5. Ben Youngs: Argentina 9 – 13 England – 2011 Rugby World Cup
Pressure was mounting on England in their first Rugby World Cup match since they crumbled under the pressure of the Springboks in the 2007 Rugby World Cup Final. Argentina had established a 9-8 lead via the boots of Felipe Contepomi and Martin Rodriguez, and Los Pumas maintained relentless pressure against the English defence.
The 2003 heroes of yester-year were starting to pass their prime, as Jonny Wilkinson did his best efforts to keep England in the match, yet missed five out of seven penalty attempts from the tee. Thankfully, The Argentine’s had equally poor form from the boot, with Rodriguez taking off kicking duties after missing five attempts for his side.
With just one point separating a proving-ground match for England, Martin Johnson looked to his bench to usher in a new era. Fresh faced 21-year-old Ben Youngs lived up to his surname, as he was flung on at scrum half for Richard Wigglesworth after 50 minutes. The young Leicester Tigers man took the match by the scruff of it’s neck, and began orchestrating attacking lines with the experienced England forwards.
Then with 12 minutes left to play, England had forced Argentina back to their try-line with short pick and drives. Youngs took the ball from the back of a breakdown, faked a pass, and went through a gap in a style that is all too now synonymous with England’s all-time most capped player. A fantastic way to mark a Rugby World Cup debut, as Young’s rescued the match for England when they needed it the most.