I'll never forget that awesome 2002-2003 England team. From the autumn internationals of 2002 through to the RWC win in November 2003 they were magnificent. I'll probably not see such a dominant England team again in my life, but thanks for the memories guys!
They played their best Rugby in the first 4 games of the 2001 6 Nations. Outplayed Wales, France, Scotland and Italy with a mixture of Barbarians style running rugby mixed with a strong scrum. Jason Robinson was beating 15-20 defenders a game and it was that Championship where New Zealand, South Africa and Australia suddenly paid attention to England as a credible threat. I guarantee if they played that way today they would have just as much success.
Cohen's try at 1:20.50 a just a thing of incredible beauty. I watched it live and I still think that this game was England's best performance since professionalism
Sir Clive Woodward afterwards credited Will Carling and the England side of 10 years before for that maul. He (Sir Clive) was more than happy to 'borrow' moves from any side if he thought it would bring England success.
If they'd won that warm-up match in Marseille then they would have held the (as far as I know) unique record of having won their most recent home and away matches against ALL the major rugby nations - Argentina, Australia, France, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Scotland, South Africa, Wales. I think New Zealand may have done it in the last few years but haven't checked. Anyway this was a great match and a brilliant England performance - the highlight for me was THAT rolling maul.
I'm Aussie but that England squad was absolutely quality in all areas. They deserved the 2003 RWC no doubt. Funny that Eddie is now England Coach as opposed to this match.
Thanks for Uploading ! Love to watch those Rugby matches of England too(2000-2003) It was a great preparation match for World Cup Great Vintage matches ! Cohen and especially Wendell Sailor were amazing that night ! Can you upload WC99 England v Fidji ?
Wonderful sound of commentating at around 35:00 yes the tackled player failed to release the ball, at no time was the tackled player released to be given a chance to play the ball.
The Aussie try at the end would not have been given had they used the TMO as they do nowadays: the wingers boots were over the touch-in-goal line before he actually touched it down as the commentator suggested. Great rugby by the English - Thompson and his props were great ball carriers. Can't see that Neil Back would have been selected in the modern era either. Loved England's back three. Not impressed by Bracken's passing: it seemed that Jonny took the ball above his head virtually every time. Jonno immense, and Lawrence D too. Great stuff.
England (As mentioned in the commentary) were on a run of 13 wins before this game. After this game England only lost once through to after the World cup. The game England lost was a friendly away to France, where England fielded their reserves. England lost the game to a last minute score by the French. It's such a shame that had that last minute French score not occurred there would be no debate about this team being the best ever as they would have had the record for most consecutive wins.
C'est quand-même dingue comme l'Australie dépendait de Larkham... Sans lui, ou diminué, ce n'était plus la même équipe: c'est flagrant ici mais même pendant la finale les sept minutes qu'il a passé à se faire soigner ont été décisives: sans lui les Wallabies jouent "faux", sont empruntés, manquent de confiance offensive comme défensive, et face à cette équipe d'Angleterre parfaitement "rôdée" ça ne pouvait pas pardonner...
Everybody is talking about these double performances vs NZ and Oz in 2003 as historic for the NH, when France had already win both sides in various occasions in 1977, 1984, 1989 or 1994
at 1.38 an Ozzie throws a punch at Lewsey who gets his retaliation in with a completely legal tackle that nearly cuts him in half at 1.41the perfect reply!!
If like me you came here for the famous rolling maul, it's on 46 minutes. Can anyone tell me whether it should have been a penalty try though? Looks like Gregan came in and stopped it from the side in desperation, and you can't do that, right? Can't blame him, just that it would have been awesome for that to have ended in a score!
I recall watching that and being amazed... Leicester used to do that so well for years. (Jonno and Back played for them ) but possibly the 1st time they performed it at international level. Of course the whinging Aussies said it was illegal ha ha
Here's what happens when England has an 85% win probability against Australia. Australian commentators: I'm bitter. I'm going to hit the Fosters, HARD. Anyway, England cheated. English commentators: I just know England are going to lose this in the end.
"Richard Hill, the typical pommish whinger" Can you imagine Bill McLaren saying that or Nigel Starmer-Smith? No, me neither. The only so-called 'commentator' worse than this mob of bigots is Murray Mexted. Or Simon Poidevin (another Australian)
Here is the thing with this era of rugby...15 men faced 15 men on a constant weekly basis...for their country with less rules and I guess less money too. But Men played the game. Not to say current rugby players aren't men but there is a difference...you guys know what I mean?
"Richard Hill, the typical pommish whinger" Can you imagine Bill McLaren or Nigel Starmer-Smith saying that? No, me neither. But then it doesn't get much worse than this third-rate 'commentary' team. Only the likes of Simon Poidevin or the dreadful Murray Mexted go lower still. Now, you make a comment like that about an Aussie player and you'd never hear the end of it...
