Phil DE GLANVILLE

Nicknamed "Hollywood" because of his good looks, Bath's Phil De Glanville might have become just another pretty boy ex public schooler having a lark on the rugby field, a hit with the ladies, but nowhere to be found when the going got tough. However, Phil was actually nothing like that and harboured a competitive edge that was as sharp as a razor blade, earning the reputation as a wholeheartedly honest player for whom substance always came before style.

Though an excellent finisher, Phil's main strength was his "thou shalt not pass" style of tackling and he was never afraid to put those Hollywood looks on the line for the sake of his team. A graduate of Oxford University, he was also one of rugby's most patient players, spending most of his early career on the bench due to the dominance of Will Carling and Bath teammate Jeremy Guscott. Phil's debut came in England's 33-16 win over South Africa in 1992, and he made his debut in the Five Nations soon after when he came on as replacement against Wales at Cardiff Arms Park.

Unfortunately, the match will always be remembered for Rory Underwood's bout of onfield sleep walking which allowed Ieuan Evans to score the winning try. A few months later Phil got his first start in a test match against New Zealand when Guscott was injured. Prior to that game, Phil had received a fearful raking from the All Blacks whilst playing for the South Western division which resulted in a serious eye injury.

At the end of 80 minutes though it was Phil who was drinking the victory champagne as England won 15-9. That turned out to be the first of eight consecutive starts for Phil as Guscott continued to struggle with a groin injury. Despite losing his place when Guscott recovered, Phil played in three games of the 1995 World Cup, two as a replacement. In the autumn he scored his first try in a one off test against South Africa, though in truth it was a consolation effort as the world champions ran out easy winners. (Jon Collins)

Phil made just two appearances in the 1996 Five Nations campaign, both as a replacement, but as captain of Bath he led the Somerset outfit to the league and cup double. His fortunes continued to change for the better when he beat off the challenge of messrs Johnson, Rodber, Leonard and Dallaglio to win the captain's armband after Will Carling stepped down. His first game in charge was against Italy in the autumn of 1996, and he would go on to lead England eight times in total over the next year.

In order to accommodate the new captain, coach Jack Rowell was forced to break up the much vaunted Carling-Guscott partnership, a move that brought some criticism. Phil was a respected captain during his time in charge, but missed out on an almost certain Grand Slam due to England's disastrous loss to France in the 1997 Five Nations. Despite that huge disappointment, England had the consolation of winning the Triple Crown with record scorelines and Phil scored tries against Scotland and Wales.

When Clive Woodward took over the role of coach later in the year, De Glanville was replaced as skipper by Lawrence Dallaglio, but he remained a valuable member of the squad, often coming on as a replacement. He made three substitute appearances in the 1998 Five Nations, but was one of several big names to withdraw from England's ill starred mission to the southern hemisphere in the summer. He then missed the 1999 Five Nations campaign through injury, but returned for the World Cup where he played in four matches.

Indeed, Phil was one of the few players to perform with distinction in the pool game against New Zealand, scoring a fine try in England's 30-16 defeat. His last appearance came in the 44-21 quarter-final loss to South Africa in Paris (see picture above), a game in which England were undone by Janni De Beer's unprecedented five drop goals. In retirement Phil continued to show the same focus and shrewd leadership qualities as had on the rugby field as head of his own business consultancy. In total he won 38 caps, scoring 8 tries. (Jon Collins)