Lives in Cricket No 34 - Frank Mitchell

40 Rugby Union - as a player and writer ideal of shoving well and keeping on the ball that he himself showed in most of the representative matches last year.’ Three days later North played South at Hartlepool. In this trial match Mitchell played but he was on the losing side as the North ran out winners 11-3, and it was the Yorkshire forwards who now won the plaudits. Yet Mitchell was to retain his place for the three internationals that were to follow in January, February and March 1896. The first of those games, at Blackheath on the Rectory Field, was against Wales and England routed their opponents by 25-0. Twenty thousand people were here for this grand occasion and Mitchell was able to score his only try for England, when a scrimmage close to the Welsh line broke up, and he was able to plunge over, ball in hand. The result was heralded as a complete triumph for a fine set of forwards and with Mitchell at the forefront, he received special praise. But once again all was not well. The home match at Meanwood Road in Leeds was against Ireland, who were unexpected winners, 10-4. Harsh words followed: ‘ In the English team the chief failure was amongst the forwards who were slow in following up and were as idle in getting back The Cambridge University XV of 1895 This glum, apprehensive group photograph, with Mitchell as captain, must have been taken before the Varsity match, which Cambridge won.