Rugby legend Lawrence Dallaglio has stirred the pot by unveiling his ultimate England XV, raising eyebrows with the surprising exclusion of none other than Jonny Wilkinson.
In a candid chat on Jim Hamilton’s podcast ‘The Big Jim Show’, Dallaglio revealed his dream team but snubbed the World Cup-winning fly-half.
Hamilton didn’t miss the bombshell move, remarking, “This is headline material, folks!”
Despite the shockwaves, the three-time British and Irish Lion clarified that the preference for Owen Farrell over Wilkinson wasn’t driven by personal bias.
“Jonny was a brilliant rugby player, won us a lot of games, he won us the World Cup final.” Dallagio said.
“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?”
Front Row:
Loosehead Prop: Jason Leonard
Hooker: Jamie George
Tighthead Prop: Phil Vickery
Locks:
Second Row: Martin Johnson
Second Row: Maro Itoje