10. Brian O’Driscoll (Centre, Ireland, 71 caps) As a balanced centre he has everything – pace strength, great attacking skill and is as good in defence as attack. On the 2001 Lions tour, he showed his outstanding talent as the stand out back in the series. He has the ability to prise open defences that other players cannot even contemplate. With his poise, his change of speed and his closeness to the ground it is very hard to stop him. Ireland are half the side without him.
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9. Zinzan Brooke (No 8, New Zealand, 58 caps) A No 8 who could drop a goal from the 10-metre line. For a forward his skills were outrageous. As comfortable playing sevens as 15s, he had better kicking and handling skills than some fly-halves playing international rugby. You align that with his strength and ability as a forward to read the game – he was unique.
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8. Martin Johnson (Second row, England, 84 caps) Inspirational leader, formidable player, competitive in every situation. The example he set in tight situations led the way. He didn’t ask you for effort or even have to demand it, his very presence made you want to live up to his high standards. He was indispensable to England in the World Cup win. He made it happen.
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7. Hugo Porta (Fly-half, Argentina, 58 caps) Out of anyone that has made an impact on international rugby, few can match Porta. Argentina were playing at a lower level until the class of Porta lifted them. He was a great kicker of the dead ball and out of hand but he was also tactically astute – he knew when to attack and when to kick. He put Argentina on the world map single-handedly, an amazing achievement.
6. Danie Gerber (Centre, South Africa, 24 caps) I wouldn’t have liked to have played against him. With his pace, power and aggression, he was like a little rocket. He was built like a tank and had the pace of an F1 car. Although he wasn’t seen much on the international scene (because of the apartheid boycotts) he made a huge impact. With more time he would have had an incredible effect.
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