in the shadow of their own posts. The ball was passed to the right, and as it came loose Maclear gathered it up. He could have kicked it to safety, but instead decided to run with the ball. Still in his own 25-yard line, he evaded a tackle from the South African centre, Jack Hirsh, and palmed off winger Bob Loubser. Maclear appeared to stumble, but then managed to fend off the attentions of the half back, Jackson. By now Maclear was picking up speed, and as the crowd sensed a try was possible he approached the Springbok full back, Steve Joubert, on the halfway line.

Joubert, who was making his test debut, was the tourists’ last line of defence, and knew that he must halt Maclear at all costs. However, the Cork soldier was out of his reach. Maclear outpaced him, but the Springbok, who was also speedy, was determined to bring Maclear down, so he tried again, but with no luck. He gave chase to Maclear, trying for a third time to halt the Irish player. Maclear was stronger and faster, and he evaded Joubert with a strong push on his shoulders. Then, with a final burst of pace, Maclear crossed the line in a flourish and grounded the ball. He had run almost the entire length of the pitch at speed, and scored an 80-yard try. The compact arena erupted in an explosion of noise. Hats, scarves and umbrellas were hurled skywards. The breathtaking score had lifted the gloom of the crowd, and Maclear’s dramatic run would go down in history as one of the finest tries ever scored by an Irish player.

The reporter from The Irish Times was suitably impressed:

It was one of those magnificent episodes which make football matches worth going to see. It raised the hopes of the Irish from the dull slough of despair to the biggest pinnacle of ambition.

From the South African kick-off, Maclear nearly repeated the trick. As the crowd continued to celebrate his try, he received the ball and ran at speed towards the South African defence. Like before, using his pace and a series of his trademark handoffs, he evaded numerous tackles. It seemed that he was about to score again, but was finally pushed into touch. From this position Ireland continued to pressurise, and moments later Harold Sugars crossed the line to level the score at 12 points all. Many in the crowd probably hoped that the full-time whistle would follow, but South Africa had a response in store. Winger Anton Stegman crossed the line for the final score of the match, which meant that South Africa won by 15 points to 12. A converted try was worth 5 points, and the narrow margin of victory ended one of the most dramatic games ever witnessed in Ireland.

As the spectators headed for their trains and trolleybuses there was much talk about what might have been. It had been a bittersweet occasion. Defeat was at least tempered by the fact that they had witnessed a moment of genius from Basil Maclear. Understandably, he was singled out for much praise by the press. One reporter wrote:

Basil Maclear stood out as the commanding figure, and his try obtained after running three-fourths the length of the ground, would in itself have sufficed to have made the match memorable in the annals of great games.

The South African match marked Maclear’s eighth International game for Ireland, and his fourth try for the national team.

His route to becoming an Irish international was not a conventional one, and had things been different he would have worn an English shirt. He was not Irish by birth, having been born in Portsmouth on 7 April 1881 to Henry and Mary Maclear. He did have some Irish blood, however, as his grandfather, Sir Thomas Maclear, the famous Astronomer Royal at the Cape Town Observatory, was born in Newtownstewart in County Tyrone.One of five brothers, Basil Maclear was educated at Bedford Grammar School, where his ability in sport first became apparent. The young student was a natural athlete and excelled at many sporting disciplines. At one sports day in 1898 he triumphed in eight different athletic events, and won prizes for hurdling and sprinting. He developed a love of cricket, which was encouraged at the school, and with his pace was a promising fast bowler. He captained the school eleven, and they remained undefeated for a season. He was also handy with the bat, and on one occasion made 133 runs. Rugby was another early love, and his talent was spotted by the London club Blackheath, which selected him when he was just fifteen. Even as a raw teenager he was viewed as ‘strong and fast and a resolute tackler’.

Such was his talent that the school sent word to officials of the English Rugby Football Union, letting them know about Maclear’s ability. Popular, likeable and well thought of by the teaching staff, he was made deputy head boy. Away from sport he had time for music, and was accomplished on the penny whistle, as well as being a keen actor in school productions.

