6. Nathan Sharpe
Since making his international bow in 2002, Nathan Sharpe went on to not only Skipper the Wallabies but also become one of their most consistently excellent players since the millennium.
The lock forward zoomed past the 50-cap mark during 2006 with a remarkable sequence of Test appearances, as when he was rested for the Test against Fiji in Perth in June 2007 it ended a run of 28 consecutive matches for the Wallabies.
Sharpe’s outstanding work ethic across the field was also recognised as he won the Australian Rugby Union Players’ Association’s ‘Medal of Excellence’ on three occasions, joining George Gregan as a three-time winner of the honour.
Did you know: His final match playing for Australia was a win against Wales at Millennium Stadium on 1 December 2012.
5. Colin Meads
One of the legends of a golden era of amateur rugby, powerful lock Colin Meads’ international career with New Zealand spanned an amazing 14 years.
During that time, he won 55 caps and played a major part in series wins over all the major Test nations, as well as the British Lions. Meads has been received a number of honours for his contribution to the game.
He has been inducted into the International Hall of Fame and the New Zealand Sporting Hall of Fame and in 1999 was voted the Player of the Century at an NZRU awards dinner.