Maybe it was the fact that it was the turning of... professional from amateur to professional but that that 97 tour we talk about it all the time it lit something in the two of us that you know you always if you play the game you wanted to play for your country but just to see the elevation that there was something higher but that that tour was special just maybe you might tell us a bit about that group that 97 group and just you know your time with that one each because that was something iconic

Um, yeah, it turned out very, very special and I think it was almost just the right things in the right place at the right time.

Um, four years earlier, the lines in 93 had been selected by committee, um, which you know, gave an interesting group.

When Fran Cotton, who was manager, asked if I'd be coach in 97, I just said, Fran, please, yes, but on two conditions.

Jim Telford coaches the forwards and that you, me and Jim coach actually select the squad.

I said, if I'm going to fail, I want to fail with the players that I've chosen, not somebody else has chosen.

And Fran was a brilliant manager.

You know, there were some incredible ones.