Lawrence Dallaglio named his all-time England XV - He Snubbed Jonny Wilkinson

England Rugby News
Wednesday, 30 September 2026 at 10:59
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Lawrence Dallaglio made a huge call when selecting his all-time England XV, choosing Owen Farrell ahead of Jonny Wilkinson at fly-half.
The former England captain played alongside Wilkinson throughout one of the greatest periods in the nation's rugby history.
The pair were also part of the team that lifted the Rugby World Cup in 2003, with Wilkinson famously kicking the winning drop goal against Australia in Sydney.
But when Dallaglio was asked to select his ultimate England side, there was no place for his former teammate.
Instead, he handed the number 10 shirt to Farrell.
Speaking on Jim Hamilton's The Big Jim Show, Dallaglio insisted the decision was "not personal".
"Jonny was a brilliant rugby player, won us a lot of games, he won us the World Cup final," said Dallaglio.
"If Jonny picks his all time XV, which he has… I don't think I made the cut.
"But again, it's not personal by the way, it's not personal, I promise you it's not personal.
"I just think that if you put Farrell in that team England win as well, so what's the beef?"

Farrell gets the nod

It remains a fascinating call given Wilkinson's place in English rugby history.
Wilkinson won 91 caps for England and played a defining role in the 2003 triumph, while Farrell went on to establish himself among the country's most-capped players.
Farrell won 112 England caps and captained the country to the 2019 Rugby World Cup final.
The debate over the two fly-halves has continued long after Wilkinson's retirement.
Former British & Irish Lions coach Sir Ian McGeechan came to the opposite conclusion when selecting his own all-time England XV.
McGeechan picked Wilkinson ahead of Farrell, arguing that Wilkinson "really broke the mould".
Dallaglio clearly saw things differently.

Lawrence Dallaglio's all-time England XV

15. Josh Lewsey
14. Ben Cohen
13. Will Greenwood
12. Manu Tuilagi
11. Jason Robinson
10. Owen Farrell
9. Kyran Bracken
1. Jason Leonard
2. Jamie George
3. Phil Vickery
4. Martin Johnson
5. Maro Itoje
6. Richard Hill
7. Neil Back
8. Billy Vunipola
It is a side dominated by players from Dallaglio's own era, but there is room for more recent England stars including Farrell, Jamie George, Maro Itoje, Manu Tuilagi and Billy Vunipola.
Interestingly, Dallaglio has not always overlooked Wilkinson.
In an earlier all-time England selection for The Times, he selected Wilkinson at number 10 and praised his performances during England's rise to the top of world rugby.
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