The Wales v Scotland kick that still leaves jaws on the floor to this day

Even now it remains a thing of wonder — a 70-yard thing of wonder that immediately shot into the chart of scarcely believable sporting feats.

Rugby’s answer to Bob Beamon’s prodigious gold medal-winning long jump at the 1968 Olympics, perhaps.

Such was the magnitude of Paul Thorburn’s fourth successful penalty kick for Wales against Scotland in 1986.

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The Welsh Rugby Union have since estimated that at its peak the strike sailed higher than four double-decker buses and travelled further than the length of the Cutty Sark’s hull.

Yet no drama had seemed on the agenda when Scotland were penalised for obstruction during the second period all those years ago. Wales were awarded a penalty around 10 metres inside their half not far from the left touchline. Nothing much looked on. The hosts were ahead 16-15 and the expectation was that the ball would be propelled into touch.

But Thorburn had other ideas.

In his book, Kicked Into Touch, he wrote: “To this day I don’t really know why I attempted that one. I just fancied it.

“I asked David Pickering, the Welsh captain, for the ball and I think that most of the players, let alone the crowd, thought I was going to punt for the corner.

“David muttered: ‘But it’s 70 yards.’”

But the distance didn’t faze the Wales No. 15. “I knew I was capable, since I’d kicked a few long ones for Ebbw Vale and Neath. When you feel right, you know it, and on that day everything was OK,” he said.

“‘You must be joking’,” I heard one of the players mutter behind me as I placed the ball some 10 metres inside the Welsh half as the Scots players, probably just as incredulous as my own team, lined up.”

"You won't believe this, but Paul Thorburn is going