As the youngest son of an army major, Basil Maclear was always destined for a career in the army, so after Bedford Grammar School he went to the Royal Military College at Sandhurst. He excelled in his new surroundings, and in his spare time continued to play rugby and cricket. Quick to learn new skills, he was regarded as a model student, and on passing out in 1900 was awarded the ‘Sword of Honour’.

In the summer of that year, organised county cricket was just beginning in Bedfordshire, and Maclear was chosen to play in the county team’s opening game against the Surrey second eleven. The match was held at a pitch at the grammar school, so the debutant felt at home. He showed few nerves, and in his first innings knocked up a creditable score of 20 runs. He followed this in the second innings with 39 runs, which was the second highest batting score. It was an excellent county debut and sparked glowing tributes in the local press, which described his performance as ‘admirable’, one correspondent saying that his fielding was ‘exceptionally smart’.

Maclear was nineteen years old, and was enjoying his sport. In the summer he alternated between playing cricket for his college and for Bedfordshire. In the winter he concentrated on the game of rugby, and he invariably got a match with a club team, or played with his friends at Sandhurst. He was young and fit and was enjoying life to the full. His carefree days, however, would soon come to an end.

In August 1900 life got a little more serious for the student soldier when he left the comfortable confines of Sandhurst upon being commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Royal Dublin Fusiliers.

Britain was at war in South Africa, and by December 1900 Maclear served during the Boer War. He saw action in the Cape Colony, the Orange Free State and in the Transvaal. He had established himself as a natural leader, and in 1903 was involved in battles in the hinterland of Aden. His war efforts were rewarded, and he became a lieutenant in 1904, the same year he returned to Britain.

Back in England he quickly resumed his rugby career, and turned out regularly for the Bedford and Blackheath clubs. His pace, strength and goal-kicking began to attract the attention of the press, and soon the English international selection committee decided they would watch him in action.

In January 1905 he played for Old Bedfordians against Old Paulines at Richmond. In the crowd was one of the most influential men in the game of rugby, Sir Rowland Hill. From the Rugby Football Union, he was there to see Maclear play and assess his potential. By all accounts the young soldier had a good game, reportedly converting eleven tries and scoring two. His point-scoring extravaganza, however, did not impress Sir Rowland, who said that Maclear was ‘not good enough; no opposition to test his true ability’.

His decision that Basil Maclear was not worthy of an English trial would come back to haunt the English rugby official. Maclear was playing brilliant rugby and getting great reviews, but Hill’s decision appeared to have ended any chance of an international career.

By 1905 Maclear was stationed in Fermoy in County Cork with the 2^nd Battalion of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers, and began playing rugby for the Cork County club. When on army duties in Dublin, he also turned out for the Monkstown rugby team.

The Irish selectors were soon made aware of Maclear’s talent, and instantly knew that he would be an ideal addition to their back line. He was watched closely to see if he was of international standard, and this time the result was favourable. He got his chance in the 1905 Four Nations Championship, and with a beautiful turn of irony Basil Maclear made his Ireland debut against England.

The match in February was the first ever international to be played on a pitch at Mardyke, which was the new ground in Cork, and 12,000 spectators paid a record gate of £900. The contest captured the imagination of the sporting public and that day’s Irish Independent printed a special feature under the headline ‘Shamrock v Rose: Today’s Great Struggle’. The article came complete with caricatures of the players, and Basil Maclear was featured wearing his army uniform.

The Cork ground boasted a pretty pavilion, and a new grandstand built for the occasion was packed to capacity. In front of a certain Sir Rowland Hill, the president of the Rugby Football Union who had rejected him the month before, Basil Maclear did not disappoint the home crowd. Ireland began the game in style with Maclear as the lynchpin of the Irish attack as he ran at speed, tackled well and created numerous chances. England could not cope with the pace of the Irish backs; their defence looked disorganised and at times threadbare. By half-time Ireland had scored two tries, and England had yet to score. In the second half the game followed a similar pattern, and Ireland were in control of the ball for large passages of play.

