Career Record: Played 36, Won 12, Drew 5, Lost 19.
Gary Pearce is pictured above playing International rugby for England for the final time -
against the USA in the 1991 World Cup.
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Northampton prop Gary Pearce played in 36 tests for England and matched Nigel Horton's achievement of appearing for England in three different decades. Gary's debut came in a 7-7 draw with Scotland in 1979 and he went on to play in all England's Five Nations games that season. In the second game against Ireland Gary and his fellow forwards helped England win a considerable amount of ball, but only managed to score one try through Neil Bennett and lost 12-7. England then beat France 7-6 but lost 27-3 to Wales in the final game. Despite his sterling performances, Gary was one of several players to be made a scapegoat for the defeat and was replaced by Phil Blakeway for the following year's Grand Slam.
Pearce next turned out for England in both tests of their series victory in Argentina in 1981, followed by appearances against Australia and Scotland in 1982. From 1983 onwards he became a more regular member of the side and won his 31st cap against Scotland on the last day of the 1987 Five Nations, thus equalling Fran Cotton's record number of appearances for a prop. It proved to be Gary's last Championship appearance, and he and Paul Rendall enjoyed a mighty battle with their opposite numbers David Sole and Ian Milne.
Pearce then overhauled Cotton's record in the opening match of the World Cup against Australia, though England eventually went down 19-6. They then achieved two fairly straightforward victories against Japan and the USA, but were well beaten by Wales in the quarter-final. After the tournament, Gary lost his place to Jeff Probyn and won only two more caps over the next three years. His last game for England came at the age of 35 in England's pool match against the USA during the 1991 World Cup . (Jon Collins)
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Gary Pearce is pictured above playing for England on 17th. February 1979.
Photograph George Herringshaw. ©
English Caps 1979-1991.
1979 v Scotland (Twickenham) D 7-7 (FN)
1979 v Ireland (Dublin) L 12-7 (FN)
1979 v France (Twickenham) W 7-6 (FN)
1979 v Wales (Cardiff) L 27-3 (FN)
1981 v Argentina (Buenos Aries) D 19-19
1981 v Argentina (Buenos Aries) W 12-6
1982 v Australia (Twickenham) W 15-11
1982 v Scotland (Murrayfield) D 9-9 (FN)
1983 v France (Twickenham) L 19-15 (FN)
1983 v Wales (Cardiff) D 13-13 (FN)
1983 v Scotland (Twickenham) L 22-12 (FN)
1983 v Ireland (Dublin) L 25-15 (FN)
1983 v New Zealand (Twickenham) W 15-9
1984 v Scotland (Murrayfield) L 18-6 (FN)
1984 v South Africa (Johannesburg) L 35-9
1984 v Australia (Twickenham) L 19-3
1985 v Romania (Twickenham) W 22-15
1985 v France (Twickenham) D 9-9 (FN)
1985 v Scotland (Twickenham) W 10-7 (FN)
1985 v Ireland (Dublin) L 13-10 (FN)
1985 v Wales (Cardiff) L 24-15 (FN)
1985 v New Zealand (Christchurch) L 18-13
1985 v New Zealand (Wellington) L 42-15
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1986 v Wales (Twickenham) W 21-18 (FN)
1986 v Scotland (Murrayfield) L 33-6 (FN)
1986 v Ireland (Twickenham) W 25-20 (FN)
1986 v France (Paris) L 29-10 (FN)
1987 v Ireland (Dublin) L 17-0 (FN)
1987 v France (Twickenham) L 19-15 (FN)
1987 v Wales (Cardiff) L 19-12 (FN)
1987 v Scotland (Twickenham) W 21-12 (FN)
1987 v Australia (Sydney) L 19-6 (W. Cup)
1987 v USA (Sydney) W 34-6 (W. Cup)
1987 v Wales (Brisbane) L 16-3 (W. Cup)
1988 v Fiji (Suva) W 25-12
1991 v USA (Twickenham) W 37-9 (W.Cup)
Gary played 18 consecutive games from the 35-9
defeat against South Africa in 1984 to the 19-6
loss against Australia at the 1987 World Cup.
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