"What a player" - Sir Clive Woodward ranks the five best players he’s ever coached

Saturday, 11 September 2021 at 15:14

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byRugby Rucker

World Cup-winning coach Sir Clive Woodward coached some of the best rugby players of all-time during his time in charge of England and the Lions

Sourcing several Q&A’s from down the years, we’ve ranked his top five according to the praise he agave them.

#5. Jason Robinson

Woodward said: "He was a sponge and soaked up every single rugby union skill. By the end he was probably the best kicker out of hand we had, he laid the ball back at rucks perfectly and his tackle technique was perfect. What a player."

DID YOU KNOW? Because Dallaglio's father, Vincenzo, is Italian, and his English-born mother, Eileen, was of Irish descent he was eligible to play for both Italy and Ireland, as well as England

#4. Brian O'Driscoll

Woodward said: " In the Grand Slam game in 2003, we worked on a plan to man-mark him with three players, so the tackler was not exposed by O’Driscoll’s footwork and pace in a one-on-one situation. That’s how big a threat we believed he was – he needed three men to handle him. Ireland were going for a Grand Slam, but none of the players around Brian were in the same league."

#3. Martin Johnson

Woodward said: "Inspirational leader, formidable player, competitive in every situation. The example he set in every tight situation in every game led the way."

DID YOU KNOW? A fan of American football, Johnson is a supporter of the San Francisco 49ers and worked as a studio analyst for ITV at Super Bowl XLI,

#2. Jonny Wilkinson

Woodward said: "Jonny was special and he scared the opposition. Everyone has to pat him on the back. The way he defended and attacked, he was a very special player. All of us involved in that team [in 2003] just felt very lucky and privileged to have had him around at that time."

DID YOU KNOW? He gained a place at the University of Durham, but gave his place up in 1997 to become a professional rugby union player with the Newcastle Falcons

#1. Richard Hill

Woodward said: "I rated Hill so highly in an England jersey that he was the only player I never dropped once during my tenure. Different class."

DID YOU KNOW? Often portrayed as the 'silent assassin' at both club and international level, Hill was renowned for his effective and abrasive style of forward play