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There was a lot of expectation and we wanted a winning start but it was never going to be easy. With the Pumas fired up it looked like a short straw."I was itching to get on,'' Dallaglio said "People have got this wrong The match against Argentina was tailor-made for us. If any player relishes being among the replacements rather than in the starting line-up there is something seriously wrong.''Last Monday night, when the Lions launched their tour with a performance against Argentina that silenced a 60,000-strong choir at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Dallaglio was on the bench and towards the end began to warm up. We won't meet many packs in New Zealand that are more physical. "I came off the pitch having beaten the All Blacks and then to be relegated was a bit of a shock I didn't like it but we all have our setbacks Even Johnno's been on the bench It hurts but you have to bide your time.
In the aftermath Dallaglio's leadership came under intense scrutiny.The competition in the Red Rose back row was fierce and in the autumn of 2002 Dallaglio played in a narrow victory over New Zealand at Twickenham and then found himself dropped. He looked set to lead his country for as long as he could stand but then his world seemed to fall apart. The Italian stallion was fined and stripped of the England captaincy in 1999 after being caught in a so-called tabloid honey trap. It was excruciating but he survived, thanks in part to a bit of TLC from Woodward, who put him up at his home when Dallaglio was being hounded from pillar to post.His rehabilitation appeared to be complete but after being restored to the captaincy, England threw away a Grand Slam chance against Wales at Wembley. That was when the game went professional, which meant Dallaglio was in his element.As a player he has it all and it was no surprise when he was Woodward's choice to captain England.
According to Josh Lewsey, a Wasp and fellow World Cup MBE, Dallaglio's team talks are so emotional they can end in tears.Born in London's Shepherd's Bush in 1972, the timing of Dallaglio's career in rugby was nigh on perfect. Educated at Ampleforth College and Kingston University, he made a name for himself as a member of the 1993 World Cup-winning England Sevens side before making his senior debut two years later as a replacement against South Africa. It completed a hat-trick of championships for Wasps for whom Dallaglio was immense. The fact that it ruined Johnno's day did nothing to distil Dallaglio's joy.
