Mark Cueto has learned to love telling people 'that was me' when they bring up his disallowed try in the 2007 Rugby World Cup final.
The former Sale and England wing remains adamant he scored against South Africa in Paris some 16 years ago. The officials thought otherwise though, and England lost 15-6.
In the weeks and months after that final, people would tell Cueto it was a try. Now when people bring up 2007, sometimes he has to explain that he was the man who was denied that stunning score.
Despite the change in emphasis with the passing of time, the 55-cap former England star still revels in a talking point that continues to endure.
On the eve of England taking on South Africa in Paris once again, this time in the World Cup semi-finals, Cueto bullishly believes Steve Borthwick’s men have a 50-50 chance of victory.
“It feels like a lifetime ago, like it was another life,” Cueto tells Standard Sport of that 2007 final.
“I’ve been retired nearly 10 years now. It’s crazy how long ago it was, but at the same time I can remember it like it was yesterday. So it’s bizarre.
“Who knows what would have happened if that try had been given, but I think we would have gone on to win.
“You have a shelf-life for people remembering you after you retire, but that try might keep my shelf-life going forever. When I go to business events now, if no one knows my name, the minute anyone mentions 2007, someone will say ‘remember that guy that scored but it was disallowed for a foot in touch?’
“And I have to say ‘that was me’. I see it as a massive positive to be honest, it’s an ice breaker and something that a massive amount of people still remember.
“Fortunately I’ve never been blamed for not scoring the try, so it’s all positive!”
Cueto retired from rugby in 2015 after a glittering career for both England and Sale. The 43-year-old now works as sales director for fibre broadband business 4th Utility, that specialises in apartment block installations.
England were thumped 36-0 by South Africa in the pool stages in 2007, only to revamp their approach and plough all the way to the final.
Cueto insisted head coach Borthwick’s class of 2023 harbour plenty of echoes of that France tournament from 16 years back.
“There’s a lot of similarities now, in terms of just the journey,” said Cueto.
No one is unbeatable - England have the weapons to win
“We went into 2007 not underprepared but in really bad form. The second game of the pool we got spanked 36-0 by South Africa, so at that point we were a bit of a laughing stock. But we ended up in the World Cup final, and we could have won it.
“This team now is in a sort of similar position, the preparation was not good, but they are still there – and that’s the most important thing. A week or so ago everyone was raving about France and Ireland, but they are out of the competition.
“They’ve only been in the job for a matter of months. Any new coaching staff, it takes at least 12 months to settle in. Whether England’s style will be different in a year remains to be seen, but for now the approach has been smart.
“And I really believe it’s 50-50 this weekend. No one is unbeatable, and England have the weapons to win if they get everything right.”
Cueto likened England’s current status ahead of facing South Africa to that of Tyson Fury when he was floored on the canvas against Deontay Wilder.
British star Fury climbed off the deck to defeat Wilder and retain his heavyweight crown in 2018, and Cueto sees a similar story with England now.
“You’ve got to get off the line, get in their faces, and momentum in sport is crazy,” said Cueto.
“It’s like a boxing match, it’s like Tyson Fury when he got KO’d against Deontay Wilder. England are Fury now, they are out, on their back, they look beaten, but they can get up and spark them out.
“That should never have happened, but it did. And that’s why we love sport.”
Still getting to grips with life after rugby, Cueto admitted the world of work might always seem alien to retired sports stars.
“It’s like living on a different planet,” said Cueto.
“The things that take you to the top in sport, you don’t think about because they are in you; motivation, attitude, drive, detail focus, but they are vital now.
“I have a network and a little black book that I can use in business, and that comes from rugby. I am doing okay, but it is still hard. The people, the structure, the environment, it’s so, so different.
“The dressing room is big, but it’s not just that, it’s that every minute of your life is so different.
“I played a World Cup final on Saturday in Paris, in front of 80,000 people, and six days later I was playing at Edgeley Park in Stockport for Sale in front of 6,000 people, against Leeds.
“You can’t relate scoring a big try or winning a massive match to signing a big deal in this world. I worked on one deal here that took five years to get over the line, and six months would probably be the quickest.
“Even if every deal was being done every six months, that cannot compare to every week.”
