Hiller’s wonder try offers false hope of new dawn

Brendan Gallagher delves into some of rugby‘s most enduring images, their story and why they are still so impactful

What’s happening here?

It’s March 20, 1971, on a spring day borrowed from early summer and it’s the Calcutta Cup match between England and Scotland at a packed Twickenham. Harlequins full-back Bob Hiller is diving past Scotland wing Billy Steele for what is regularly voted among the best top ten tries ever scored at HQ.

What is the story behind the picture?

It’s England’s last game of the Five Nations and this Calcutta Cup is a basement battle between fourth and fifth, not the way the RFU had envisaged celebrating its centenary. England weren’t in fact a bad team that year, they defeated Ireland in Dublin, drew at home to France and had they won this match they would have finished in second place.

Their style of rugby though was frustrating. While a new-look Wales and the ever-dangerous French seemed so comfortable with the ball in hand, England could still look ponderous in possession. Now, in the final match of the Championship, perhaps they could play with a little more freedom and to that end they selected an exciting young ten from Loughborough University, Dick Cowman. Playing conditions were perfect, could England play a more expansive game?

What happened next?

Yes they could, as this glorious firsthalf try proved. Scotland’s fly-half, Jack Turner, hoisted a high ball which Hiller shaped up to catch five yards inside his 22 but as the heavy traffic came in he was pushed to one side by the burly Jeremy Janion who set off on a counter attack down the left flank, handing off lock Alastair McHarg before dummying and coming back inside sharply and then passing to Cowman on his left.

Cowman then went inside himself and linked with Saints No.8 Bob Taylor who deftly flicked the ball to Chris Wardlow. By now England were really motoring at high speed towards the sunlit north east corner of the ground. Wardlow passed the ball to John Spencer who in coaching textbook fashion drew the final defender to send Hiller sprinting for the corner with only Steele giving forlorn chase.

“This was surely the kind of rugby England should have attempted more often”

Why is the picture iconic?

It’s a glorious action shot of a superb try scored in extremis with the usually deadpan Hiller screaming at the sheer joy – and perhaps shock – of it all. England weren’t meant to play rugby like this, stereotypically they were all about forward grunt and Hiller kicking his penalties or occasionally dropped goals, as he had done the previous year when he landed two monsters to beat Ireland.

Yet with the likes of David Duckham, John Spencer and an attack minded young debutant like Cowman in the backs this was surely the kind of rugby England should have attempted more often. There was so much more for this generation to give. Hiller was typecast as the big-kicking safe pair of hands at full-back but had the selectors not seen him guide Harlequins to the Middlesex Sevens title a few years earlier?

Your eye is also drawn to the onlooking crowd, a wonderful crosssection of early 1970s faces squinting into the low sun… anoraks, NHS glasses, fedora hats, leather jackets, sheepskin coats, cagoules, duffle coats, young, old, men and women. Yes, women at Twickenham in 1971. It’s a much more cosmopolitan gathering than you might have guessed.

There is the super cool guy in the turtle neck jumper and dark jacket who has just lit up a cigarette –a Gitanes no doubt – and refuses, yet, to get carried away. He could be a film star, in fact his face is vaguely familiar. On his left is an older smiling gent in a regulation rain jacket collar and tie. I’m guessing a schoolmaster who had met up with old college mates before the game down at the Cabbage Patch.

On his left is a very smart rather chic lady, the female equivalent of Mr Cool and I am wondering if perhaps they are together, and the schoolmaster chap is in fact her father or fatherin-law. Behind Ms Chic is a very excitable woman who could be her twin sister. She clearly knows a great try when she sees one and is already letting rip.

Let’s move to the left of the picture as we look at it. To the right of Hiller’s head in a clownish floppy hat is a stoutish middle aged bloke, I’ve got him down as a hearty medic from Guys’ or St Mary’s, rather fond of his beer and nosh even though he preaches temperance to his patients.

A little bit further along is a very serious looking type under his hat, glasses and tash. Ex-military, a Mr Mainwaring figure; a bank manager in Surbiton is my guess and no doubt a committeeman with his local club. 

Footnote. It seemed like a new dawn but it wasn’t. England scored a second well-worked try in the second half but still lost to Scotland whose skipper Peter Brown landed a lastminute conversion to win the match 16-15. The following week England lost up at Murrayfield in a special one off game to celebrate the SRU centenary and then in 1972 they encountered a humiliating whitewash in the Championship after which Hiller, among others, was banished.