Brendan Gallagher sets the scene for the first ever Test – between Scotland and England

Pioneers: Scotland’s squad for the first Test. Alfred Clunies-Ross, seated first left, was rugby’s first international of colour

And so it came to pass that the first international rugby match took place on March 27, 1871, between Scotland and England. In fact it has a good claim to being the first ever bone fide international sporting fixture in team sport because although there had been two Association Football games between England and Scotland the previous year, they had, in real...