Maclear had a point to prove, and in the final minutes he seized his opportunity. He received the ball, picked up speed, and according to one correspondent: ‘ran like a fine full-blooded stag through the English back division and scored a truly magnificent try’. His effort was rewarded with huge cheers from the touchlines and, perhaps buoyed by the response of the crowd, he promptly kicked the conversion. By the final whistle, Ireland had run out winners by 17 points to 3, and they had crossed the English try line five times. It was a well-deserved victory, and Basil Maclear was the hero of the hour. The crowd singled out the new boy, and one newspaper reporter noted that he received a ‘most flattering display of popular delight as to the great part he had played in the Irish team’s success’.²

The Yorkshire Post declared: ‘It is safe to say that not for many years has an international player made such a triumphant debut as this dashing Irish three-quarter back.’ Even Sir Rowland Hill, perhaps with a tinge of regret, admitted that Maclear had, ‘stamped his authority and class on the match’.

The game was difficult to watch for the English selectors, whose journey home from Cork must have seemed slow and tortuous. When they arrived back in England, the newspapers were probably best avoided. In print they were met with criticism of their selection choices, and the headlines starkly declared that England had been overwhelmed. There were fears expressed that England could end the championship without a win, and across the press there were constant mentions of the ‘Englishman’ that got away: Basil Maclear. The Yorkshire Post’s correspondent who travelled to Cork praised his ‘steam engine runs’, declaring that he was ‘the greatest discovery in modern times and it will be a great thing for football, not in Ireland alone’.

Maclear’s performance in Cork impressed so many people that it was no surprise to find him in the starting fifteen when Ireland travelled to Edinburgh a fortnight later to meet Scotland. Ireland continued their winning ways, and again Maclear was instrumental, with a series of fine runs. Ireland won by 11 points to 5, and Maclear converted one of the tries. The victory in Scotland set up a winnertakes-all clash with Wales for the ‘Triple Crown’.

On 11 March a crowd of some 40,000 packed into the ground at St Helens in Swansea. Buoyed up by wins in Cork and Edinburgh, hundreds of Irish fans took passenger boats over from Ireland to watch the game. Their number included a band from Cork who paraded through Swansea hours beforehand. Wales were the favourites to win, and, with the finest back line in the world, were a formidable side. Nevertheless, Ireland also fielded a strong team, with Maclear lined out alongside J.C. Parke and the talented backs of Landers and Thrift.

Patriotic songs, rowdy cheers and applause greeted the two teams as they ran out onto the pitch for a game that had the feel of a cup final.The conditions suited Wales, and at times ‘the ground seemed much too heavy for the Irish forwards’. However, things were different for the Irish backs, and ‘Maclear was the best of the Irish three quarters but he did more spoiling than running.’ At half-time Wales were ahead by 10 points to 3, and despite Ireland’s best efforts the scoreline didn’t change in the second half. The Triple Crown belonged to the men of Wales, but the Irish camp had every reason to be pleased with the way they had performed throughout the competition. They had been runners-up to Wales, and Ireland had played some great rugby. To cap it all, the ‘English reject’, Basil Maclear, had been the discovery of the championship.

By the start of the summer in 1905, Maclear was an established member of the Ireland back line. Although the championship was over for another year, he would get a chance to show off his skills in the autumn when the New Zealand team arrived. In fact, Maclear was so keen to play against the visitors that he would oppose them on four occasions with four different teams, two Irish and two English.

In September, just before they arrived in England, the newspapers were full of reports about the rugby players from the ‘other side of the world’. It was the first time New Zealand had toured Europe, and journalists did not know what to expect from the men in black. What was about to happen would change the way rugby would be played. The New Zealanders had a style of their own that encouraged a free, flowing game, with forwards playing as if they were backs. They also had a distinctive scrum formation, which enabled a roving forward to disrupt the opposition. Above all, they played with passion and flair, which would be on full display during the winter months of 1905.

