Whenever you have a bad day, just watch this through and you will end up with a grin on your face and a tear in your eye. What a golden age of rugby for us Englishmen and full respect to the uploader for such a brilliant video.
"by the Northern hemisphere" You are damning with faint praise and your little southern ruse doesn't fool us. "by BOTh northern and southern hemispheres" you mean, you cheeky little silly southerner
This was a truly great team, they could play it tight and play it wide and play in the wet or play in the dry, unlike all the northern hemisphere teams since. Proud to be English regardless of the standard of our Team.
Lomu was close to unstoppable when he got going (being 18+ st and 6'5" might've had something to do with it), but Robinson's acceleration and step were in a different league (pun intended). One of my favorite parts of this video is the French commentators wetting themselves over Robinson's sidestep score against their team.
Biggest difference for me is that this team had forwards of superhuman toughness. The southern hemisphere teams like nothing more than roughing up England with tactics that frequently fall outside the law. A lot of the time it works. With these boys it never worked, it was simply impossible to intimidate them. Thompson, Vickery, Back, Johnson, Dallaglio, Tindall, Worsley etc. Men made of granite.
Indeed. This pack of forwards was absolutely sensational. In a tough man's game, they were the best of the time. And it wasn't as though the other major teams had lousy packs, either. They were the top of a crowded field. And then, you had a fantastic set of backs who could all tackle, run and pass, with the best fly-half in the game. In retrospect, their victory in 2003 WC was all but assured: They really were the best team of that era.
I trained with Dallaglio and he was a monster. Tackling him was like hitting a wall. But what you don't see is how quick he is for someone 6'5. He won the world 7s championships and that's quick!
Lardinho Redbeard England have won the world cup you invalid, infact they're the only European National side that has ever won it and the first northern hemisphere team to win it in the southern hemisphere. So if you're going to talk shit on the internet, atleast have your facts right you half-wit.
RedDeadBret so what mate, England are so far behind NZ , Aus and SA its a joke. Get in Eddie Jones and beat a bunch of shit teams and suddenly the world cup is on. Give me a fucking break dude. Eddie Jones is good and talking pure shit though. Rather than head down chin up he starts talking it up like England have gone back to back.
TheForge10 I don't understand your argument, what - New Zealand are better than England? Well done mate, no one is arguing that. Seriously whats the point of your even commenting here in the first place? Other than being a clueless troll, and a bad one at that.
Remember how England were knocked out of the 1999 then in 2003 won a grand slam, then the world cup then were the best team in the world. Fingers crossed for 2019.
Quite possibly the best summery of those wonder years. Had a smile on my face all the through that video and could watch it over and over again. I still get shivers down my spine every time I watch the drop goal and hear the commentators. FANTASTIC
Started playing rugby when I started school in 2001 when I joined school, and honestly re watching this just brings them happy days back again. I can still smell deep heat watching this. Still best friends with all my rugby mates from school, all been best men at each others weddings, and just about all of us still play together for the same team. Rugby really is the best sport on earth
The best team England have ever produced - I think they'd beat most teams playing today.They were so confident on the ball: heads and eyes up, passing out of the tackle, no-look passes, running everything, never scared, always looking for a way to win, always looking to keep the ball moving. I feel lucky to have been able to watch England play in this era and hope we can come close again some time soon!
Thing is, it could easily be half an hour long. We were that good in those days, won that many games and scored that many outstanding tries. Greenwood, Balshaw, Luger, Cohen, Wilkinson, Robinson, Dawson, Lewsey - deadliest set of backs we've ever had.
Thanks Martin. We had a great year in 2016 and I hope we can do something similar this year, but it will be difficult. Assume you are a South African - I hope your team recovers and becomes more competitive this year - IMO a strong South Africa is good for international rugby.
I was in the pub reading the independent or guardian and when i read what Clive Woodward was doing with them, a good time before the world cup started, I stopped everyone from talking and said 'mark this moment, I am telling you now they will win the world cup'. I love the comments here but it's all about the players, and yes that's true, but what Clive did with them, taking them away from everybody, doing different things with them (basketball, army iirc) created the bonds that were unbreakable. Amazing video.
Woah, what a great video. England such a magnificent team in that era. Some incredible phases. The breaks, handling and offloads were unbeatable. This video certainly pays tribute to the wonderful team of 2003!
Thanks for the upload, this truly was an amazing era and fantastic time for English rugby, a team that can be measured against any 15 throughout the history of the game. World class players in every position, competition for places, oustanding management and the cherry on top Jason Robinson
Thank you so much for this video. I have been watching alot of these 'golden era' matches recently. I used to have friends (mainly from Wales ;) ) who never understood the fuss about Jonny. Regardless of his kicking and his ferocious tackling - the solo try vs NZ in 2002 at Twickers says it all. I really hope that England Rugby nurture Henry Slade or Elliot Daly into the sort of player Will Greenwood was. We have never found a replacement since he retired and I fear we won't win another World Cup until we do. Excellent vid.
