Paul O’Connell showed absolutely no love for modern rugby players with his Dream XV.
The Ireland and Munster legend saved praise for only his fiercest opponents or best teammates in his autobiography, The Battle.
#BACK-THREE:
- 15. Jason Robinson (England)
- 14. Jonah Lomu (New Zealand)
- 11. Tommy Bowe (Ireland)
#CENTRES:
- 13. Brian O’Driscoll (Ireland)
- 12. Jonny Wilkinson (England)
O’Connell on O’Driscoll: “He set the standard for players across the board. He was a complete player and that’s what everybody aspires to be, the complete player both in defence and attack. That’s what Brian did for us. Irish rugby struggled in the 1990s and we play with a lot more confidence now. A lot of that has come on the back of Brian’s play and his own attitude.”
O’Connell on Wilkinson: “I played against him when he was with Toulon at the end of my career, and his ability to punish you with drop-goals, with his penalties, with his territory kicking game, it was so hard to get a foothold in his game. He could beat better teams almost on his own.”