Their captain, Dave Gallaher, who was born in Ramelton in County Donegal in 1873, was an inspirational figure. His father ran a drapery shop, and his mother was a teacher. When Dave was just five years old, they emigrated to New Zealand. Gallaher, like Maclear, had a military background, and was a Boer War veteran who had seen action in the Transvaal and the Orange Free State. A tough, quick-thinking forward, he led a team called ‘The Originals’, but which would become better known as ‘The All Blacks’, a name that was coined during their tour across Britain and Ireland.

Like Maclear, Gallaher would serve on the Western Front during the Great War. He had natural leadership qualities and often put himself in dangerous situations without thinking of his own safety. During an assault with the Auckland Regiment he was seriously injured on 4 October 1917. A shell exploded close to him, and he was taken to a makeshift hospital at a clearing station. He was given the last rites and died shortly afterwards.

Gallaher was one of the finest players ever to represent the All Blacks, and his death was felt keenly in New Zealand. After he stopped playing he became a coach and wrote a successful rugby book. He was forty-three when he died.

One of his former teammates, Ernest Booth, summed up Gallaher’s philosophy:‘To us All Blacks his words would often be, “Give nothing away; take no chance.” ’

Booth played with Gallaher back in 1905, when an exhausting thirty-two games were lined up for the New Zealanders in the British Isles, with other matches against France and British Columbia also pencilled in at the end. No one knew much about them or the kind of rugby they played, but the assumption in the press was that British teams would easily beat them. After they sailed into Plymouth, the tour began in Devon in mid September against the county side. When the final score filtered through to newspaper offices around the country, no one could believe the result. The visitors had thumped their hosts by 55 points to 4. In fact, a number of publications credited Devon with the win, thinking the original score was a mistake. Their triumphant opening match was followed by games in Cornwall, Bristol, Northampton, Leicester and Middlesex. In those early games the tourists amassed a points tally of 176 without reply.

By now, the press started to take the New Zealanders seriously. They got respect, and because of the colour of their shirts the name of ‘The All Blacks’ entered the rugby vocabulary. In November, Basil Maclear got his first chance to try his luck against the men in black when his old team, Blackheath, welcomed the tourists to their London ground.

Understandably, the touchlines were packed with spectators for the biggest day in the club’s history. If the locals had come to watch an upset, they would be disappointed. The New Zealanders’ fine form continued, and despite the best efforts of Maclear and the other seven internationals on the Blackheath team they were no match for their dashing opponents, who scored 32 points without reply. The general consensus in the press was that the skilful men from the southern hemisphere were invincible. One correspondent reported that those who represented Blackheath had ‘probably never had such a gruelling before and certainly would not like to go through such an experience again’. The reporter had obviously not met Basil Maclear, who could not get enough of playing against the visitors.

Eleven days later he turned out for his home club, Bedford, as they tried to stop the all-conquering tourists. Schools, factories and offices in the county town closed early to allow people to attend. By the kick-off, a crowd of around 8,000 gathered in the shadow of the new stand to see if Bedford could succeed where other clubs across England had failed. Any thoughts of a home win proved to be in vain as the visitors won by an even greater margin than in the Blackheath game, finishing the match as winners by 41 points to nil.

Even though Maclear had now been on the losing side twice in recent games, the press reports for his play were favourable.

Ten days later it was Ireland’s chance to do battle.

After travelling through England and Scotland, the All Blacks had played twenty-one games and won every one. Their free running and dazzling forward play had resulted in 646 points, and they had conceded a mere 22. They were the sporting wonders of their age, and no one in the press now doubted their ability. In the run-up to the match in Dublin, there was an insatiable demand for tickets. Irish Rugby Football Union officials had issued 10,000 tickets well before the game. It was the first ever all-ticket rugby international, and officials decided not to take any money at the gate. That led to tickets changing hands well above their face value, and there were reports that five pounds had been offered for a couple of five shilling stand tickets. Many hundreds turned up at the ground and could not get in. Some enterprising souls took positions on nearby buildings to get a free view of the game, and others stood outside the ground and listened to the crowd. Such was the desire to see the All Blacks that it was estimated that match organisers could have sold 20,000 tickets. In the end it would still prove to be a commercial success, with ticket sales generating around £950, which was huge amount of money at the time

