Neil Back reveals the butchered try and the late substitute that changed the course of the 2003 World Cup final
Former England loose forward Neil Back has revealed the pivotal sequence of events that allowed Jonny Wilkinson to land his iconic match-winning drop goal against the Wallabies in the 2003 World Cup final.
The three-pointer landed by Wilkinson on the brink of full-time in extra-time to hand England their first-ever world title has long been heralded as one of the most iconic moments in the history of the game.
The 97-test playmaker’s exploits pushed England into a 20-17 lead with mere seconds left on the clock, leaving Australia no time to force a comeback as Martin Johnson became the first Englishman to lift the Webb Ellis Cup aloft.
Speaking to RugbyPass in an exclusive interview alongside ex-Wallabies centurion Matt Giteau, Back – who started at openside flanker for England in that match – pinpointed two key moments throughout the contest that led to arguably the most memorable and dramatic drop goal of all-time.
After having gone behind early in the match thanks to a Lote Tuqiri try inside the opening five minutes, Wilkinson landed three consecutive penalties that pushed England into the lead by the half hour mark.
https://www.instagram.com/tv/CBfHH_bFvL4/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
A Jason Robinson try near the end of the half left Sir Clive Woodward’s men with a 14-5 advantage at half-time, but Back re-called a butchered try by lock Ben Kay that could have given his side an even healthier lead.
“We’re playing well, we’re challenging them, we create an opportunity,” Back said of a loose ball that was toed through by blindside flanker Richard Hill to place England deep inside opposition territory.
With the Wallabies scrambling defensively, an overlap opened up for the English just metres from the Australian tryline, but a dropped ball by Kay left the reigning Six Nations champions reeling without any points.
“A ruck, a little pass from Back, Daws [England halfback Matt Dawson] is at the contact and then passes to Ben Kay. He drops the ball,” Back laughed as he recalled the incident.
That handling blunder allowed the Wallabies to claw their way back into the contest, with three second half penalties to Wallabies midfielder Elton Flatley – including one on the stroke of full-time – sent the game into a period of extra-time.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CBkQtyeAGjT/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Wilkinson and Flatley traded a penalty goal apiece to leave the score tied up at 17-all with three minutes to play, with another period of sudden-death action looming on the horizon.
However, Back said the way in which he and his teammates rallied behind Kay following his error, as well as the introduction of Lewis ‘Mad Dog’ Moody in the dying stages of the encounter, laid the foundations for Wilkinson to land his famous drop goal.
“Lewis ‘Mad Dog’ Moody was called it for a reason. He chased everything, he chased the ball like a bone, and he created a charge down on Mat Rogers, their fullback, that skewed his kick,” Back said.
“We got a lineout about 38 metres out, and this is where this next jump call comes into play because if we’d have ranked Ben Kay for dropping the ball over the line in that first half, he wouldn’t have made this lineout call now.
“You’re 38 metres out, you’ve got a minute 10 [seconds] on the clock, it’s 17-all, and you’ve got to get in a position to score a try, kick a penalty or drop a goal.
“Because Ben Kay was supported by his teammates, he made this call. If you wanted to secure possession to get in a position to score points to win a game in a World Cup final, any game, are you going to throw it to the front of the lineout to Martin Johnson, your captain, short throw?
https://www.instagram.com/tv/CBlvc5nAjiE/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
“Are you going to throw it to Ben Kay, your lineout leader, your lineout caller?
“Or are you going to throw it to Mad Dog Moody, who’d just come on like a flipping crazy man with a midget – and that’s me – lifting him behind?
“What way are you going to go? Well, if Ben Kay wasn’t mentally tough, if the players didn’t support him, he’d have called it to Johnno [Johnson] – easy ball, front ball, secure the possession.
“We sort of referred to Hannibal, who won battles in wars, doing exactly the opposite of what his opponents expected, or history had dictated what happened before, so he was brave enough to call it to the back of the lineout [to Moody].”
Moody won the ensuing lineout throw, and two phases later, after a sniping dart around the ruck fringes from Dawson to put his side inside the Australian 22, Wilkinson popped through the historic drop goal to give England the victory.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CBht128AKfN/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
While England are yet to add a second World Cup crown to their name, Back said the achievements of the 2003 squad can never be taken away from them.
“I was lucky enough to win everything you could win as a Northern Hemisphere club and international player, [but] this was a World Cup. We were world champions for the next four years. No one could ever take that away from us,” he said.
“You’re a world champion for the rest of your life.”
