Catt: Lomu deserved a medal

Mike Catt missed his chance for a little personal revenge against the All Blacks at the 2019 Rugby World Cup.

But the former England fullback still doesn’t regret becoming famous for being run over by Jonah Lomu in South Africa in 1995.

‘‘I love it,’’ said Catt, who was the backs coach for the Italian team that were denied the chance to play New Zealand in Japan when Typhoon Hagibis forced the cancellation of their pool match.

Now Catt will be a spectator as England meet the All Blacks again in a World Cup semifinal tomorrow night.

In 1995, Catt was famously steamrollered by Lomu in the first of four tries by the All Blacks winger as New Zealand thumped England 45-29, before losing the final to the hosts in extra-time.

Catt, a World Cup winner with England in 2003, told the Rugby World Cup website he had fond memories of 1995.

‘‘It was my first World Cup. We’d beaten Australia the week before, won with a drop goal by Rob Andrew. I’d played in most of the games, but then along came the big man and he ran over [Scotland fullback] Gavin Hastings, and then ran over me.

‘‘I did everything right, other than Will Carling tap-tackling him and making him stumble towards me. The three times after that he just ran around me,’’ Catt laughed.

Catt said Lomu, who never won a World Cup and died in 2015, deserved to have been in a tournament-winning team.

‘‘He is one of the guys you wanted to win a medal because he changed the face of rugby overnight.’’