Wales hat trick heroes

Wales v Scotland match reports have been quick to note that Robert arnshaw's hat-trick was the first for Wales since Ian Rush netted three against the Faroe Islands back in 1992. The Guardian's Dominic Fifield reports, for instance, that "Robert Earnshaw's breathless hat-trick, Wales's first since Ian Rush plundered the Faroe Islands 12 years ago, had the hapless visitors on their knees." BBC Sport's report mentions the Rush hat-trick as well, then adds that it was "the first against Scotland since Toshack in 1979." These references to past hat-tricks for Wales sent me scurrying for my trusty Rothmans Book of Football Records, which lists the results and goal scorers for every match Wales has played since that first very match, way back on March 25, 1876, against Scotland in Glasgow. How many hat-tricks have Wales had? Who scored them? Here's what I found out:

* Paging through the results I learned that Robert Earnshaw's hat-trick is the 15th for Wales. Incredibly, he is also the 15th different hat-trick hero for Wales. So, if Earnie could pull off another hat-trick he'd be the first Wales player ever to do it twice. How likely is that though? After all, he'll reach the advanced age of 23 on April 6!

* Five of the 15 hat-tricks have been scored at Ireland's expense, the last of the five occurring in 1906. In fact, all of the first five hat-tricks were scored against Ireland. Another three have come against Northern Ireland.

* Ninian Park has seen four of the hat-tricks, Toshack's against Scotland the last, in 1979. By the way, that last hat-trick for a Wales player against Scotland was also the only one against the Scots before Earnie's last night.

Here's the list:

1882 - J. Price, four goals v Ireland at the Racehorse Ground, Wrexham, on February 25.

1885 - H. Sisson, three goals v Ireland at Ballynafeigh Park, Belfast, on April 11.

1888 - J. Doughty, four goals v Ireland at the Racehorse Ground, on March 3.

1889 - R. H. Jarrett, three goals v Ireland at Ballynafeigh Park, on April 27.

1906 - A. W. Green, three goals v Ireland at the Racehorse Ground, on April 2.

1943 - G. Lowrie, three goals v England at Wembley Stadium, London, on February 27.

1949 - Trevor Ford, three goals v Belgium at Ninian Park, Cardiff, on November 23.

1955 - John Charles, three goals v Northern Ireland at Windsor Park, Belfast, on April 20.

1957 - D. Palmer, three goals v East Germany at Ninian Park, on September 25.

1962 - Mel Charles, four goals v Northern Ireland at Ninian Park, on April 11.

1963 - Cliff Jones, three goals v Northern Ireland at Windsor Park, on April 3.

1978 - I. Edwards, four goals v Malta at the Racehorse Ground, on October 25.

1979 - John Toshack, three goals v Scotland at Ninian Park, on May 19.

1992 - Ian Rush, three goals v the Faroe Islands at Arms Park, Cardiff, on September 9.

2004 - Robert Earnshaw, three goals v Scotland at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, on February 18.

John Heyda