England’s greatest team v All Blacks all-time XV: Who would win?

ENGLAND BACK-THREE:

• Fullback: JASON ROBINSON - The speedster was a menace whatever number was on his back, a bewildering opponent, a man seemingly able to sidestep in mid-air, with pace and nerve and vision, tough in the tackle, intelligent in his use of angles and selfless when it came to creating openings for teammates.
• Winger: JOSH LEWSEY: His physical prowess was matched with a determination to constantly improve and a wonderful ability to read the game in front of him
• Winger: RORY UNDERWOOD - England’s highest try scorer, with 49, and a player of undeniable attacking class

ALL BLACKS BACK-THREE:

• Fullback: BEN SMITH
• Winger: JONAH LOMU
• Winger: JOHN KIRWAN

ENGLAND CENTRES:

• Centre: JEREMY GUSCOTT - The Prince of Centres,’ was how Guscott was described by Clive Woodward. And he wasn’t wrong.
• Centre: WILL GREENWOOD - Everything you could want in a modern day inside centre and more. He is sorely missed.

ALL BLACKS CENTRES:

• Centre: CONRAD SMITH
• Centre: MA'A NONU

ENGLAND HALFBACKS:

• Fly-half: JONNY WILKINSON - Who else could it have been? There’s little to say about this man that hasn’t already been written.
• Scrum-half: MATT DAWSON -  Although never the greatest of distributors, Dawson’s competitive edge and ability to spot the gap puts him in ahead of many other contenders

ALL BLACKS HALFBACKS:

• Fly-half: DAN CARTER
• Scrum-half: AARON SMITH

ENGLAND FRONT-ROW:

• Prop: JASON LEONARD - The most enduring, the most accomplished and, as his ‘Fun Bus’ nickname would suggest, one of the most faithful and inspirational team-mates to have alongside you
• Hooker: BRIAN MOORE -  He played in three World Cups for England and won three Grand Slams, earning World Rugby’s Player of the Year award in 1991
• Prop: PHIL VICKERY - As one of the hardest hitters in rugby, “Raging Bull” is never far from a Dream XV list

ALL BLACKS FRONT-ROW:

• Prop: OWEN FRANKS
• Hooker: KEVEN MEALAMU
• Prop: TONY WOODCOCK

ENGLAND SECOND-ROW:

• Lock: MARTIN JOHNSON - 84 caps for England across a decade, 39 of them as captain, culminating in that World Cup victory, three tours for the British and Irish Lions as well
• Lock: MARO ITOJE - He would have excelled no matter the time or style of game, be it tight and relentless, a bare-knuckle exchange as often used to be the case, or, as he does now, as an all-purpose player, as at ease in the open spaces as he is doing the grunt work at the coal-face

ALL BLACKS SECOND-ROW:

• Lock: BRODIE RETALLICK
• Lock: SAM WHITELOCK

ENGLAND BACK-ROW

• Flanker: RICHARD HILL - The flanker was “first on the team-sheet,” according to Johnson and Sir Clive Woodward
• Flanker: NEIL BACK - A genuine openside and a genius at the breakdown, Back added an extra dimension to the England side that is so sorely lacking from them now
• Number 8:  LAWRENCE DALLAGLIO- Dallaglio has always been a singular figure, one never daunted by any situation which is why he was such a long-standing captain with Wasps

ALL BLACKS BACK-ROW

• Flanker: JEROME KAINO
• Flanker: RICHIE MCCAW
• Number 8: ZINZAN BROOKE

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