Will Greenwood on his new life in Norfolk and how Al Pacino helped inspire World Cup win

  • Will Greenwood chats to ITV News Anglia's Andy Ward about his World Cup memories

This year will mark the 20th anniversary of England winning the men's Rugby World Cup, and one of the victorious players involved has revealed how he turned to Al Pacino to help settle some pre-match nerves.

With hours to kill in his Sydney hotel room before the final against Australia in 2003, Will Greenwood decided to sit down and watch Pacino's 1983 classic Scarface to help get him in the mood.

Reflecting on that historic day in an interview with ITV News Anglia, Greenwood said he then slept for the rest of the afternoon before eventually heading to Stadium Australia with the rest of the team a couple of hours before kick-off.

England famously went on to win the final courtesy of Jonny Wilkinson's extra-time drop goal to lift the Webb Ellis Cup for the first - and only - time in their history.

Greenwood chats to ITV News Anglia's Andy Ward. Credit: Laura Marfell-Williams

"I hope it doesn't sound arrogant, but we never felt we'd lose it," Greenwood reminisced.

"So, even though the Aussies were coming back at us, it was always: 'We're still in, we've still got this.' It was just a wonderful team."

It turned out to be quite the year for Greenwood as he also married his wife Caroline in the small Norfolk village of Thornham just months before the final.

That sealed a love affair with the county that is still going strong to this day, with the couple currently in the process of renovating a farmhouse near Hunstanton.

Greenwood is also getting ready to host another Festival of Sport for children at the nearby Holkham Estate this weekend.

"It might as well have been on the far side of the Moon when I was growing up. I'm from Blackburn and getting from Blackburn to North Norfolk, you're on a B road at best," said Greenwood.

"We've really started to make this home. Once you're here, it's worth a 15-hour drive to get here, never mind a three-hour drive, to enjoy this truly spectacular coastline."

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