Buy Deacon a pint and he will tell you it was a classic quick tap penalty and a pass off his left hand. In reality, it may have bobbled across the sodden surface a couple of times but it confirmed to regular Kingsholmites that Andy Deacon was absolute class.
On that Bonfire Night evening back in 1995 Gloucester won away at Harlequins against Carling and their assembled glitterati.
It was a day made for the likes of Deacon - grim, uncompromising and tough - and for Gloucester, at least in those far off days, a rare halcyon day in a regular struggle at the bottom reaches of the Division One table.
But it helped forge bonds and friendships that last today - bonds that will be celebrated on Tuesday evening when Deacon leads (as coach at least) a Gloucester Presidents XV against the Combined Services at Kingsholm in aid of the Help for Heroes charity.
It will be a chance for some of the city's best loved rugby sons to get together again in the colours of Gloucester at Kingsholm and the significance is not lost on Deacon, who is now not only a local media guru but is director of rugby at Cinderford into the bargain.
"Gloucester is a special club because of its relationship with its junior clubs and the legacy they have of producing players who have come to Kingsholm and played at the top level," Deacon said.
"It will be a special occasion because it reflects and honours that fact. The Gloucester Combination clubs have been crafting players to represent the city club for 100 years and at the same time, when you have played with people for a long time, been through plenty of different emotions and experienced lots of challenges, it bonds you together.
"I think even in the age of ultra professionalism, a night like tonight still reinforces the old ethoses of the game. I have been quite fortunate to have been to a few testimonial events in the last few years and having a beer with old mates, talking about what it was like when we were coming through is great - it's what's special to us and also to the club."
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| Representatives from the Forces, Royal British Legion and Phil Vickery and Andy Deacon with the game shirts |
| (c) Gloucester Rugby |
It's fitting that Deacon, a tough as nuts prop from the old school but with a mind as sharp as a tack to the developments of the modern game, should help assemble a side alongside Mike Burton, another grand old prop from the school of serious hard knocks.
"Mike is an internationally renowned businessman but also understands Gloucester to the core," Deacon said. "I was only too happy to help out coach the side when he asked me.
"In some ways I am quite fortunate because I got to see the transition of the club into what it is today and that is important to me.
"I went from being in a dressing room full of local blokes to sitting beside Frenchman, Samoans and Fijians but the great thing about rugby in Gloucester is that it doesn't matter where you are from - people respect the principles of the game - honesty, hard work and an understanding of what the club means to the fans.
"I don't think that has ever been lost to the club or the public because it is engrained in the locality - I hope that is on show tonight and the fans that turn up get a real sense of what it means to represent the club.
"I guess it's a bit like the Gloucester Barbarians in some ways - I just hope there is enough beer!"
It was not until the end of his professional career that Deacon finally started to earn the rewards for years of unremitting endeavour.
When he finally puts his feet up and can say he was there - something the majority of a sell-out Kingsholm on a Saturday afternoon would give their right arm for.
Almost two months ago, Deacon packed down in the front row for Cinderford's second XV with his son Ollie. It must have been a seminal moment for the Deacon family and probably meant senior Deacon didn't have to buy the beer either.
But there is every chance, if you had stayed long enough, the he may have just wound the clock back to the day he out-foxed Will Carling and what's more, he's still going strong today.
To book a ticket or for more information, click HERE or call 0871 871 8781.
