Club and England Legends Lost
Recent weeks have seen the game lose a number of former England players who were club legends across the country.
Aged from 59 to 90, they were remembered before the Guinness Six Nations at Twickenham when England played Scotland and Italy.
John Pullin, 1941-2021
John Pullin, one of the most outstanding hookers of his day, has died at the age of 79. Awarded 42 England caps between 1966 and 1976, the most for a hooker at that time, and seven for the British & Irish Lions, he captained England wins against New Zealand, South Africa and Australia, another first.
A West Country farmer, and one of Bristol’s most accomplished players, with characteristic wry humour he famously said after captaining England in their 18-9 defeat in Ireland, when other teams would not play there during the Troubles: "We're not much good but at least we turned up."
Said fellow England hooker and former England team dentist, Bill Treadwell: “John was part of an outstanding Bristol team who won most of their games and a tremendously strong opponent. He was quiet off the pitch but a great motivator who commanded respect on it, which was why he captained England and led the players to southern hemisphere victories.”
Dave Egerton, 1961-2021
Former Bath and England back row, Dave Egerton, who has died at the age of 59, was awarded seven England caps between 1988 and 1990 and played for the British & Irish Lions against France in 1989.
A Bath legend, his 163 appearances during a decade at The Rec saw the team, under Jack Rowell, win five league titles and five domestic cups. A back-row forward, who could also cover second row, he made his England debut at No 8 and played flanker for England in the 28-19 defeat of Australia at Twickenham in November 1988.
Said team captain on the day, Will Carling: “Dave was a humble, lovely guy. He was incredibly low key but an amazing athlete who could do most things as a player. He was just fantastic to have in the team, a huge player with a great smile.”
Alan Ashcroft, 1930-2021
Alan Ashcroft, England and British & Irish Lions No 8 died at the age of 90. He played for Waterloo and Lancashire and said fellow Lancastrian, Fran Cotton: “I played against Alan when I first played senior rugby for Liverpool. He was a Lancashire, England and Lions legend and a truly great bloke. One of rugby’s characters, with a tremendous sense of humour, Alan had a fantastic laugh, a booming voice and was an outstanding tough and powerful player.”
Awarded 16 England caps, he made his debut in 1956, and toured with the British & Irish Lions team to Australia and New Zealand in 1959. The son of a miner, rugby was a huge part of Alan’s life. He was Head of Art and Rugby Master at Liverpool College where he inspired many pupils to pursue a passion for both.
John Barton, 1943-2021
John Barton, who has died aged 77, won four England caps, his debut coming against Ireland in 1967 and he also scored two tries for his nation against Wales.
From his senior debut in 1961/62 through to retirement in 1974/75, John played 265 times for Coventry. He was also selected for the Barbarians, the Midlands and Warwickshire. His Coventry club friends were delighted that, despite illness, he managed to join them at their last former players lunch in February 2020.
Nick Drake-Lee, 1942-2021
Nick Drake-Lee, who has died aged 79, was an England prop from 1963 to 1965, winning eight caps and featuring throughout England’s 1963 Five Nations title-winning campaign, scoring a try in the Calcutta Cup match.
He played 73 games for Leicester and was a Cambridge Blue from 1961, an undefeated season, until 1963. A wing forward for Kettering RFC, he served as their seniors coach, mini & juniors coach, and was their President in 1986.
Bob Wilkinson, 1951-2021
Bedford Blues legend Bob Wilkinson has died at the age of 69. He was awarded six England caps and made 311 appearances for the Blues between 1969 and 1985, scoring 37 tries and captaining them from 1976 to 1979.
He also played 19 times for the Barbarians, including in their 1973 defeat of New Zealand at Cardiff. On England’s tour of Australia in 1975, he played against the Wallabies and again the following year as well as every game of the 1976 Five Nations.
He partnered Bill Beaumont in the second row who said: “Bob was a tremendously nice guy and very athletic, a great lineout jumper and a good ball handling player. Because of the competition for the position, he probably didn’t get as many caps as he deserved.”
Phil Horrocks-Taylor, 1934-2021
Phil Horrocks-Taylor Leicester, England and British & Irish Lions fly half, has died aged 86. Born in Halifax, he won Cambridge Blues in 1956 and 1957 and two England caps before joining Leicester Tigers in the 1958/59 season, going on to play for them 92 times.
A rangy number 10, with an excellent kicking game, he was awarded nine England caps between 1958 and 1964 and played for the British & Irish Lions on their tour to Australia and New Zealand in 1959.
Ireland’s Mick English, after missing a tackle on his Lions teammate in the Five Nations famously said: “Horrocks went one way, Taylor went the other and I was left holding the bloody hyphen!”
His teams also included Wasps, Halifax and Middlesbrough, as well as Yorkshire in the County Championship.
