10. Nick Evans
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Rejecting the opportunity to be Dan Carter’s understudy, Evans made the brave move to the Premiership with Harlequins after the 2007 Rugby World Cup. Nine years on he hung up his boots as one of the clubs greatest ever players, scoring 2,249 points in 208 matches. A standout moment was probably his 20-point haul at Twickenham as Harlequins won their first ever Premiership title against Leicester in 2012.
9. Va’aiga Tuigamala
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The winger qualifies for this select group via his Samoan heritage. He also played more Tests for Samoa than he did for New Zealand but, above all else, taught everyone at Wigan and Newcastle Falcons what class looked like regardless of the code he was playing. He’s still talked about two decades on from Newcastle’s title-winning heyday.
8. Samu Manoa
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The USA international joined Northampton in 2011 and hit the ground running with a series of powerful performances in the early rounds of Aviva Premiership. Named by ESPN to the 2011-12 Premiershp “Dream Team.”, the back-rower signed a three-year extension and won the Northampton Saints Supporters’ Player of the Year for the 2012-13 Premiership season.
7. Petrus du Plessis
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After lifting the European Rugby Champions Cup twice and the Premiership trophy on three occasions during his seven seasons with Saracens, du Plessis is now with London Irish. A stalwart of the Premiership, he’s been one of the most consistent performers the division has ever seen, making 100 appearances for Sarries.
6. Martin Castrogiovanni
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Joining Leicester in 2005, he made an immediate impact in English rugby’s top flight and was named Guinness Premiership Player of the Year at the end of his debut season – in the process becoming the first prop and Italian to scoop the honour. He acquired cult status at Welford Road and a reputation as one of the league’s most fearsome props. Castrogiovanni played a key role in the Tigers’ dominance of the England domestic scene in the naughties helping them to Premiership titles in 2007, 2009 and 2010.