Written by David McDade
Jason Leonard's career was nothing short of spectacular. Over his 14 years playing for England he amassed a staggering 114 caps, captained the England team and won a World Cup.
Let’s take a look at the impressive career timeline of one of the game's greats.
1990
● Receives call-up to the England squad as a Saracens player.
● July - Earns debut cap for the England squad. Takes to the field as the youngest prop in the English team’s history, in their 25-12 win over the Pumas in Buenos Aires, Argentina, aged 21.
● August - Earns his second cap against the Pumas in 15-13 defeat.
1991
● January - Five Nations debut with a 25-6 win over Wales.
● March - England defeat France 21-19 at Twickenham for his first Grand Slam.
● November - First World Cup final ends in disappointment with a 12-6 loss against Australia.
1992
● March - Secures second Five-Nations Grand Slam victory.
● A career-threatening neck injury sends him to the operating table.
● October - Returns to international competition against Canada at Wembley Stadium.
1993
● June - Called up to the British Lions squad for their tour to New Zealand.
● July - Debut test for the Lions in 20-7 win against the All-Blacks.
● The Lions were beaten 30-13 in the second test.
● November - Member of the squad that defeated New Zealand 15-2 at Twickenham.
1994
● June - Helps England to a mesmerising 32-15 victory over the Springboks in Pretoria.
1995
● March - Third Five Nations Grand Slam in 5 years.
● June - A member of the England squad, losing in the semi-final.
1996
● November - Earns 50th cap at Twickenham in a 54-21 win over Italy.
● December - Debut captaincy at Twickenham.
1997
● May - Second Lions tour. Features as a replacement in the first Test victory against South Africa.
● November - Selected for the England squad to tour South Africa and New Zealand.
1999
● October - Third World Cup Campaign, losing in the quarter-final to South Africa in Paris.
2000
● November - Makes his 86th appearance for the England squad, surpassing Rory Underwood as England's most capped player.
2001
● May - Third Lions Tour. Plays in the first and second tests against Australia.
● November - Wins 93rd cap to become the world’s most capped forward, surpassing the record of the All-Blacks Sean Fitzpatrick.
2002
● November - Brought back into the England starting squad for their Test against Australia at Twickenham.
2003
● February - Earns his centenary cap at the RBS Six-Nations opening game against France at Twickenham.
● March - Wins fourth Grand Slam, defeating Ireland on their home soil in Dublin.
● October - Features as part of the England Squad taken to the World Cup in Australia.
● November - Named as part of the team to face Wales in the World Cup quarter-final, earning his 111th cap.
● Part of the semi-final winning team, defeating France in Sydney and advancing to the final.
● Wins his first ever World Cup, achieving his childhood dream.
● December - Named as the Recipient of OBE in the New Year Honours.
2004
● March 9th - Confirms that he will retire from international competition at the end of the RBS Six-Nations campaign.
For further statistics on Jason please visit the Jason Leonard page on ESPN.
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