Extra edge

Lomu returns to haunt England

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Posted: Sunday October 10, 1999 12:39 PM

Jonah Lomu: "The coaches are trying to trying to give me more options instead of just running over people." AP

TWICKENHAM, England (AP) -- Jonah Lomu doesn't have anything against English rugby players.

He just likes swatting them like flies and scoring amazing World Cup tries.

Four years after the 6-foot-5 (1.96-meter), 260-pound (118 kg) winger scored four tries against the English in a World Cup semifinal, flattening them as they stood in his way, he was at it again on Saturday in New Zealand's 30-16 win at Twickenham.

Screaming at his colleagues to give him the ball out on the left wing, he finally received a long pass from flyhalf Andrew Mehrtens and set off for the line.

It was half the field away but that's nothing to Lomu, who has been timed at 10.8 seconds for 100 meters and just saw it as another challenge.

Jeremy Guscott, no slouch himself, was first to try and stop the Lomu charge. He was swatted away.

Then winger Dan Luger had a go. He was brushed off too. Matt Dawson, the England scrumhalf, made a vain attempt but Lomu pushed him away and then he crashed through the final challenge of the other England winger, Austin Healey.

As Lomu dived over in the corner for the score, he was involved in an unsavory clash with English back row Lawrence Dallaglio, as the bodied piled on top of him.

"I had just crossed the try line and I got a knee in the face," Lomu said. "I saw three red lights in front of me saying 'don't hit him or you'll be out of the tournament.' I kept my composure."

Lomu's wonder try came with the game finely balanced at 16-16 after the English had come back from 16-10 down and was effectively the matchwinner.

Although substitute scrumhalf Byron Kelleher also crossed for a score it was the Lomu try that killed off the English.

"He's a big man to stop," said England center Phil de Glanville. "The trick is to try and slow him down and then make a big hit on him. But to give him time when he's one on one, it's pretty hard to stop him."

Lomu hadn't made a major impact in the game until his amazing 56th minute try.

"I was screaming for the ball at the top of my lungs," he said. "I knew I had some space and had to take this opportunity. I found the shortest route to the try-line and just got there."

Lomu, who went close to scoring a second later in the game, doesn't think his scores are that special and he's trying to be a little more versatile.

 

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