Peter Wheeler: Firsts & Lasts
The latest in our series speaking to former England captains about their First and Last as skipper.
Leicester legend, Peter Wheeler, was a tough, technically accomplished hooker who was outstanding in the loose. He won 41 England caps, five as captain.
His international debut came at the age of 26, although he had been part of an uncapped England tour in 1971, playing Japan, Hong Kong, Ceylon and Singapore. He was reserve for the 1974 British & Lions, having begun an illustrious career with the Barbarians that same year, going on to tour twice with the Lions to New Zealand in 1977 and South Africa in 1980.
He made 349 appearances for Leicester Tigers and as captain, led them to a hat trick of John Player Cup victories. He retired, aged 35, as England’s most capped hooker.
On retirement, in 1987-88, he became Leicester coach, winning the first national Courage League for Division One Clubs. He would go on to become club President and then, when the game went professional, became Leicester’s CEO. After over 40 years’ service to his club, he was made a Life Member.
Always a players’ player both on and off the pitch, he had a leading role in the development of the professional game in England and Europe, and this season he has served as RFU President.
An unexpected opportunity v the All Blacks
In October 1983, Derek Morgan became Chairman of England Selectors and after New Zealand’s tour to Argentina was prevented by the Falklands War, the RFU invited the All Blacks to play in England instead. An international uncapped match against Canada was already scheduled. “Derek contacted me before the team to play Canada was named. He said they were looking for a senior player with the players’ respect who might help start a recovery from the difficulties of the previous season,” Peter recalls.
“I was delighted to lead England into the Canadian game but, with no disrespect to our visitors, with the news that the All Blacks were touring, it was like being called on to lead a final trial side. We all knew the real job was coming and that the Canada game provided the opportunity to make a complete hash of it and have the main prize, a cap against New Zealand, snatched away.”
However, 10 days before that England international, Peter was to captain the Midlands Division, which included eight Leicester team mates, who beat New Zealand 13-9.
First - 19 November 1983 at Twickenham (England 15 – 9 New Zealand)
A week short of his 35th birthday, Peter captained England against the All Blacks, who were unbeaten in England at Twickenham for 47 years.
“At the time I was an insurance broker in the City. I think I’d given up on captaincy because Bill Beaumont had been outstanding and then, when he retired, we’d had a succession of people. I didn’t get the nod because Dick Greenwood, the England coach, probably thought I was too old. After we beat the All Blacks at Welford Road, Dick told me he was making me captain because he couldn’t ignore the evidence of his own eyes!
“In the Midlands game I’d broken my thumb in an altercation with one of the All Black props and their hooker also had a damaged thumb. We’d both kept it quiet and been strapped up, until after the England game. My wife Margaret was there on the day but my parents were looking after our children. My dad only came to watch me at Twickenham once, he couldn’t handle the tension.
“The team had very little time together before the game. On the Monday night of match week we trained at Stourbridge, hosted by their chairman John Jeavons-Fellows. Then the team met up again at the Petersham in Richmond, to train on the Thursday, with a more gentle run through on the Friday.
'No bigger challenge'
"The match day drive to the stadium on the coach is always very emotional, seeing all the fans waving and cheering and with a multitude of thoughts flashing through your mind: the game ahead, family, the job to be done. I realised how much greater the challenge was as captain of your country: thinking of everyone else, keeping them calm as a team, reassuring them that we were well prepared for the challenge. There is no bigger challenge than the All Blacks.
“Then I was in the England changing room. There was a calmness, everything done, prepared. Everything that you’ve worked so hard for is present in the calmness of that room. There was complete pride in seeing my shirt stretched across two pegs, quietly putting it on; savouring that moment, hoping to cherish it forever in the memory. Some players were deep in their own thoughts, others were giving each other last minute words of encouragement. With five minutes to go, it was time for me to try to find the right words to pull it all together. Then comes the heavy knock on the door and it was time to go.
“In those days, the opposition ran out first and when we emerged from the players’ tunnel, the noise of 60,000 fans was deafening, but exhilarating, especially for the new caps, Colin White and Paul Simpson. Nick Youngs, father to Ben and Tom, was playing his second Test at 9. Before the anthems there are a few important moments for experienced players to encourage the new caps, help them settle into the atmosphere.
'Concentrate on the game'
“The next pull on the emotions was the National Anthem. You’d want it to be the last thing before the whistle but the All Blacks want the last thing to be the Haka. It is a very popular tradition which the crowd love, but it gave them an advantage in the final moments before the game started. I just tried to get everyone in the frame of mind not to be intimidated by it, to disregard it and concentrate on the job in hand.
“We were 6-3 up at half time. From a lineout tap down and maul, lock Maurice Colclough scored his first England try. Dusty Hare was on form, making the conversion and kicking three penalties. The scrum did pretty well but we didn’t generate enough ball for our backs to score tries. The last few minutes were amazing and when the final whistle sounded and the crowd went wild, invading the pitch, everyone cheering and offering to buy us a beer.
“I was changing to go up to town to the team dinner at The Mansion House when, to my astonishment, I got a phone call from Bernard Gadney, who captained England in 1936, the last time we beat the All Blacks at Twickenham. At first I thought someone was playing a joke but he said some of the players from that Test had been having a beer and wanted to congratulate the team. That match, when every player did their job and beat the All Blacks, was one of the very best of my career.”
Last - 17th March 1984 at Twickenham in the Five Nations (England 15 – 24 Wales)
“The Five Nations had not gone well either for us or for Wales. What you need is a good winning start in order to build momentum, but we had lost the first game away to Scotland, who went on to win the Grand Slam. Wales had also lost their first game. Now it was the end of the tournament and we knew neither team was going to win it. However, it was equally important to finish the tournament on a high note.
“In the Five Nations you needed some good results in order to keep the team together, to have any consistency in selection. If you win, you keep the same team and get better and better. If not, there’s a tendency to make changes. We were on the back foot and, in fact, we hadn’t played enough together, as happened in those amateur days. We had two new caps, including Rory Underwood and Paul Rendall on his debut as prop and changes due to injury.
“Wales were in a rebuilding mood, but although they had a good pack and had just beaten Ireland away, it ended up being a disappointing match. It wasn’t a memorable game and neither side played well. But Wales managed a break away, end to end try late in the game, which made it too late for us to come back. Sadly, it meant a disappointing end to the season for us.
“It was difficult coming off the pitch. There is nothing more demanding and exhausting than an international match. We had all worked really hard; we were battered and bruised; we had given our all and we’d lost.
“It was very disappointing, but you’re not going to get over it until you get out there and win again. You have to build your players and the opportunity would present itself with the upcoming South African tour.
“As it happened, I decided not to make myself available for that tour. After more than a decade of playing and touring with England, the Lions, the Barbarians, which was fantastic in those amateur days, alongside the many invitations to play celebratory matches all over the world, I had serious and important decisions to make. I had a baby, a toddler, and an important job to focus on. And I still had my rugby to enjoy at Leicester. You just have to decide what you are going to do next.
'Rugby is all about people'
“To have captained England at that stage of my career was amazing. Yes, I’d like to have done it sooner because you learn so much. Nobody sends you to captains’ school. You have to pick it up, learn from others. Captaincy teaches you leadership, to bring everybody together to become successful - because that’s what you all want.
“And mostly it’s about the people you’ve met at home and around the world. Rugby is all about the people, it is the great people sport.”
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