Pizzas galore!

The beginning of the dismantling of Sir Clive Woodward’s reputation. A team packed with World Cup winners from England, plus others with big reputations from Ireland, Scotland and Wales, they lost all three international matches against New Zealand, the closest defeat being by 17 points, and were even beaten by the New Zealand Maori. Spin that, Alastair Campbell.

47) Darren Clarke 2-3-2-2-2 = 44%

Given the famine that has affected European golf (outside of the Ryder Cup) for much of the past decade, Clarke had come as close as anyone to winning a major championship with six top-ten finishes. The closest and most agonising was in 1997 when he came tied for second behind Justin Leonard, who had a final round of 65. Gains a point for rehabilitation after his heroics at the Ryder Cup in 2006 but his slide down the rankings (he is now No 102) suggest his time has come and gone

46) Audley Harrison 4-2-2-2-1 = 44%

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The first Briton to win an Olympic boxing gold for 32 years, Harrison’s professional career has not matched the heights of that achievement or his own self-publicity. A string of joke bouts followed and his career appeared stalled when he tried to tempt Frank Bruno out of retirement. Beaten for the European title in 2007 by Michael Sprott, Harrison kept on talking himself up but was unable to get himself a big bout. Said that 2008 would be his year… it wasn't.

45) England rugby team 2007 4-1-1-3-3 = 48%

“Defending champions reach final” may not be a brilliant headline, but England’s journey from despair to near triumph in 2007 was fascinating. Ranked seventh by the time the World Cup started after a horrid Six Nations, they beat Australia and France against the odds and, though they failed to win the final, they prevented South Africa from scoring a try. Roll on the 2011 World Cup.

44) Scotland rugby team 1991 4-1-3-3-2 = 52%

Does it count as a great British loss if you lose to another British side? Perhaps it does if you come within two kicks of reaching a World Cup final. The scene: Murrayfield, 1991, rugby World Cup semi-final. Scotland’s best side for a generation, grand slam champions the year before, play England in a dour match. Gavin Hastings misses a penalty from in front of the posts and England advance to the final 9-6.

43) Maureen Gardner 5-1-3-3-1 = 52%

The Times said this of Gardner’s second place in the 1948 Olympics 80 metres hurdles: “as good a second place perhaps as ever recorded in athletics”. She won silver by less than a foot, pipped narrowly by Fanny Blankers-Koen. The timekeepers agreed that Gardner would share the new world record time with the Dutchwoman but, alas, they would not share first place. Given that Gardner had qualified only third from her semi-final after clipping a hurdle, it was some achievement.

42) John Lloyd 4-1-3-3-2 = 52%

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