England legend Neil Back picked his all-time dream team for The Rugby Paper, featuring Jonah Lomu, Martin Johnson, and Joel Stransky (but there’s no room for Lawrence Dallaglio and Johnny Wilkinson.
1. Graham Rowntree – “His performances in Australia and New Zealand the summer before the 2003 World Cup played a huge part in our success.”
2. Keith Wood – “I first faced him in my second Test in 1994. Was like a back-rower-wannabe-centre but with the skills to match.”
3. Darren Garforth – “He was the cornerstone of the Tigers’ back-to-back Heineken Cup winning squads in 2001 and 2002.”
4. Martin Johnson – “Leader. Warrior. Engine. Furrowed brow. Ferengi. Winner. Friend. Would obviously be the captain of my team.”
5. Fritz Van Heerden – “Complimented Johnson’s more powerful play with mobility, but perhaps more importantly he pioneered the contesting of the opposition’s lineout throws and helped develop Ben Kay.”