Hastings’ historic act won this battle of Murrayfield

GEORGE Hastings from Dursley is a name which will still ring a faint bell in the memories of long-standing Gloucester supporters and yet he deserves wider recognition for a feat which will never be done again.

Think of a prop kicking a penalty to win the Five or Six Nations title for England. George Hastings, who died almost two years ago at the age of 95, did exactly that, at Murrayfield in March 1958 to secure a 3-3 draw with Scotland and the point to make England champions.

Ian Clarke did drop a goal for the Barbarians against the All Blacks at the end of the 1963-64 tour as if to show that his more famous younger brother, Don, had not quite monopolised the art of flying a ball over a long distance.

Llanelli hooker Norman Gale landed one against the All Blacks for Wales at the Arms Park in 1967, even though Barry John was playing.

Fifty years ago, second row and back row goalkickers commanded centre-stage throughout the Five Nations, Allan Martin and wing forward John Taylor for Wales, Peter Brown for Scotland.

Brown, 80 in a few weeks’ time, came from a famous footballing family, the ‘Broons from Troon’. Their father, Jim Brown, kept goal for Scotland, his other son Gordon was a permanent member of the invincible 1974 Lions, one nephew played professionally for Ipswich Town and another for the USA national team.

No forward has landed a goal for Wales since Martyn Williams’ drop against Tonga during the 2003 World Cup and the only Welsh prop to manage a Test penalty, John Robins of Birkenhead Park, did so for the 1950 Lions.

Four other Welsh forwards share the same distinction: Arthur ‘Boxer’ Harding (Llanelli) in 1904, Ivor Jones (Llanelli) 1930, Russell Taylor (Cross Keys) 1938 and John Faull (Swansea) 1959, facts for which I am indebted to exinternational referee Alun-Wyn Bevan.