Louis Magee: Difference between revisions

| imagename = [[File:Louis Magee 1902.jpeg|300px]]

| dateofbirthbirth_date = = 1 May 1874

| dateofdeathdeath_date = = 4 April 1945

| placeofdeathbirth_place = [[DunboyneDublin]], [[Ireland]]

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| ru_positionposition = = [[Rugby union positions#Half-backs|Halfback]]

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| ru_proclubsclubs2 = [[Bective Rangers]]<br /> = [[London Irish]]

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| ru_provincepointsprovincepoints1 =

| ru_provinceupdate =

| ru_nationalyearsrepyears1 = 1895–1904<br />1896

| otherrepcaps2 = 4

| spousereppoints2 = 0

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'''Aloysius Mary "Louis" Magee''' (1 May 1874 – 4 April 1945)<ref>[http://www.scrumespnscrum.com/ireland/rugby/player/1149.html Louis Magee player profile] Scrum.com</ref><ref>[http://www.lionsrugby.com/6012.php?player=19809&includeref=dynamic Louis Magee lions profile] lionsrugby.com</ref> was an [[Ireland|Irish]] [[rugby union]] halfback. Magee played club rugby for [[Bective Rangers]] and [[London Irish]] and played international rugby for [[Ireland national rugby union team|Ireland]] and was part of the [[British and Irish Lions|British Isles team]] in their [[1896 British Lions tour to South Africa|1896 tour of South Africa]].

Magee came from a well known sporting family. His eldest brother [[Joseph Magee]] was also an international rugby player for Ireland, while another brother [[James Magee (sportsman, born 1872)|James]] played [[cricket]] for [[Irish cricket team|Ireland]]. His brother-in-law, [[Tommy Little (rugby union)|Tommy Little]], played rugby for Ireland between 1898 and 1901.<ref name="Godwin44">Godwin (1984), pg 44.</ref> Magee played almost the entirety of his rugby for club team Bective Rangers, as did both his brothers. In 1898, while in London, Magee was approached by newly formed club, London Irish, to play for the first team. When Magee accepted, his presence in the team helped recruit other countrymen to join the exile club, and is seen as a major catalyst in the success of the club.<ref>[http://www.london-irish.com/History.ink London Irish -– A Brief History] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090501102322/http://www.london-irish.com/History.ink |date=1 May 2009 }} london-irish.com</ref>

Magee first played international rugby during the [[1895 Home Nations Championship]] in an encounter with [[England national rugby union team|England]]. Magee was selected along with his brother Joseph, but Joseph's international career ended after only two games, playing in only the first two matches of the 1895 season. Although Ireland narrowly lost the opening game, Magee scored the only points for Ireland when he scored his first international [[Try (rugby)|try]]. Magee was reselected for the next two games of the Championship, Ireland losing both narrowly in two tight matches which saw Ireland end bottom of the table for the season.

1896 was a turn around in fortunes for Ireland, beating England and [[Wales national rugby union team|Wales]] and drawing 0-00–0 with [[Scotland national rugby union team|Scotland]], giving Ireland its second Championship in three years. Magee played in all three games of the season making him a Championship winning player. Towards the end of the 1896 season, Magee was approached by [[Johnny Hammond (rugby player)|Johnny Hammond]] to join his British Isles team on their tour of [[South Africa]]. Magee accepted, and was joined on the tour by his brother James, who was also a member of Bective Rangers. The tour was notable for the large contingent of Irish players, who had been poorly represented on previous tours. The other Irish players being [[Thomas Joseph Crean|Tom Crean]], [[Robert Johnston (rugby player andVC soldierrecipient)|Robert Johnston]], [[Lawrence Bulger|Larry Bulger]], Jim Sealy, [[Andrew Clinch]], [[Arthur Meares]] and Cecil Boyd. Magee played in only fourteen of the 21 arranged games of the tour, but played in four Test games against the [[South Africa national rugby union team|South African national team]]. In the First Test he was partnered at half back with [[Matthew Mullineux]], but for the final three tests he was joined by [[Cambridge University R.U.F.C.|Cambridge University]] player [[Sydney Pyman Bell]].

===1899 Home Nations Championship===

On his return to Britain, Magee retained his position in the Ireland national team, and from his first game in 1895 he played at centre for 26 consecutive games taking in eight Championship seasons. Magee's finest season was the [[1899 Home Nations Championship]], which saw him gain the captaincy of the national team in the opening game of the campaign, a home match against England. Ireland won 6-06–0, with Magee scoring with a penalty kick and long term Irish half back partner, [[Gerald Allen]], scoring a try. Magee then set up two of the tries in a 9-39–3 victory of Scotland,<ref name="Griffiths3:11">Griffiths (1987), pg 3:11.</ref> leaving the encounter with Wales as the decider for the [[Triple Crown (rugby union)|Triple Crown]].

===1900-19041900–1904===

Magee continued to captain his country over the next two season'sseasons, but he did not experience the same success as in the 1899 campaign. A single draw against Scotland was the best result in [[1900 Home Nations Championship|1900]], and apart from ana good win over England in [[1901 Home Nations Championship|1901]] and a strong three-quarters, there was little to celebrate in the Irish results. The [[1902 Home Nations Championship|1902 Championship]] saw Magee lose the captaincy to half back [[John Fulton (rugby playerunion)|John Fulton]]. Ireland lost their opening match against England, but after a win over Scotland, Magee was handed the captain's position for the final encounter, against Wales. Ireland were well-beaten in their biggest home defeat since the start of the Championship competition.<ref name="Godwin67">Godwin (1984), pg 67.</ref>

The 1903 Championship started with a strong win over England, but the Irish captaincy was now in the hands of Henry[[Harry Corley]], Magee's half back partner since the start of 1902. Magee was seen as one of the finest half backs to come out of Ireland, his playing style was of a basic left-side, right-side tradition of half back play; Corley was one of the first specializedspecialised fly-halves,<ref name="Griffiths3:12">Griffiths (1987), pg 3:12.</ref> pointing the new way forward in rugby play. Ireland failed to capitalise on their strong opening game, losing narrowly to Scotland and then being completely out-classed by Wales. losing 18-018–0.

Both Corley and Magee werewas dropped for the [[1904 Home Nations Championship]], replaced by Robinson and Kennedy, as Corley was moved to the centre position. But the team were well beaten by both England and then Scotland, leading the Irish selectors to make eight changes in the final match at hoimehome to Wales. Magee was recalled to partner Kennedy in his final international, and the game turned out otto be the match of the season.<ref name="Griffiths3:13">Griffiths (1987), pg 3:13.</ref> The Welsh took an early lead, but after Ireland were reduced to 14 men through an injury, the team appeared inspired and improved their game.<ref name="Griffiths3:13"/> With four tries from each side, the only difference was that Ireland managed to convert one of their tries, whereas Wales missed all theirs. Magee finished his international career with a great win, and with 27 appearances was the most capped Irish player to date.

* {{cite book |last=Godwin |first=Terry |coauthors= |title=The International Rugby Championship 1883-19831883–1983 |year=1984 |publisher=Willow Books |location=London |isbn=000218060X0-00-218060-X}}

* {{cite book |last=Griffiths |first=John|coauthors= |title=The Phoenix Book of International Rugby Records |year=1987 |publisher=Phoenix House |location=London |isbn=04600700370-460-07003-7}}

[[Category:PeopleRugby fromunion Countyplayers from Dublin (city)]]

[[Category:Irish rugby union footballersplayers]]

[[Category:BritishIreland Lionsnational rugby union playersteam captains]]