JEFF PROBYN
A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME
Last week I wrote about the first of our back-toback Grand Slams and that it was a result of the disappointment of 1990, when Scotland won with a try that wasn't. That influenced a change in the style of game we played, from an experimental open, expanded game to playing to our strengths up front.
We took the upfront style into the ‘91 RWC and made our way to England's first final but because of some media comments, a decision was made by a small group to revert to the open style game.
Unfortunately, as we hadn't spent enough time practising that style of play the game was lost, which made us even more determined to put it right come the Five Nations – and we did.
Starting with an away trip to Scotland we won all our matches by 18 or more points, scoring a record 15 tries.
This was due in no small part to the ‘professional' training routine put in place for our World Cup preparation by Loughborough University's Rex Hazeldine.
It was very different to the usual semi-opposed, few scrums and run around the pitch sessions, normally followed by a couple of pints. Instead we had a full blown athletic training schedule in the year leading up to the Cup. Which, because of the short break between competitions of four months, meant we were at a peak of fitness higher than ever before for the start of the Five Nations.
We had also changed a few players from the ‘91 winning team bringing in Dewi Morris, Martin Bayfield, Jon Webb and Dean Richards, who had been ‘blooded' in the RWC and a new coach, Dick Best.
Most of the games were actually quite easy despite facing France and Scotland away from home with France perhaps the most memorable of all the games.
This wasn't because of the rugby but as a result of the loss of control by the French players once they lost their captain Philippe Sella through an accidental collision with one of his own players, the French No.10, Alain Penaud.
The game went down in the history of the Five Nations as the only game where two players from the same side were sent off, Grégoire Lascubé and Vincent Moscato, both while playing loosehead prop.
Lascubé went for a kick to Martin Bayfield's head at a ruck while Moscato, who had moved to loosehead, tried to intimidate me at a scrum by head butting me and lost his head because I just smiled and winked at him.
The last game was at Twickenham against Wales which we won 24-0. I remember the sense of relief but celebrations were quite muted and not nearly at the level of the previous season. Whether this was because we had done it before and had broken the 11 year wait or just the feeling that the win was finally putting a nail in the coffin of the World Cup final loss.
The funny thing is, it was only as the years passed (and as no other England team has repeated it) I realised what an achievement it was to win a back-to-back Grand Slam.
