"Nobody could hit you harder" - All Blacks legends Carter and McCaw select their three toughest opponents

byRugby Rucker

All Black legends Dan Carter and Richie McCaw both named these three rugby superstars among their five toughest opponents from their fabulous careers.

The pair, who won the World Cup with New Zealand in 2011 and 2015, are renowned as two of the finest players of not just their generation, but all-time.

Carter hooked up with former captain McCaw for the first of a two-part interview.

Topics range from McCaw’s bagpipe skills to his unique pre-match ritual. The former skipper’s relentless attention to detail and goal-setting was the stuff of legend.

Carter and McCaw: Toughest opponents

#3. Thierry Dusautoir (France)

Position Back-row
Height 6 ft 2 in
Weight 218 lb
Caps 80

MCCAW SAID: "Over the years I've played him a few times and you always know he's there. He was always pretty big defensively and in the breakdown area. A menace"

CARTER SAID: "He had some blinding games in big moments — none more so than in the 2007 and 2011 World Cup games against the All Blacks."

DID YOU KNOW? He broke the record for most tackles in a match, making 38 tackles against the All Blacks in the 2007 World Cup

2. Jonny Wilkinson (England)

Position Back-row
Height 6 ft 2 in
Weight 218 lb
Caps 80

CARTER SAID: "You might of heard of him? Former England captain and Toulon player Jonny is probably the closest thing I've seen to the perfect rugby player."

MCCAW SAID: "He'll go down as one of the greats of world rugby.”

DID YOU KNOW? Wilkinson's brother, Mark, was also a Newcastle player who made 16 appearances in the Premiership for the side between 2002 and 2005, predominantly as a centre

#1. Schalk Burger (South Africa)

Position Back-row
Height 6 ft 4 in
Weight 242 lb
Caps 86

MCCAW SAID: "You can come up against another tough team but never feel like you have had a tough match against your opposite. But with Burger you knew where they are going to be and how hard they play near the ball."

CARTER SAID: "I kept looking at my All Black jersey wondering if I had a target like in the middle of the jersey or something because he kept coming for me. He was having a huge battle with our big forward pack. He just kept going. He didn’t stop. He was physical and just his leg drive was incredible. A real competitor and absolute top bloke off the field as well. His mindset was a little bit different when he was out there competing. That just made him such a tough opponent to come up against.”

DID YOU KNOW? Burger was a member of the 2007 Rugby World Cup-winning team, has twice been named South African Rugby Player of the Year (in 2004 and 2011), and was named IRB Player of the Year in 2004, among other accolades