With Joe Root ascending to the top of the run-scoring charts and Harry Kane becoming the country’s all-time leading goalscorer, events of the past 18 months have forced a major rewrite of England’s sporting records.
For those uncomfortable with change though Rory Underwood remains England’s highest try scorer 28 years on from his international retirement. Like a giant monolith built to withstand the winds and tides, Underwood’s mark of 49 tries stands not only intact but seemingly eternally unbreakable.
If the length of time the record has stood for is not startling enough, the fact no-one has got anywhere near it in the intervening years marks it down as even more mind-boggling.
It is almost Bradman-esque in its outlier status. Jonny May, Underwood’s nearest challenger, is light years behind on 36.
Underwood’s figure is like one of those East German athletics records which defy the progression of humanity. Given he did not even touch alcohol there is nothing remotely suspect about what powered it, only his own excellence. Yet his record remains strangely underplayed.
Ask an English rugby union fan who is the country’s leading try scorer and a decent percentage of them would not know. Maybe that is down to rugby’s pecking order which elevates the team above the individual at all times, maybe the passage of the time, maybe Underwood’s own unassuming nature, but it still seems odd such astounding mastery of one’s art isn’t as treasured for its other-worldliness as it should be.
You might have thought that someone from the World Cup-winning England side would have found their way into Underwood territory given the dominance of that team and the number of tries they scored. But the tries were spread around in Clive Woodward’s side – Ben Cohen and Will Greenwood both reached 31; Jason Robinson 28 and Josh Lewsey 22.
He had pace, poise, strength and footwork and was a beautifully balanced runner. When he picked an angle – and it was invariably the right one – he had the blazing acceleration to make it count.
Great players as they were in their own different ways, none of them ever was in the conversation with Underwood.
The RAF pilot, who divided his time between flying in the air and flying on the land, stands head, shoulders and torso above the rest. How?
Underwood had the good fortune to be part of a very good England team – a double Grand Slam-winning side. He also played for a long time – his 85-cap haul was a national record at the time.
But while he may have benefited from playing outside Jeremy Guscott in terms of assists, few players could stick away chances like Underwood. His strike rate was superior to that of any of those stars from the Woodward team.
There is more to being an international wing than just scoring tries but it is the currency by which they are ultimately judged and Underwood was a priceless asset to that England side.
He was as pure a try-scoring winger as it would be possible to construct.
He had pace, poise, strength and footwork and was a beautifully balanced runner. When he picked an angle – and it was invariably the right one – he had the blazing acceleration to make it count. His dimensions weren’t huge – 5ft 9in and around 14st (86kg) – but he had the power to shrug off would-be tacklers.
Most importantly, he had a sniffer dog’s nose for the line.
His first try for England in 1984 against France served as a signpost for what was to come. There was nothing on as the ball leaked out of a ruck outside France’s 22. Nothing that is until Underwood eased the loose ball into space with his right boot, picked it up and in a flash outpaced Jacques Begu on the outside and stepped inside Serge Blanco off his left foot to go over.
During a 12-year international career he was to demonstrate his predatory instincts over and over to England’s benefit. He also scored one for the Lions against the All Blacks in Wellington to take his international total to a round 50.
It needs a pair of binoculars to find a candidate to usurp Underwood – and even they are long shots.
Globally, there are five players above Underwood on the men’s all-time list – Japan’s Daisuke Ohata, the table-topper on 69, Bryan Habana, David Campese, Shane Williams and Hirotoki Onazawa. Below him, of players still active, Beauden Barrett is edging into view on 44. Damian Penaud and Will Jordan have time on their side to make a run on 36 and 35 respectively.
In England terms though Underwood has no competition. May has retired from international duty and is winding down playing ProD2 rugby in France.
Leicester’s Anthony Watson, eighth on the England list with 23 tries, is the highest-placed of those who are still in the frame. But for injury, he could have scored a lot more and at 30 could still be recalled by Steve Borthwick – the man who signed him for the Tigers – but whether he is or not, he will not beat Underwood’s mark now. Neither will Elliot Daly who, at 32, has 20 tries.
So who will?
It needs a pair of binoculars to find a candidate – and even they are long shots. For England’s current crop of young wingers, Underwood represents a distant speck on the horizon.
Two iconic moments, the Rory Underwood try and his mum proudly celebrating in the crowd 🙌#WALvENG pic.twitter.com/fGPwWJnzro
— England Rugby (@EnglandRugby) February 24, 2021
Manny Feyi-Waboso has four Test tries and Tommy Freeman two. The other wings in Borthwick’s training squad, Tom Roebuck and Ollie Sleightholme, have yet to open their account. Max Malins – the Premiership’s leading scorer this season – has two international tries.
Even though there are more Tests played these days than in Underwood’s era, we will be into the 2030s before any of them could theoretically threaten the record.
The reality is, Underwood’s mark is safe for beyond the foreseeable future, a numerical anomaly which can only be applauded with reverent awe.
Wayne Rooney and Alastair Cook may have had to wave goodbye to their records but Underwood will not be doing so any time soon.
If ever.
Arundell or Feyi-Waboso are two who could break the record, but they're both far too early in their careers to know.
The author of this piece is probably correct that it won't be broken for a long long time.
And who cares anyway with 5 other international players having scored more tries in their career (and for their respective teams) - and a few others pretty likely to overtake him at some point.
A pointless article.