Dusty HARE

William Hare, better known as "Dusty" won 25 caps for England between 1974 and 1984 and was one of his country's most reliable servants in this period. The Leicester fullback (the picture above shows him in action for Tigers in the once annual Christmas fixture against the Barbarians) was a fine all round player, but his strongest attribute was his place kicking which earned him 240 points in tests, a record that would stand until 1992 when broken by Jon Webb.

A 21 year old Dusty made his debut in England's unexpected 16-12 victory over Wales in 1974, a triumph earned thanks to a try apiece by Andy Ripley and David Duckham. Strangely, the Welsh game proved to be Dusty's last cap for four years, the full back spot occupied by players such as Peter Rossborough and Alastair Hignell. Hare played in two matches in 1978 against France and New Zealand respectively, and then took over from Hignell following the 1979 Five Nations

England's Grand Slam campaign effectively started in the autumn of 1979 when they played New Zealand at Twickenham. The match was lost 10-9, but was useful in that it highlighted several tactical errors that needed to be corrected. Dusty was clearly in peak form entering the 1980 Five Nations and kicked 12 points in an opening 24-9 victory over Ireland consisting of three conversions and two penalties.

He also kicked all of England's points in a 9-8 victory over Wales, including the matchwinner in the dying stages of the game. Dusty would later recall: "I was one of those lucky ones who didn't seem to suffer from nerves on the field. But this was some kick - wide out on the right - and it was clear it was our last chance. When I hit it, I knew I'd won it. As I ran back the noise of the crowd was deafening." Hare then sealed an unforgettable season by scoring 10 points against Scotland in the match that sealed the Grand Slam. (Jon Collins)

England's first match of the 1981 Five Nations was an ideal opportunity to really turn the screw on Wales after years of coming off second best. However, Dusty was both hero and villain that day, scoring all 19 of England's points including a try and five penalties, but missing an injury time kick to consign his country to a 21-19 defeat. Despite his heroics, Hare was shattered by the loss and would later comment that "I would rather us won the match 3-0 and me not have scored any points at all".

England then recovered to defeat Scotland, after which Dusty lost his place to Marcus Rose for the matches with Ireland and France. Hare shared the fullback spot with Rose in the 1982 campaign and contributed heavily to wins against Wales (9pts) and France (19pts). Dusty played in all four matches of a forgettable Five Nations in 1983 which included 15 points in a defeat by Ireland, and a late penalty against Wales that rescued a 13-13 draw.

He then toured with the British Isles in New Zealand without playing in any tests, but made up for the disappointment by being part of the England side that beat the All Blacks 15-9 at Twickenham later in the year. The 1984 Five Nations campaign proved to be another weak effort by England, with only one of the four matches won, but Dusty was able to set a new points scoring record with 44.

His last two test appearances came on tour in South Africa later in the year, though England lost both matches by record margins. Dusty continued to play for Leicester until 1989, a club with whom he won three John Player Cup Finals, and was also awarded an MBE. Outside of rugby, Hare was a useful cricketer and made ten first class appearances for Nottinghamshire (see inset photo above), scoring 171 runs in 18 innings. (Jon Collins)