Gordon played in Hawks front row of 97/98 alongside such as Wee Doc see previous story and Hawks 2nd xv coach Mike Blackie

The Herald reports
Gordon McIlwham recalls the day he became unlikely Calcutta Cup hero
Published on 11 Mar 2010

David Kelso

Gordon McIlwham, one of Scotland’s more unlikely Calcutta Cup heroes, revealed last night that he could not celebrate fully the greatest moment in his career, because he feared his wife was about to give birth in the Murrayfield stand.

It is a decade since he set up the Scotland try that left England’s grand slam-seekers stunned. As the countdown to Saturday’s game between the sides 10 years on continues, the former Glasgow stalwart spoke of his mixed emotions at the time.

Gordon, now a firefighter in Vancouver, Canada, chuckled as he recalled: “Holy s***, I can’t believe it is 10 years since it all happened. It makes me feel really old just thinking about it.

“The build-up was amazing and it seemed as if the players and the coaches were the only people in the world who believed we could win. After all, we hadn’t won a single match that season whereas England had won them all.

“In the camp, we were bubbling and, before kick-off, I remember [forwards coach] Jim Telfer delivering one of his trademark rallying-call speeches to us; it was the kind of speech that would persuade you to run through a wall if he asked you to.

“Then [chief coach] Ian McGeechan began to read out letters and cards from fans; the feeling was amazing in the changing room.”

McIlwham went on: “It was one of the coldest and wettest days I have ever played in, the freezing rain alternating with mini-blizzards. My whole ­family were huddled in the stand, including my wife Kim, who was six months pregnant at the time.

“Hodgy had kept us in the hunt with some fantastic kicks in the horrendous conditions after Lawrence Dallaglio had notched an early try for them. I felt as if I was trying to jump on a moving roundabout; the game was going at 100mph.

“Then came the moment when all hell broke loose. The ball squirted out of a ruck five metres from the England line. I picked it up and wriggled my way forward, only to be blocked just short.

“I was face down in the mud at that point and couldn’t see what happened next, but the noise of the crowd made me realise that something amazing had taken place. I hauled myself up to see the rest of the team hugging Hodgy, who had followed up to finish the move.

“My instinct was to look up into the stand to where Kim and my folks were sitting, almost soaked to the skin and shivering.

“Kim was jumping up and down and my immediate thought was ‘oh, no, she’s getting way to excited. I hope she calms down or that baby is going to arrive … ’ ”

This article was originally posted on 11-Mar-2010, 08:07 by Hugh Barrow.
Last updated by Hugh Barrow on 11-Mar-2010, 08:10.