Join us at 3pm Sunday afternoon UK time for a full replay of the 2003 World Cup final
Comments on RugbyPass
I reckon it may be Jordan at 10 and Nohamba at 9, both players have played together alot and both have been on the Radar for a long time. After Pollard got injured in 2022 with Elton sidelined on a path of self destruction Erasmus and Nienaber indicated that the other options in the country at the time were thin but that Jordan and Manie were the 2 they were looking at. In the end Frans steyn played flyhalf, Willemse slotted in there on the end of year with Libbok as back up. Jordan was right there in the thinking back then so expect him to take the Jersey either as the starter.
1 Go to commentsHaha did he always say it in a sarcastic teacher sort of manor or was it the petulant English snob sort of wail?
42 Go to commentsWell said Mils. It is a big boost at last having Fergus Burke back at 10 for the Crusaders. Had a great season last year as the article says. Mils is also right about captain Codie Taylor’s performance in his return to the Crusaders last week. He was all class.
4 Go to commentsLet’s make them both Capt. I think we'd get the best of both of them and it would help alleviate some of the pressures of the role. They'd have to confer over on field decisions which should lead to “ learnings “ for both. They are our two best consistent performers.
16 Go to commentsOur best player by far..but not a good Captain..poor tactician cost the AB'S and Canes games by not taking the easy points and going for tries when the lineouts were a shambles..can he read a game? And his throat slitting gesture should disqualify him from the AB Captaincy..it is not the appropriate behaviour of an AB Captain.
16 Go to commentsForget what was said or how many players said it. TONY BROWN IS THE NEW ATTACK COACH. That’s the only story worth freaking out over. The springboks are going to grow their game an awful lot over the next cycle and it’s not just the 19 disgustingly arrogant Irish players who refused to shake Ebens hand and said “see you in the final if you can cheat your way past France” who will find that out first hand.
122 Go to commentsOn one hand I think it's a bit ridiculous that this gar into the season and with only 2 wins the Crusaders may make the finals. On the other hand if it was only top 4 or 5, then that last several weeks may be mainly dead rubbers. Nope, 8th place after round robin shouldn't be able to lift the trophy.
4 Go to commentsI do think the media in NZ treated him badly. Sam is a legend. He is humble, a great rugby mind and leader. What happened in the final could happen to anyone. The margins is so fine these days. I lay blame at the feet of the coaching staff and NZ rugby. The stats tell’s all. The AB’s was the worst disciplined side in the WC with more red and yellow cards than anyone else. Problem is NZ rugby is not training their players to play safer. And thats the danger a fast game brings. More yellow and red cards. But Sam Cane in my eye was and still is a great ambassador for the game, that just had a stroke of bad luck.
6 Go to commentsI hope Jim and co. Add this to their list of icebreaker questions they can ask all their guests going forward. So we can eventually hear what everyone thinks about this subject. “What do you think Ireland meant…”
122 Go to commentsHe’s a dominant personality. That might be both a good and bad thing in team dynamics. Certainly it ruined Smith’s first crack at 10 with Owen at 12. BTW, Bristol flatter to deceive. When things really matter, they tend to deliver less rather than more. Farrell would have been good for them
42 Go to commentsGot a lot of over the top abuse from Crusader fans, in particular, who thought every 7 they had was miles better. Now we will see if anyone is better? Laid his body on the line every game so finishing early makes sense. A lot of life left after rugby.
6 Go to commentsA poor decision to appoint Carley as not only is Pearce a better referee but also importantly speaks French.
2 Go to commentsHe is 100 % on the mark. Malicious arrogance with a lack of respect for the other teams mostly the south. they must learn from True rugby nations like the Boks and Kiwis
122 Go to commentsThis Outiniqua boy has played sublime rugby and deserves a spot in BI LIONS team. Well played son
4 Go to commentsI don’t like to see players miss big matches but this ban looks to be tailored to allow him to compete in the final. In principle a suspension for a very dangerous tackle in a semi should warrant missing the relevant final. Done now. One the flip side having both teams with very strong squads/teams available for the final will add to the occassion hopefully.
1 Go to commentsTalent to burn and a huge engine..hope he gets a shot at higher honours
2 Go to commentsIf anything like his dad he has a bright future, Soane was the best ball carrying props ive ever seen using a combination of pace power and footwork.
1 Go to commentsThose who saw Sharks vs Clermont and Ox N'Che vs Rabah Slimani should have a good idea of the best scrumagers… May be not the best props…
2 Go to commentsIt's been an unusual era of unpopular, highly competitive, domineering, fairly big fly halves in the home nations with Farrell, Sexton and Biggar. Russell is different in personality and player I think. I'd rank Sexton first of the three because he is just as good a game controller but also has a great passing game. And his competitiveness never seems to cause problems with refs.
42 Go to commentsThank goodness he wasn't born in Scotland, he'd have been a great candidate for the Scottish Barbarians. I wouldn't put it past them to push for a “where the player was conceived” rule 😂
2 Go to comments