In fine weather, with a perfect playing surface and a packed house, Lansdowne Road was set for a historic encounter. Dublin had never seen anything like it, and the Irish players and spectators had certainly never witnessed the pre-match Haka. As the All Blacks stood on the turf, dancing and singing Maori verses, the ground looked on in wonder. The Cork Examiner’s reporter declared:

The Irish team looked most foolish while this was going on, as they appeared to think they ought to do something, but they did not know exactly what. In spite of this warlike demonstration the match was played in a friendly spirit.

The Irish selectors had picked a strong team, and had chosen players who had turned out earlier in the year for the Five Nations Championship. Basil Maclear knew more about the visitors than any of his teammates. This was his third match against the All Blacks in as many weeks, so he probably knew the entire New Zealand team by name.

The game started well for Ireland, with the backs making some early runs and the forwards tackling hard. Maclear had the chance to give Ireland the lead, but his penalty fell short, much to the disappointment of the crowd.

After half an hour there was still no score, but the deadlock was finally broken by New Zealand, who went into the half-time interval leading by 5 points to nil. In the second half the New Zealanders added to their lead, and held on for a 15–0 victory. Ireland had tried hard to contain the visitors, but in the end the power of the tourists’ forwards and the pace of the backs had proved too much. The All Blacks were magnanimous in victory and praised the Irish ‘spirit’. Maclear, and fellow back Mossy Landers, who split his finger during the game, were picked out by the press as being two of Ireland’s best performers. Maclear had little time to dwell on the defeat because the following Tuesday he was in Limerick to play his fourth and final game against the tourists.

He was chosen to captain Munster at Markets Field on a pitch that was ‘rough and uneven’ and very different from the manicured surface of Lansdowne Road. The press gave the Irish province little chance of beating the tourists, but such reporting did not deter nearly 4,000 spectators from making the journey to Limerick. Munster put out their strongest team possible, but there was no place for Landers, whose split finger from the game in Dublin had not healed. The match started at a fast pace, but it was clear very quickly how the game would develop as the home forwards ‘went down like a house of cards before their opponents and the Munster backs were altogether outclassed’.

The game was won in the first half, the visitors running in five tries.After the break the tourists appeared to relax a little, but they still managed three more tries, and by full-time they had scored 33 points without reply.The Munster crowd were sporting, and cheered the All Blacks off the pitch, later giving them a good reception when they boarded a train at Limerick Railway Station. Maclear was picked out by the press as one of the few Munster players who had made an impact on the game.

The Cork Examiner’s reporter wrote:

Maclear stood by himself amongst the backs, and the way he tackled two and sometimes three men in succession, over and over again, saved many scores. None of the others were class enough for their opponents and certainly never to get green caps.

The watching journalists were not alone in appreciating Maclear’s skill and work rate. The New Zealanders knew that without the Cork soldier in their ranks Munster would have been a much poorer side. George Smith, one of the All Blacks’ three-quarters, summed up how the visitors viewed his ability when he told reporters, ‘It is a treat to play against such men.’ The New Zealand party left the platform at Limerick Railway Station to the sound of cheers, and their officials received £50 as their share of the gate money.

It was clear that the All Blacks had enjoyed their time in Ireland. Full back Billy Wallace said, ‘The best time I had personally on the whole tour was in Ireland. The Dublin people gave us a great reception’.

From Ireland, the tourists travelled onto England, and would remain unbeaten until the middle of December. They lost to Wales in Cardiff by 3 points to nil in disputed circumstances after the All Blacks had a try disallowed.

