Will Carling leaves Carter and Wilkinson out of his all-time XV
Top 10s/ListsTuesday, 12 March 2019 at 12:55
Former England centre Will Carling has picked a former goalkicking number eight in his team, along with the likes of All Black powerhouses and World Cup-winning captains.
Fullback: SERGE BLANCO (France) - He sums up all that is brilliant about French rugby. He had the audacity to take risks that no one else would. He was daring but he had the breathtaking ability to pull it off.
Winger: JONAH LOMU (New Zealand) - Talking of nightmares, the physical impact that Lomu had on the 1995 World Cup was beyond the effect of any other player in the history of the game. He was so quick, so powerful and so strong that he changed rugby.
Centre: BRIAN O'DRISCOLL (Ireland) - As a balanced centre he has everything pace strength, great attacking skill as good in defence as in attack. With his poise, his change of speed and his closeness to the ground it is was very hard to stop him.
Centre: DANIE GERBER (South Africa) - I wouldn’t have liked to play against him. With his pace, power and aggression he was like a little rocket. He was built like a tank and had the pace of a formula one car.
Winger: DAVID CAMPESE (Australia) - He was well ahead of his time. His anticipation and vision was way ahead of what everyone else was attempting, and 99 per cent of it came off. He took running lines no one else could fathom and made passes no one could see were on.
Fly-half: HUGO PORTER (Argentina) - He was a great kicker of the dead ball and out of hand but he was also tactically astute – he knew when to attack and when to kick. He put Argentina on the world map single-handedly, an amazing achievement.
Scrum-half: GARETH EDWARDS (Wales) - It's hard to compare generations yet Edwards is the one guy I can say that would have been great whenever he played. He was a supreme athlete with supreme skills, the complete package.
Prop: JASON LEONARD (England) - Over 100 caps as a prop is unbelievable.
Hooker: SEAN FITZPATRICK (New Zealand) - Nasty, ultra-competitive winner.
Prop: GRAHAM PRICE (Wales) - To me any prop that can run the length of the field and score at Parc des Princes is very special.
Lock: MARTIN JOHNSON (England) - Inspirational leader, formidable player, competitive in every situation. The example he set in every tight situation in every game led the way.
Lock: COLIN MEADS (New Zealand) - Pinetree. This hard man was the foundation which the success of the All Blacks was built around.
Flanker: RICHARD HILL (England) - I’m a huge fan of his. Great work rate, great lines, great at reading the game. Quiet, unassuming demeanour but was always vital.
DUBLIN - MARCH 30: England's back row (l to r) Richard Hill, Neil Back and Lawrence Dallaglio celebrate after winning the Grand Slam in the RBS Rugby Union International match between Ireland and England at Lansdowne Road, Dublin, Ireland on March 30, 2003. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)
Flanker: MICHAEL JONES (New Zealand) - He had great acceleration and pace and could have played for most international midfields. Yet he was a no 7 who read the game brilliantly and was devastating in defence. He was the first multi talented openside.
Number 8: ZINZAN BROOKE (New Zealand) - A number 8 who could drop a goal from the 10 metre line. For a forward his skills were outrageous. As comfortable playing 7s as 15s, he had better kicking and handling skills than some fly halves playing international rugby.
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- Jordie Barrett over Damian de Allende is far from being correct. The hype around Dupont is also overreaching, he's probably 4th in the world and has been since the 2023 WC. He also avoids certain matchups which is strange. The rest of the list is pretty good apart from minor subjective biases.JasonMarlow16-09-2026
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