Will CARLING

With the pressure of the World Cup behind them, England's main aim in 1992 was to prove that they were more than a forward orientated side and could win by playing expansive rugby as well. The issue was well and truly put to rest as England scored fifteen tries in the tournament and set a new points record of 118 on their way to the Grand Slam. Will set the tone for the final game against Wales when he scored a try in the opening minute after Rob Andrew had kicked a high ball beyond the Welsh line. That year Carling was also awarded the OBE and led England to victory over South Africa at Twickenham, going over for a try to augment scores by Dewi Morris, Jeremy Guscott and Tony Underwood. The 1993 season was to prove less successful as defeats by Wales and Ireland ended England's reign as champions. Will did make up for the disappointment of 1989 by touring with the Lions, but was dropped after the first test defeat and was replaced by Scott Gibbs.

However, later in the year England beat the All Blacks 15-9, meaning that Carling had led England to victory over all seven of the other major rugby nations. That match was also his 36th as captain, equalling the record set by Nick Farr Jones of Australia. The 1994 season was something of a transitional one for England and a defeat by Ireland prevented them from winning another Grand Slam. Going into the last game against Wales, England knew that if they scored enough points they would win the Championship. Things were looking good when Will combined with Phil De Glanville and Rob Andrew to send Rory Underwood over for a try. Another try by Tim Rodber put England in the driving seat, but a second half score by Nigel Walker gave Wales their first outright title since 1979. England then tied their summer test series with South Africa 1-1, and Will secured his 50th cap for England in a 54-3 victory over Romania later in the year. (Jon Collins)

The 1995 season saw Will lead England to a third Grand Slam of the 1990s, culminating in another winner take all clash with Scotland at Twickenham. England won 24-12 thanks to Rob Andrew's accuracy with the boot, though the style of the win drew criticism from many quarters. Carling and his teammates then began their preparations for the World Cup, with particular emphasis on sessions that replicated the heat and humidity they would face in South Africa. Shortly before the team were due to depart, Will made his infamous appearance on the television programme "Fair Game" in which he called the RFU Executive "57 Old Farts". In chaotic scenes Will was sacked and then subsequently reinstated when the rest of the England team made it clear they would not play under another skipper. England struggled in the early stages of the tournament and Will saw his run of 44 consecutive internationals dating back to 1989 ended when he missed the game with Italy through injury.

However, when England gained sweet revenge over Australia 25-22 in the quarter-finals thanks to Rob Andrew's last minute drop goal, there was talk that Will's side could even win the tournament. However, those hopes evaporated within the first ten minutes against New Zealand in the semi-final when new sensation Jonah Lomu cross the English try line at will. At one stage England trailed 35-3 and a rout of epic proportions was on the cards. To England's credit they rallied in the second half and actually outscored the All Blacks 26-20 with Will and Rory Underwood scoring two tries each. One of Carling's tries was an absolute gem as he chipped over the heads of numerous All Black defenders, regathered his own kick and dived over. The final score was 45-29 to New Zealand, but it could have been much worse and England emerged with a semblance of dignity. The tournament ended in a 19-9 defeat by France in the third place play-off, Will's first loss against the French since his debut back in 1988. (Jon Collins)

In 1996 Will made it clear that he would stand down as skipper at the end of the season and was determined to end his spell at the helm on a high note. Unfortunately, the first match of the tournament saw a second consecutive defeat by France when Thomas Castaignede's cheeky drop goal made the score 15-12. Will's men then ground out victories over the home three countries but they were labelled by some as the most untalented England team since 1987. However, Wales shock win over France in the final round of matches meant that England were champions for a second consecutive year, something they found out in the dying minutes of their game against Ireland. Will was already sitting in the stands when the result came through having left the field with an injured ankle, and collected the Five Nations trophy on a pair of crutches. Despite stepping down as captain, Carling was still rated highly enough to command a place in the team and manager Jack Rowell instead decided to drop his old protégé from Bath Jeremy Guscott to find a spot for new skipper Phil De Glanville.

Free from the burden of captaincy, Will earned rave reviews for his performances in the 1997 Five Nations, though the Grand Slam slipped away when England lost 23-20 to France at Twickenham. Carling's 72nd and final appearance came in England's victory over Wales 34-13 in Cardiff, during which he was briefly reunited with his old friend Rob Andrew who had come on as replacement. Will soon retired from the club scene to concentrate on his business commitments, but made a comeback with Harlequins in 1999. He was forced to quit for good a year later due a shoulder injury. In retirement, Will continued to run his own management consultancy specialising in providing motivational speaking and  expanded his work in the media. (Jon Collins)