Time to talk about the 1995 you-know-what

It’s ODD how some Grand Slams get lost in the mists of time, seemingly never to be mentioned again. Take England in 1995. Thirty years ago this weekend Will Carling’s team were closing out their third Slam in five years with a 24-12 victory over Scotland at Twickenham with Rob Andrew kicking seven penalties and a dropped goal for the men in white.

- BRENDAN GALLAGHER

Lest we forget England have won only two Slams – 2003 and 2016 – in the 30 long winters that have followed so you would think this triumph might feature more prominently in our collective consciousnesses yet I can scarcely remember anybody mentioning the 1995 Slam, the last by any team in the amateur era. It’s as if it didn’t happen. I feel almost certain for example that no reunion lunch has been organised to mark the occasion.

In fact you can almost extend this mysterious absence of memory to the 1995 Championship generally and I’m as guilty as anybody. I covered the entire shooting match from start to finish and virtually my only memory is of the ‘Toonie flip’ from Gregor Townsend that created the Gavin Hastings try under the posts which saw Scotland finally claim their first-ever win at the Parc des Princes.

I had even forgotten that Scotland had travelled down to Twickenham for that final game seeking a Grand Slam themselves, such a high profile game would be a tumultuous occasion these days. Nothing really registered and I wonder why that is.