Young guns who fired the triumph of 2003
26 Jan 1997: Richard Hill of Saracens during the Pilkington Cup 5th round match against Wasps at Enfield, London. Saracens beat Wasps 21-17. Mandatory Credit: David Rogers/Allsport
While we rightly ruminate on the 20th anniversary of England's World Cup triumph we should also doff a 30th anniversary cap to a long forgotten team and tour, namely the England U21 side that toured Australia and returned with a famous win over their Australian counterparts.
As you will recall there was a time when the old IRB considered the U21 age group as the last stopping off point for young talent and England, under the managership of John Elliot, embraced that fully as well as running a flourishing B team which played all the Five Nations as well as Italy while they toured most summers. In passing, how could the RFU afford that then but not now?
Anyway, I covered that 1993 team extensively and what a talented bunch they were. There was Lawrence Dallaglio, a World Cup sevens winner but still not quite a first team regular at Wasps, and fellow future World Cup winners Richard Hill, below, Will Greenwood, Simon Shaw, Mark Regan, Kyran Bracken and Mike Catt while Tim Stimpson, Tony Diprose and Austin Healey joined them in becoming British and Irish Lions.
In addition Jon Sleightholme became a high class England wing while Mark Mapletoft – the current England U20 coach – and Darren Crompton won a cap apiece. Nor were prolific wings Daren O'Leary and Jim Naylor a million miles away either.
Having beaten allcomers at home during the season including a big win over France at Twickenham, their supreme test came down in Sydney. The likes of George Gregan, Daniel Herbert and Owen Finnegan lie in wait but two tries from Bracken and one from Catt saw England get over the line 22-12.
Beating Australia in Australia was a very decent habit to form at such an early age and helped lay the foundation for that World Cup triumph 10 years later. There have been many talented age groups and vintages over the decades for England but I always rank the class of 93 atop of the pile along with Jonny's 1997 England schools XV who also won in Australia. Landmark teams that underpinned the 2003 triumph.
