Wynne Gray's 50 greatest rugby moments: No. 39

Gavin Hastings. Photo / Getty Images

These days Gavin Hastings tries to turn his gaffe into a joke but as Scotland's lack of World Cup success continues, you figure it still cuts deep.

With the 1991 semifinal against England, all-square at Murrayfield, Hastings walked up to take a penalty in front of the posts. What a bonus, a three point lead with about quarter of an hour left in a rugged struggle with the old enemy.

Hastings was Scotland's premier kicker but in hindsight, he admits he should not have taken the attempt-one he pushed wide of its target.

"Mick Skinner had just melted me in a tackle and I was down for about two minutes getting treatment. I got up and took the kick but I ought to have given it to Craig Chalmers who would have popped it over and who knows what might have happened.

"I guess I can console myself that if I hadn't been hit in that tackle I have absolutely no doubt that the kick would have gone over. The dressing room afterwards was a sombre place. No words were exchanged.

"There was no point saying anything, our World Cup dream was over."

After Hastings miss, Rob Andrew kicked a dropped goal six minutes from time which put England into the final against the Wallabies.

England's forwards dominated the match but it was a dreary watch where they lacked any creativity and provoked comments from All Black co-coach John Hart condemning their style.

"If England win the World Cup, God help rugby," he said while others lampooned England's boring methods and newspapers provoked debates about style against substance when they dubbed the final as "the Beauty and the Beast."

That widespread condemnation of England's 10-man game had an effect as they tried to create some width in the final but only showed how unfamiliar they were with that style. When Hart later questioned England coach Roger Uttley what prompted the change, he replied pointedly, "one man's (Carling) ego."