The tour changed the way rugby was viewed, and the team made a profound impact on the watching public. With the trip nearly complete, the British press started to change its opinion, and the accomplished tourists were being talked about as rugby greats. A report in the Edinburgh Evening News was typical:

Had the New Zealanders dropped from the clouds they could scarcely have created a greater sensation in the world of sport, and yet many indications of their prowess might have prepared us for their coming.

In 1906, after the excitement of the All Blacks’ tour, Basil Maclear settled down to play club rugby and concentrate on the forthcoming Four Nations Championship. In February he was selected for a match against England at Welford Road in Leicester. In recent years Ireland had maintained the upper hand over the ‘old rivals’, and in the last nine matches had won on six occasions. Maclear’s fine game in Cork the year before was still fresh in the memory, and he wanted to repeat that performance. Ireland’s line-up included familiar faces, and once again Maclear was joined by the likes of Harry Thrift, J.C. Parke, Tommy Caddell and Bill Brooke Purdon.

Copying tactics they had observed from the All Blacks, Ireland played with only seven forwards instead of the traditional eight. The new technique worked against a weakened English team. The Irish backs saw a lot of the ball, and made the most of the first half on a pitch that was cutting up due to the rain. After eighteen minutes Purdon broke the deadlock, scoring a try under the posts. Then, on the half-hour mark, Tommy Caddell got the ball and passed to Maclear, who scored in the corner. He failed to convert, and at halftime Ireland were 8–0 up. In the second half the conditions had deteriorated, and the pitch was now in a ‘wretched state’.³ England fought back with a couple of tries, but two Irish goals gave them the advantage, and for the second year running Ireland triumphed. Basil Maclear had contributed 7 points which meant that Ireland won by 16 points to 6.

The new technique of playing with just seven forwards was tried again by Ireland in their next match with Scotland in Dublin two weeks later. It proved to be a disaster, the Scots winning well by 13 points to 6.

The result led to much discussion amongst the players about the tactic of only playing with seven forwards. As a result, by the time the Ireland team assembled in Belfast’s Balmoral Showgrounds for the Wales game, the old method of playing with eight forwards had been reinstated. Wales had already beaten England and Scotland, so they travelled across the Irish Sea in the knowledge that a win would once again seal the Triple Crown. In the first half the Irish forwards, back in their traditional eight-man formation, were superb. In the back line, J. C. Parke and Harry Thrift were also in top form. Disaster struck just before half-time when Irish back Bill Brooke Purdon had to be taken off with a broken leg. Ireland were leading by 8 points to 3.

In the second half things got worse when Tommy Caddell left the field with a broken ankle, so Ireland played the final ten minutes with thirteen men. If anything, the loss of another player galvanised the home team. Basil Maclear, wearing his customary white gloves, grabbed the ball, and with pace charged over the Welsh line. At full-time Ireland had beaten Wales by 11 points to 6. The result was all the more impressive because Ireland had played large parts of the game missing two key players. Those watching at the show grounds certainly believed that they had witnessed one of the finest Irish performances of all time. The Rugby writer E.H. D. Sewell described it as ‘the greatest of all wins in international or any rugby’.

Eight months later, in November, Basil Maclear, playing some of the finest rugby of his career, would return to Belfast for the infamous South Africa match. The game would once again excite and enthral in equal measure, and was the occasion when he would produce his, and arguably Ireland’s, finest ever try, demonstrating how essential he was to the Irish team.

1907 marked Maclear’s final season in an Irish jersey, and he was once again on the winning side when England visited Dublin for the start of the international championship. A 17 points to 4 victory set Ireland on their way, but an away defeat in Scotland put paid to any talk of Triple Crown success.

Maclear joined the Irish team in Cardiff in March for his final game. It seems that his participation in the match was in doubt, as some newspaper reports suggested that he may have been injured. Despite such fears he played in the game, but it was not one of his better performances. He did have two exciting runs in the game, but they didn’t lead to tries. In the first half he picked up pace and used his trademark handoffs to keep several Welsh players at bay. He was eventually brought down inside the home team’s 25-yard line. In the second half he had another sprint, but this time it ended after he passed forwards. Wales made much of their chances, and in the second half took a commanding lead with a number of tries. One reporter summed up Maclear’s final contribution:

Basil Maclear, who has won games for his country before today, was for once in a way faulty and it was in vain that he tried to get in some of his telling runs.

