England retrospectively cap 47 players for matches spanning 1971 to 1993

Forty-seven former players have been awarded retrospective England caps at a ceremony held at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, with selected matches from 1971 through to 1993 now officially recognised as full international appearances. The event, hosted by former RFU Presidents Rob Udwin and Jason Leonard alongside museum curator Phil McGowan, brought together a 21-strong contingent of newly capped players and their families at the Museum of Rugby on Monday.

Among those honoured was former Leicester flanker and England forwards coach John Wells, who had not returned to Twickenham since leaving the RFU in 2011. Wells, who travelled down from Newcastle with his wife, admitted the news initially seemed too good to be true.

“I didn’t believe it at first when I got the call. I had to do a few online checks to make sure it wasn’t a prank call. But once I found out it was true, I was very, very emotional,” Wells said.

Wells had long been cited as the outstanding English forward of his generation never to have received a cap — a distinction he is now glad to relinquish. He acknowledged the bittersweet nature of the occasion, noting that a close friend, former Bath lock John Morrison, now inherits that unwanted title.

“A good friend of mine, John Morrison, had just congratulated me on getting my cap, and then he made the comment about the fact that it leaves him as the outstanding English forward that never got a cap,” Wells said.

Wells and towering Orrell forward Bob Kimmins — whose 6ft 10in frame was a conspicuous presence in the room — received their caps for an England B match against Italy in 1990. The largest single group of newly recognised players came from the same fixture four years earlier in Rome, with former Richmond fly-half Simon Smith, Bath prop Richard Lee, Wasps hooker Andy Simpson, Orrell flanker Peter Buckton, Nottingham flanker Peter Cook and Moseley wing John Goodwin all making the trip to Twickenham for the ceremony. Goodwin attended on crutches following a double knee operation.

For many in attendance, the occasion offered a chance to see their names added to the wall listing all England internationals inside the home dressing room at Allianz Stadium — recognition that, for some, had been 36 years in the making.

“For all of us here today, it was something that had passed us by, and we all thought we’d missed our chances for whatever reason. But then, all of a sudden, 36 years later, here we are, at Twickenham, with a bunch of guys in the same boat, who are all happy as Larry at being here,” Wells said.