Alan OLD

1972 v South Africa (Johannesburg) W 18-9

1973 v Australia (Twickenham) W 20-3

1975 v Ireland (Dublin) L 12-9 (FN)
1975 v Australia (Brisbane) L 30-21

1976 v Scotland (Murrayfield) L 22-12 (FN)

1976 v Ireland (Twickenham) L 13-12 (FN)

Fly half Alan Old won 16 caps between 1972 and 1978 and scored an impressive 98 points in his internationl career, including one try. He made his debut in England's whitewash season of 1972 when the national side plumbed new depths of mediocrity. However, England drew sufficient resolve from this failure to manage an amazing 18-9 victory over South Africa in the summer. Old played in only two matches of the 1973 season, but they were both games to remember. First of all England secured their first win on New Zealand soil with a 16-10 victory over the All Blacks in Auckland, before following it up with a 20-3 hiding of Australia at Twickenham. Against Australia, England went ahead with tries by back rowers Tony Neary and Andy Ripley, before Alan delivered the coup de grace in the last five minutes, dummying three defenders before going over for his only international try.

In 1974 Alan played in all four matches of the Five Nations Championship which included a 16-12 defeat of Wales, England's first win against the Celts since 1963. He also scored 17 points against Ireland at Twickenham after England had gone 20 points down, but England still lost 26-21. Aside from his kicking heroics, he committed a spectacular gaffe when he tried to field a clearance kick with one hand, only to tee the ball up for John Maloney who raced the length of the field to score. That year Alan was also selected for the British Lions tour to South Africa and kicked a record 37 points in a 97-0 defeat of South Western Districts in Mossel Bay. His achievement was even more remarkable for the fact that he only missed one of seventeen kicks. Unfortunately he was unable to challenge for the test side due to suffering a broken leg, but in truth he would have done well to shift Phil Bennett. (Jon Collins)

Alan played in just one match of the 1975 season, a 12-9 loss to Ireland in Dublin, but was selected for England's tour to Australia in the summer. Rookie Neil Bennett was preferred in the first test defeat in Sydney, but the Bedford player suffered an injury and had to be replaced by Cambridge University student Andrew Wordsworth in what proved his only appearance for England. The experienced Old was called up for the second test in Brisbane and helped keep his side in touch with three penalties and two conversions, but England eventually went down 30-21. The following year Alan played in tests against Scotland and Ireland, but both matches were lost as England headed for their second whitewash in five seasons. He was destined to play only once more for England in a 15-6 defeat by France in Paris in 1978, signing off with a pair of drop goals (something his replacement John Horton would achieve at the same venue in 1980).

The following year Alan played superbly in partnership with Steve Smith for the North in their 21-9 victory over the All Blacks at Otley. Both men scored tries and were seen as the ideal half back partnership for the forthcoming test between England and New Zealand at Twickenham. However, the selectors instead decided to use Les Cusworth in the fly half role and his game was unsuited to the style of play favoured by Smith, with England eventually losing 10-9. Alan did make it to the bench during the 1980 Five Nations Championship, but did not play any tests. Interestingly, while Alan was playing international rugby, his own brother, Chris Old (see elsewhere on this site), was representing England at cricket. Alan himself was a decent cricketer and played a handful of matches for Warwickshire, taking one first class wicket. The two also had the distinction of representing their country on the same day, February 2nd 1974, Alan against Scotland at Murrayfield, Chris against the West Indies in the Caribbean. (Jon Collins)