With Wales leading by 29 points to nil, the game came to a close, and so did Basil Maclear’s eleven-game international career.

He continued to play club rugby, and the next month was selected for the Barbarians as part of their Easter tour. In early April he played for the invitation side at Exeter, and his old form returned as they beat the home side by 18 points to 3.

Family matters took precedence in August when one of his four brothers, Ronald, got married back in the family’s home town of Bedford. Like Basil, he was a keen rugby player and played for a number of clubs, although he never made it to international level. Just like his younger brother, he too had joined the army and was a lieutenant with the 5^th Middlesex Regiment.

A knee injury ultimately ended Basil’s rugby career, but he continued to play hockey and cricket, and two years after he finished playing international rugby he was still playing county cricket for Bedfordshire.

Away from sport, he had much to occupy his time. He was very busy with army life in Ireland, and continued to serve with the Royal Dublin Fusiliers. In 1912 he returned to England and the familiar surroundings of Sandhurst as a member of staff at the Royal Military College. He was appointed an Inspector of Physical Training, an ideal job for a man with his interests and background.

For the next two years, until 1914, he kept an eye on the recruits. When war was declared in August, Basil Maclear must have known that it was only a matter of time before everything would change, and he would find himself in front-line action. Within days, the horrors of war hit home when news arrived that his older brother, Percy, who was attached to the West African Frontier Force, had been killed in the Cameroons. He was the first of three Maclear brothers to die in the Great War. In October 1914, from his room at the Royal Military College in Camberley, Basil wrote to his brother Arthur about Percy’s death.Like the other Maclear brothers, Arthur was also in service, and was a member of the Royal Guernsey Light Infantry.Basil had received some information about Percy’s death from the Colonial Office, and asked Arthur to keep the details confidential.It seems that the family was originally hoping that Percy had survived a gun battle, but the statement from the Colonial Office ended those thoughts. Basil wrote to Arthur, after receiving official confirmation, that ‘I am afraid we can hope no more’. Basil described Percy as ‘one of the best fellows in the world.’ After Basil wrote to Arthur, he then sent a similar letter to his other brother, Ronnie, giving him the same details he had received about Percy’s death.

As the war progressed, it became obvious that Basil Maclear’s leadership skills were needed on the battlefield rather than on the training ground. In February 1915 he left Sandhurst to become a captain in the 2^nd Battalion of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers, where he prepared for active service on the Western Front.

He arrived in Belgium in March, and was put in charge of the reserve company of the battalion, which was preparing the ground for what would become the Second Battle of Ypres. The fighting was intense, and within days Basil Maclear was at the front line, directing his men and leading attacks on enemy trenches. When a break came and he withdrew behind the lines for some rest, rugby was very often on his mind. In mid April he was in Nieppe, and was asked to referee a game between the 48^th Division and the 4^th Division. It was a fun occasion, and many of the players were household names from Scotland, Ireland and England. They included famous internationals like Ireland’s Billy Tyrell and England’s Ronald Poulton- Palmer, who would be killed shortly afterwards.

For Maclear, it must have been an enjoyable distraction to spend some time in the company of rugby men and forget about the trenches for an hour or two. Sadly, it was only a temporary respite.

Later that month, back in the front line, Maclear and his troops came under sustained heavy fire from the Germans over a four-day period. According to official reports, when the enemy attacked he showed ‘great coolness and knowledge’. For his bravery and leadership during that time he would later be Mentioned in Despatches, but Maclear would never hear about that recognition.

On 24 May 1915, in the early hours of the morning, he was with his battalion at Wieltje near Ypres when the Germans launched a gas attack and then opened fire on the British trenches. Maclear helped to organise the defence of the British positions, but the Germans were able to capture some of the British trenches very quickly, and the Dublins experienced heavy losses. It became clear that the British lines were going to be overrun if they did not get reinforcements. There was continued fighting at an area known as Mouse Trap Farm, which was held and then lost by the British. The situation reached crisis point, and Maclear sent a message back: ‘Very many of our men are surrounded, we must have reinforcements.’

