The Vault: England 21 France 19, March 1991

Relive England's Grand Slam win over France at Twickenham in 1991.

[@iandavis1723]

As an Englishman i loved that French team.

[@roatanowl8791]

me too, still get goosebumps watching THAT try

[@clairau]

And as a Frenchman I loved that English side. One of the most talented ones. Tremendous backs.

[@PhilippeMarchand-xw1zp]

I remember watching this match at a Paris bar. French and English team had opposite style. France decided to run with ball in hands all over the pitch while England had a great pack that crushed the French one. Although we lost it's one of my best memory as a rugby fan.

[@creynolds094]

This match was part of my favourite exhibit at the World Rugby Museum at Twickenham Stadium for many years. It's now gone. Sad!

[@RobHavardThefarmingecologist]

Have to say some of the straight running and quick hands is far better than you often see today. Speed if Richard Hills pass off the floor should be watched by every England scrum half. Speed and quality of rucking is also much better when everyone HAS to stay on their feet. Some great quick rucking too from both sides.

[@kundaigotore992]

Modern rugby is about minimising risk

[@trin08201]

His pass was excellent

[@vincentc3475]

Despite the defeat, i must admit that this is the best Crunch ever (just before the worst during the RWC'91).

[@vincentc3475]

0:55 A small precision: It's not the French but the British journalists who called this try "The try of the century".

[@ZEP0034]

Was this the best five nations gane ever?

[@mickymally1]

The Policeman at 4.46 :)

[@JP1234815]

Some called Will Carling the 'Douglas Jardine' of English Rugby - in so far as he developed tactics that were almost universally condemned (usually by the Southern Hemisphere giants). Some even went as far as saying it was killing Rugby as a spectator sport. The whole idea was to starve the opposition of ball, frustrate the opposition into giving silly penalties away and make the opposition tackle so much they were physically knackered by the 60th minute. (this was when Rugby was still amateur) The game would then open up in the last quarter. Effective but not pretty!

[@julianhodgson1961]

The idea for any team playing a game is to win it’s as simple as that - if the winning score is 3-0 then so be it.

[@stanmonzon5788]

I really miss the amateur days when the England team was made up of police officers, army/navy/RAF types, city traders etc.

[@homeone4054]

And quick rucks

[@stanmonzon5788]

@@homeone4054 no

[@jamesstafford1514]

You miss city traders playing for England?

[@stanmonzon5788]

@@jamesstafford1514 Yes. You know, yer Probyn’s and yer Winterbottoms. City types. Maybe not traders. Put the beers away in the weekend.

[@peterchessell28]

@@stanmonzon5788 Winterbottom was a farmer.

[@ceciletokarev3689]

Another match of this era France would have win with the rule of 5 points try.... :-(

[@JP1234815]

It was the year after when the try was made into a 5 pointer

[@gg0u1239]

A few comments. 1. What a fucking game. 2. The camerawork is awful. That sella try is probably the best try ever scored at twickenham and deserves better. 3. Nigel starmer smith I always imagine commenting with a cape and a cane, and with a swish him leaving the commentary box stage exeunt. 4 bill Beaumont is so dull. 5. Would the result have changed with modern rules and five points for a try. Can’t be arsed checking

[@jamesstafford1514]

Try was not scored by Sella, but Phillipe Saint-Andre. As for the five point try question, it doesn't really work like that. Teams played with the scoring of the time in mind. So a try got you at most six points with a kick, not seven. That influences how you play/when you decide to kick, etc as the maths are different.

[@gg0u1239]

@@jamesstafford1514 you’re right on saint Andre. Massive schoolboy error

[@gg0u1239]

But game won by two points I think? I don’t think it would have matters unless France out tried England by two

[@gg0u1239]

France definitely got two great tries. Pretty sure Underwood got one for England. Webb probably won it

[@gg0u1239]

Another fucking error. Looks like it was heslop kicking