RUGBY: IRELAND v ENGLAND 2003 GRAND SLAM MATCH: GAVIN CUMMISKEYgets the views of those involved in the game when England and Ireland were both going for the Grand Slam
JASON LEONARD’S fourth Grand Slam was eight years in the making. The elder statesman of a group foolhardily christened ‘Dad’s Army’ by the Australians, Leonard had gathered his previous three slams during the Will Carling years, 1991, 1992 and 1995, before a deeply frustrating wait to experience the professional era equivalent.
England had famously blown it on the last day against Wales in 1999, France in 2000, Ireland in the foot-and-mouth re-fixture of 2001 and the Scots in 2002.
Clive Woodward found himself on the verge of mismanaging what was widely considered the most talented English squad had ever assembled.
“In 2003 we had to win the game – it was as simple as that,” Martin Johnson admitted yesterday. “There was nowhere else for us to go. It was just ridiculous what we had been through. It is a very different experience for us now. Our guys can just go out and enjoy what they are doing.
“In many ways we were far more dominant in 2001, more line breaks, but just couldn’t put Ireland away. Conceded the first try (from Keith Wood) and just couldn’t find a way to win it. In ’03 it was close for an hour until we pulled away, Ireland had to chase and we put up a big score.”
Jonny Wilkinson’s iconic drop goal a few months later in Melboure cemented the team’s and Woodward’s legacy. Again, it was Wilkinson’s proficiency just before half-time at Lansdowne Road in late March 2003 that finally put them in control of that winner takes all showdown for the ultimate prize in Northern Hemisphere rugby.
“We started well but Dallaglio capitalised on a scrum in our 22 and went under the sticks,” Victor Costello remembers. “There followed a period, and I don’t review this game much, that any time they were in our 22 yer man dropped a goal. So before we knew it we were chasing our gameplan.”
The hammer blow wasn’t landed until the hour mark when Mike Tindall thundered over the Irish try-line. Tindall, of course, is absent today having damaged ankle ligaments in last weekend’s shaky dismissal of Scotland at Twickenham. It means the only survivors from the English side that eventually stomped to a 42-6 victory, a result which showed Ireland that winning four games didn’t mean they were on the cusp of a Grand Slam, are the reserve outhalf (Wilkinson or “yer man”) and hooker, Steve Thompson.
Brian O’Driscoll and Peter Stringer started that day while Ronan O’Gara came on and a young flame-haired lock named Paul O’Connell replaced Gary Longwell on 56 minutes to pinch a few lineouts.
Today, Ireland can teach this blossoming young English side a similar lesson to what was handed to them in 2003.
“I still think there is a lot in this Ireland side,” said Leonard this week. “In 2003 we were considered too old and look what happened to us.”
England’s most capped player (119 including his five Lions Tests) rejects any comparisons between the 2011 edition and the English team that conquered the world in 2003.
“I think it is an unfair comparison to make,” said Leonard. “We were around a long time by then. All those defeats that denied us Grand Slams meant we had learnt a lot about ourselves along the way.
“The test of character will be there for them today. It is something they need to experience because they are a young team. Ireland will be desperate not to lose at home again having just returned to Lansdowne Road and especially considering what has happened to them already this season.”
Leonard hopes for a decent spectacle but he has obvious reservations about something picturesque actually unfolding today. “Both teams want to play and Ireland picking Jonny Sexton is intent of that but with so much at stake the nerves may dictate another type of game. It doesn’t have to be all ball in hand anyway. England perhaps tried too hard against Scotland and nearly came unstuck as a result. Put it into the opposition’s 22 and play it from there.”
How good are the current England team? Where are they in the general scheme of things after a confusing Six Nations that will barely raise an eyebrow in the Southern Hemisphere (if they are even bothering to watch as the Super 15 cranks into gear).
“It is too early to say if England are World Cup contenders,” Leonard says before adding, “Potentially. There is only one real contender at the moment anyway; New Zealand. Judging by November we are alongside the rest of them but New Zealand are streets ahead. Even when Graham Henry changed the team they kept performing, kept winning.
“We won the World Cup with 30 players. Every guy was ready to step up and was good enough to perform. It was seamless. New Zealand have that. No one else does.”
This is borne out by looking at the starting XV against Ireland in 2003 and the side that took the field against Australia in the World Cup final six months later. By then Leonard and fellow prop Graham Rowntree had made way for Trevor Woodman and Phil Vickery.
