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Trevor Woodman stood in his way at the start of the season, but an injury to the Gloucester prop let Leonard back in to win caps 98 and 99 in the victories against Australia and South Africa. The loose-head won rave reviews for his energetic performances as England went to the top of the world rankings.
“I feel as good as I’ve ever done,” said Leonard. “Even when you’re on the bench you want to come on and do something to help out. It does help when you’re playing in a good England side that’s playing well. England were doing well against Australia and South Africa and it was easy for me to slot straight back in.
“From my point of view the 100th game hasn’t entered my head a lot, because there are so many good players and so many things to worry about like injuries and form. I’ve been thinking more of just playing to get selected – not about running out or accepting awards. If I thought about that, I’d be taking my eyes off the ball.
“It is a great milestone and something I’ll probably enjoy when I’m retired but I’m just as proud of playing in the other 99 games. The best moments in my career have always been pulling on the shirt. All the games are an honour and winning is a big part of it, but the thing I’ll always remember is that the electricity you get doing that has always been the same.”
Leonard can add his century of England caps to his three Grand Slams, three World Cups, three Lions tours and the MBE he received in the Queen’s birthday honours list last year.
And he isn’t finished yet. A fourth World Cup beckons for the only England survivor from the 12-6 defeat against Australia in 1991. “The World Cup is definitely a long term goal,” said Leonard. “I’d love to be able to get half a chance to play. If there’s one thing missing from my CV it’s winning a World Cup.”
Leonard grew up in Chadwell Heath in Essex and started playing the game at the Warren Comprehensive school before one of his teachers, Mickey Eyres, persuaded him to join Barking RFC. By the age of 15 he was in the Barking under-19 side that went on to win the Essex Cup and played for two years in the first team before moving to Saracens and then to Harlequins.
He may have moved across the capital to south west London but his ties with his first club, on and off the pitch, are still strong. The National League Three (South) side have already benefited from his help on the training ground this season.
“I don’t get the chance to get over for more than a couple of training sessions a year – not half as much as I’d like to – but I’m always in touch to see what they’re up to,” he said. “It’s a great place and I’ll always be grateful for the memories I’ve got playing there. It’s great going back there and just being one of the boys.”
Leonard’s England debut was in a hard-fought 25-12 victory in Buenos Aires on July 28 1990 and started a run of 55 England appearances in seven years, interrupted only when he was rested for one game during the 1995 World Cup.
By then he had taken part in England’s Grand Slam Five Nations campaigns in 1991, 1992 and 1995 as well as appearing in a World Cup final and semi-final.
He had also survived a career-threatening injury in the summer of 1992, when a disc was removed from his neck and replaced with bone taken from his pelvis.
The surgery conducted by Jonathan Johnson was complicated. “Jon worked out that the best way for him to operate was by going through the front of my neck, either side of the throat and major vessels,” said Leonard. He was playing for England again by October that year.
Since then he believes the sport has been transformed. “The game’s not that different apart from the obvious rule changes, but the speed is faster, the players are bigger and the hits are harder. All the players are athletes now and when I started out that wasn’t the case.”
Leonard, though, has taken it all in his stride in his 13 years as English rugby’s No. 1. |