One of his comrades got another message back to the headquarters of the battalion, which was just as dramatic. It read: ‘For God’s sake send us some help. We are nearly done.’ Another officer sent a note to the headquarters of the 10^th Infantry Brigade, which had similar sentiments: ‘Reinforce or all is lost.’

As soon as the Germans advanced it became too late for reinforcements; they seized crucial ground and killed many within the ranks of the Dublin Fusiliers.As Maclear attempted to repel the attackers he led a bombing party and hurled hand grenades towards the advancing Germans. As he faced the enemy he was heard to shout, ‘Come on! Do you want some more?’ He was then shot in the throat and fell down. One fellow soldier, Gerald Tarleton, recalled: ‘I saw Basil shot in the throat or near there and instantly topple over to the ground where he bled profusely’.

Another of Maclear’s men, Lieutenant W. Shanks, explained how Basil was hit in the neck and chest and ‘died almost immediately and said nothing’. He said that Basil had died ‘fighting, very bravely indeed, not thinking of his own safety but inspiring the men with his energy and courage’.

Lieutenant Shanks said that he tried to bandage Basil Maclear’s wounds, but they were too severe and he was unable to retrieve any of his possessions. However, he said he was able to get a piece of a trench mirror that Basil used, and he promised to forward it on to the family.

Basil Maclear’s death shocked his battalion and devastated his mother, who was still grieving the loss nine months earlier of her son Percy. Mrs Maclear received many letters from men who had been under her son’s command, and she was sent comforting words of support from his superior officers. Whilst it was common practice for relatives to receive notes of sympathy from comrades, the volume of correspondence and the language used in the letters indicates how highly Basil Maclear was regarded.

The commandant in charge of the Royal Military College in Sandhurst when Basil Maclear was there was William Sapper, who wrote that Maclear was ‘the best of examples to young would-be officers’. He also stated that Basil Maclear was ‘upright, a man amongst men, leading a noble blameless life. He was worshipped by the cadets’. He ended his letter to Mrs Maclear by quoting a Latin phrase that would be made famous by the war poet Wilfred Owen. Sapper wrote, ‘Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori’, which translates as ‘It is a sweet and honourable thing to die for one’s country.’ Mrs Maclear also received sympathy from officials of the Irish Rugby Football Union, who said he was one of Ireland’s ‘most brilliant players, a thorough sportsman and a fine gentleman’.

Maclear’s death was reported extensively in newspapers across Britain and Ireland, and many fulsome tributes were paid to one of the finest rugby players of his generation. His body was never recovered, and today, like many thousands of other servicemen who died in the fields of Flanders, his name is inscribed on the Menin Gate, which is a memorial to the ‘Missing’.

Basil Maclear’s contribution to Irish international rugby, which stretched from his debut in 1905 to his final game in 1907, was immense, and he was the most talented member of the squad. If he were a player in today’s professional game he would be viewed as a national and international sporting celebrity, his every performance would probably be the subject of hours of broadcasting analysis, and he would attract many column inches in the written press.He was one of the game’s early superstars, and his style of play and the coverage that followed added to rugby’s growing appeal and popularity.

Every sport, whether it is rugby, football, GAA or hockey, needs characters, and those with an unusual backstory add to the colour and drama of the game. Maclear’s curriculum vitae does not read like that of a traditional Irish sporting hero. After all, he was born in Portsmouth, educated in Bedford, and was rejected by English rugby selectors. Yet this background did not deter Irish rugby fans from accepting him as one of their own.In Bedford, in Sandhurst and at the headquarters of Irish rugby, he is remembered as a schoolboy, a soldier and a sportsman, a talented wing three-quarter who on a November day in Belfast outran the South Africans and scored one of Ireland’s greatest ever tries.