“The current England frontrow is good. Dylan Hartley has answered all his critics. Dan Cole is doing a fine job at tight head and (Alex) Corbisiero has done extremely well since replacing Andrew Sheridan at such short notice. Tom Palmer is in the form of his life while Louis Deacon has developed into a Richard Hill-type character who does all the unpleasant, unseen, physical work.”
Costello is grounded in Madrid this weekend with his duties as a Ryanair pilot taking precedent over any media work. The new career gives him a lot of time up in the clouds to stew over his first passion (“Maybe too much time,” he admits). And there have been plenty of problems to mull over in recent weeks.
In 2003 Costello was experiencing an Indian summer of sorts at international level having been reinvented as a number six to facilitate the inclusion of old Munster rival Anthony Foley in the backrow – both of them were natural born number eights.
That day, along with Keith Gleeson, they were contesting for the messy ball with arguably the greatest backrow of Richard Hill, Neil Back and Lawrence Dallaglio.
“England today are not as good as the 2003 team because they don’t have the force of personality up front. They also had a kicking machine and drop goal machine, which they still have but he was at his peak back then. And they had an inordinate hunger.
“This England team think they are better than they are – and that was reflected last week – but they are typical English; they will be regimented.
“They are buying into what they are doing – it might not always be right but they are buying into it and that means they are a unified team and that always reflects in performances.
“People talk about (Chris) Ashton and the try celebrations that he does. Everyone is entitled to showboat but it shows that these guys have an opinion of themselves.
“So, they won’t care about coming to the Aviva because it is in their history to march all around the world.”
Like many loyal Irish rugby people, Costello is heartened primarily by faith today. But when form is shelved and individual talent compared he still believes victory is achievable.
“Put this England team and this Ireland team together man-for-man this morning and I think Ireland are better.
“Jesus, someone just has to put them right. Be it Deccie or whoever. We have the chess pieces we just have to put them in the right position.” They have to win the game because there is no where else to go.
ENGLAND 2003: J Lewsey; J Robinson, M Tindall, W Greenwood, B Cohen; J Wilkinson, M Dawson; G Rowntree, S Thompson, J Leonard; M Johnson (capt), B Kay; R Hill, N Back, L Dallaglio. Replacements: D Luger for Tindall (71 mins), T Woodman for Rowntree (37 mins).
IRELAND 2003: G Murphy; D Hickie, B O'Driscoll (capt), K Maggs, J Bishop; D Humphreys, P Stringer; M Horan, S Byrne, J Hayes; G Longwell, M O'Kelly; V Costello, K Gleeson, A Foley. Replacements: P O'Connell for Longwell (56 mins), R O'Gara for Humphreys (63 mins), A Quinlan for Costello (65 mins), J Fitzpatrick for Horan (75 mins), G Dempsey for O'Driscoll (80 mins).
The red carpet saga revisited
REGARDLESS OF whether we care anymore, the return of Martin Johnson to Lansdowne Road today in the guise of England manager/head coach reignites the controversy surrounding his refusal, when England captain in 2003, to move to the opposition side of the red carpet before the Grand Slam showdown.
The story goes that superstitious Irish players refused to take up a position on the wrong side so Irish captain Brian O’Driscoll decided to move his team onto the grass to the left of the English. O’Driscoll did consider lining-up shop in front of Johnson but didn’t want a “box in the back of the head.” The major gripe at the time was it forced Irish President Mary McAleese to mucky her nice shoes when greeting the Irish players. However, if you look closely at the footage she steps off the red carpet to meet the English players as well.
Jason Leonard was the starting tight head prop that day and he is adamant it wasn’t a pre-planned manoeuvre. “We didn’t have a clue at all apart from a guy who asked Martin to move. Two things come to my mind about that. One, Martin Johnson was never going to move and two, it was 30 seconds before the game. You have to understand our mentality at that point. By not moving for no one it showed our intent. We knew what was coming. The first 10, 15 minutes we were under the cosh. Ireland threw everything at us and we had to soak it up before getting into our game. We had to show we were ready for that confrontation.
“We were never going to take a backward step that day and we didn’t. Think about it: asking Martin Johnson, of all people, to take a backward step just moments before kick-off with the Grand Slam on the line. Never going to happen, mate.”
