Former England captain Lawrence Dallaglio played with a number of very talented back-rowers during his time at Twickenham but only one of them made the cut.
BLINDSIDE-FLANKER: RICHARD HILL (ENGLAND):
Hill played 288 times for Saracens and 71 times for England making him one of the modern greats of the English game. He also played five Tests for the British and Irish Lions between 1997 and 2005.
Dallaglio said: “It is unusual not to have a Springbok in my back-row but was Francois Pienaar or Schalk Burger better than Hill? Not in my opinion. The thing about Hill is that even at the highest level, he didn’t make mistakes.”
The flanker was part of the much-vaunted England loose trio of Back, Dallaglio and Hill that took England to Rugby World Cup glory in 2003 under Clive Woodward.
Big hits, shrewd driving and energy-sapping support play, were features of his exceptionally well-rounded game which made him one of the most highly rated flankers of his era.
DID YOU KNOW? On his mother’s side, Hill is a second cousin removed of film director Peter Jackson, who is renowned for bring the Lord Of The Rings to the big screen.