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England Rugby 1995 Shirt Polo Grand Slam is inspired by the great team of 1995 led by Will Carling..
Read More England Rugby 1995 Grand Slam
The England team of 1995 was one of the finest teams to wear the famous Red Rose. The squad included the nucleus of the successful 1991 and 1992 Grand Slam teams with Rob Andrew, Jerry Guscott, Rory Underwood, Brian Moore, Jason Leonard, Tim Rodber and Dean Richards. But, they’d added fresh blood to the line-ups with the likes of Mike Catt, Tony Underwood, Kyran Bracken, Victor Ubogu, Martin Johnson and Ben Clarke. All led superbly by Will Carling.
A trip to Dublin to play Ireland in their first outing of the new campaign. Although the Irish led by Brendan Mullin and including Conor O’Shea and Keith Wood competed well. England took a half time lead of 12-3 and were never troubled in the second half. The finished winners by 20 points to 8. Will Carling, Ben Clarke and Tony Underwood all crossed for tries and Rob Andrew slotted a conversion and a drop goal. For Ireland Anthony Foley scored a lone try and Paul Burke kicked a penalty goal.
It was the unpredictable French at Twickenham Stadium in front of a sell-out crowd on the 4th February 1995. Once again as they’d done a few weeks earlier in Dublin – England totally controlled the game. Tony Underwood scored a brace of tries and Jerry Guscott added the third. Fly Half Rob Andrew had a good game with the boot adding two conversions and four penalties to extend England’s victory to 31 points to 10. The French scorers were replacement Sebastien Viars who scored a try. Thierry Lacroix playing in the Centres added a conversion and an additional penalty goal.
Read More England Rugby Grand Slam 1995 – Wales and Scotland next
Wales were fired up as normal for the visit of England to Cardiff. That emotion boiled over somewhat when Welsh Prop John Davies was shown the Five Nations’ first red card by Referee Didier Mené for kicking England Back Row Forward Ben Clarke. The sending off didn’t help the Welsh cause, but England always looked the stronger team winning by a margin of 14 points. Tries came from Victor Ubogu and Rory Underwood with his own brace of tries. The reliable Rob Andrew once again added a conversion and two penalties. Wales’s points came from the boot of Neil Jenkins.
The tournament had taken a surprisingly similar course to five years earlier, where England and Scotland both won their first three matches and met in the final week. An undefeated record, a Grand Slam, Triple Crown and the Calcutta Cup all at stake for the victor. However, this time it was England who prevailed in the deciding match.
It was a try-less finale. For Scotland Gavin Hastings kicked two penalties and Craig Chalmers a couple of drop goals. But, England with Rob Andrew provided the ‘trump card’ – his seven penalties and a drop goal meant England fans left the Twickenham Stadium celebrating a wonderful Grand Slam.
