Sir Clive Woodward's all-time XV is spectacularly good - Ruck

Sir Clive Woodward’s all-time XV is spectacularly good

Now this is spectacular, Sir Clive Woodward’s all-time XV.

The 65-year-old has a stellar coaching CV that includes stints coaching London Irish, Bath, England and the British & Irish Lions. The peak of that was surely winning the 2003 Rugby World Cup with the men in white.

Using several interviews and his column for the Mail Online from down the years, we’ve formed dream team based on the players Sir Clive Woodward bestowed with the most acclaim.

DID YOU KNOW? At Conway, Clive Woodward played rugby union at centre alongside fly-half Iain Duncan Smith, who would later become leader of the Conservative Party

Sir Clive Woodward Dream XV

BACK-THREE:

Fullback: Jason Robinson (England) – 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.

Winger: Rory Underwood (England): The speedster never really got the credit he deserved for his consistency for club and country.

Wing: Jonah Lomu (New Zealand) – He took rugby to a whole new level. There’s very rarely one player who dominates a whole World Cup and he certainly did.


CENTRES

Outside-centre: Brian O’Driscoll (Ireland) – 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.

Inside-centre: Will Greenwood (England): “I think as a pair, O’Driscoll and Woodard, they would dominate any midfield and I like the thought of them together.”

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