LK: Simon Shaw (England) – “Again the Edwards bias may be showing through but I would argue that for the 10 years in question Shaw would be the man packing down behind the tighthead.”
LK: Victor Matfield (South Africa) – “Never seen anyone better in the lineout. Ben Kay and Paul O’Connell are up there but Matfield is the best. Remember the seven steals against England in the 2007 final?”
FL: Rocky Elsom – “Difficult but I put the Australia captain a short head in front of the Springbok Schalk Burger, because of his heroics during Leinster’s winning Heineken Cup campaign.”
FL: Richie McCaw (New Zealand) – “You can’t look past the All Black captain but George Smith and Serge Betsen have their followers.”
N8: Lawrence Dallaglio (England) – “Simply the best captain I have ever known and one of those guys who was in at the start of my coaching career. Two World Cup finals, two Heineken Cups, four Premiership championships and a couple of Anglo‑Welsh cups says it all.”