Of all the rugby legends ever to have played the game, few get more universal love than Ireland centre Brian O'Driscoll.
He played against the best from all over the world during his 15 year international career between 1999 and 2014, which saw the 42-year-old win 133 Ireland caps with a further eight for the British & Irish Lions.
Having gone into punditry in the last few years, he's since become one of the most engaging on-screen personalities in the game.
However, in a brief look back, we take a look at what in his own words would be his dream XV with FOUR England players included.
BRIAN O'DRISCOLL DREAM XV:
BACK-THREE:
- 15. Jason Robinson (England)
- 14. Tommy Bowe (Ireland)
- 11. Jonah Lomu (New Zealand)
O'Driscoll on Robinson: “To get to see in close quarters what he was capable of. You see so much on a Saturday, but when you’re training and playing and watching players of that calibre leading up to a Saturday. You see some exceptional stuff that cameras don’t always catch.
“Jason, I knew so little of him in 2001 other than his rugby league talent. But to have a full appreciation of what his footwork was like, you need to defend against it, and it was horrible at times in training.
“I would’ve analysed him a lot as I played against him, he was equally comfortable on either foot, it made no difference to him. There was no preference on ball carry, you just could not work him out. He honed the ability to be unpredictable as well.
“He might’ve been a small guy, but he packed a serious punch too.”
O'Driscoll on Lomu: "No-one transcended the sport of rugby union quite like him; he was a force of nature with a blend of pace, power and size that has never before been seen, certainly in a winger. He had all the qualities you would aspire to in a hero."
CENTRES:
- 13. Conrad Smith (New Zealand)
- 12. Yannick Jauzion (France)
O'Driscoll on Smith: “I thought Conrad Smith was always one of the really difficult ones. He was nicknamed ‘Snake’ I think because of his hips and it doesn’t look like he’s going that fast but jeez, he can travel."
O'Driscoll on Jauzion: "He was just incredible and was so hard to stop, with his offloading ability. France built so much off and around him. 6-foot-4 and probably 17-stone."
HALFBACKS:
- 10. Jonny Wilkinson (England)
- 9. Peter Stringer (Ireland)
O'Driscoll on Wilkinson: “Even to just get a snapshot of what his mind works like now and how he thinks about things is pretty eye-opening as to what sort of detail he went into as a player,”
“He’s an out-and-out perfectionist, he just needs that 10 out of 10. I don’t think you ever achieve it and I think he beats himself up about it, but he got pretty close to 10 a lot of times.”
Pictured is: Jonny Wilkinson poses with his Premiership Rugby Hall of Fame inductee trophy during the Premiership Rugby Hall of Fame Dinner at HonourableArtillery Company - Photo mandatory by-line: Phil Mingo/Pinnacle/Premiership Rugby - Tel: +44(0)1363 881025 - Mobile: 0797 1270 681 - 02/09/2015 - Premiership Rugby Hall of Fame at London's Honourable Artillery Company, London
FRONT-ROW:
- 1. Tendai Mtawarira
- 2. Keith Wood (Ireland)
- 3. Carl Hayman (New Zealand)
SECOND-ROW:
- 4. Paul O'Connell (Ireland)
- 5. Martin Johnson (England)
O'Driscoll on O'Connell: "One of the greatest leaders & players of them all. Inspirational,"
Paul O'Connell of Ireland seen during the Rugby World Cup Pool D match between Italy v Ireland at The Stadium, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park on Oct 4th 2015 in London - Photo mandatory by-line: Graeme Truby/Pinnacle - Tel: +44(0)1363 881025 - Mobile:0797 1270 681 - VAT Reg No: 183700120 - SPORT - International Rugby
BACK-ROW:
- 6. Richard Hill (England)
- 7. Richie McCaw (New Zealand)
- 8. Lawrence Dallagli (England)
O'Driscoll on Hill: "The England No.6 that won the World Cup in 2003. He was a brilliant teammate but he made that team tick, he was the unsung hero in that world cup win. He was hard! I always liked playing with guys that were nails in the team, that really stood up and never took a backwards step."