What a generation, such amazing players all at once. And this is definitely one of my favourite videos out there on the internet, sums up everything that was great about that team. I really wish I could be older and more linked to rugby back then to follow the England team at their peak, or at least I wish England could play like that now.
I was too young to be massively into rugby at the time, it would be a few more years before I truly fell in love with the sport, yet all of these are players I knew and admired even without being a big follower at the time. As a kid it was impossible not to see that style of rugby and not know you were witnessing something very special. I wonder how many thousands of others fell in love with rugby thanks to this very special side and the amazing memories they gave us all?
Hopefully you will be making another England Golden Era video in a number of years from 2016, the six nations grand slam and test series win in Aus starting it all off. :)
Great video mate well done, I remember watching the final of the 2003 RWC i had a Saturday morning detention at school i ran home for the last 20 minutes I remember my dad crying when JW got the drop goal. Sensational stuff hopefully we can see a re-kindling of those times under new manager Eddie Jones, from what I've read he wants to return that huge destructive English set piece that we've be lacking for many years. Sounds like a bloody good idea to me.
This is what legends are made of - so so proud of these games and top players still sends my heart racing and a tingle down my spine .......... 1.36 Robinson bang GONE !!
What an unbelievable squad we had: back up players such as Moody, Bracken, Leonard, Catt, Corry, Worsley and Healey - all quality in their own right. In the starting 15 we had so many leaders out there, something which is sadly lacking today - the likes of Tindall now receiving the captaincy by default as he has been around for a while. It's actually sad to watch this and realise how far we slipped immediately after the 2003 RWC and 8 years on we show no signs of ever reaching that level again.
it wasnt neccessarily how good each individual player was, it was the chemistry of all of the players in the england team then, now the ENgland team as so many different players in the team all the time they cant settle into their team and bond
England got a standing ovation in this six nations for just playing like wales-point made... The reason the Welsh bragged was that we're the only team to ever get 3 grandslams within 8 seasons-and no-one expected it ;) having said that-these were golden years for England; who were phenomenal! hopefully they'll have a good next few years :)
macgriff66 What is it with you NZers? You've got to be the most precious wankers on the planet (God forbid anyone but NZ celebrate their rugby). Not even the Australians are as bad. Why come and troll on a video celebrating what was and is globally recognized as a great team? They didn't play boring rugby at all. You don't get to and win a WC by playing boring rugby. This is a team that was in development since 1998, had come through a miserable World Cup in 1999 and then beat a very good Australian side in the final of 2003. For English kids, to which rugby is by far and away not a cultural icon as it is in NZ, they are definitely something to aspire to. Now piss off you Anglophobic CUNT (you're definitely not a sports fan).
England played 10 man rugby and 10 man rugby is boring......simple as that......if english kids want to be the best then they should aspire to play like the All Blacks because they are the best.....we understand why you english rugby fans dont like NZers......it's because we're better.....and have been for over 100 years.
***** pretty much every one gave away penalties against us, we had the best pack in the world. We actually gave away more than the aussies in the WC final though. We just had half man half machine wilko at 10.
Everything about England's Golden Era is outstanding. If they ever retrieve this standard of play then England will be the best rugby nation in the world. When they beat the All Black's, everyone was singing our anthem and 'Swing low, sweet chariot'. The atmosphere was unbelievable! I cannot wait to go to Twickenham and watch England play rugby at its finest. England were the best nation for rugby during this time, I as well as most hope we relive this era. Swing low, sweet chariot!
Guetteba; I haven't come across anyone better at capturing and evoking the passion and emotion that rugby stirs within. Your rugby flicks are simply magic. As a proud Englishman, I think this is your best to date. I'd back the English national team from the beginning of the 2000's against anyone past/present. They were a special team. Could I suggest a career retrospective of the great Mr J Wilkinson as a future project? Many thanks again for all your awesome work.
Amazing this team doesn't get more recognition. We peaked before the World Cup really, which I think made people forget how good we were at our best. The reality is that for a long time we were absolutely untouchable. The team had everything.
I love this vid. Memories of 2000-2003. England are behind the ABs but accelerating. It's a young England side but they will have to go some to challenge for the WC next year. Home advantage might help. I certainly hope so.
The Will Greenwood try v Wales is the best in my opinion. Jason Robinson's speed, agility and stamina are incredible during his break, and the support play from Greenwood was amazing. I'm Welsh and of course I was supporting Wales that day, but the England team from 2001-2003 was truly incredible. Hats off to them, they were deserved World Champs.
There's only three things that have made me cry in my adult life. Watching my daughter being born was one: watching Concorde take off was another: and seeing this fabulous England team win the WC after wiping the floor with every other side in the world. What a team they were. Well done to NZ: you deserve the WC. But let this Englishman have his memories of 2003.
awesome video, makes you realise what a truly great team that was, cohen, robbo and lewsey as the back 3, how we could do with those three in the current team.
If you are English, this video must make you very proud. I'm from New Zealand, an I cannot but be impressed by that era. I noticed there passing and general play - unselfish an for the jersey an not themselves. Seemed to play with confidence, skill an unity that is obviously a trait of great teams. Cannot wait for France too deliver their great team. No doubt just a matter of when.
