England legend Jonny Wilkinson sat down for a question and answer session, revealing who his ideal halfback partner from any era of rugby would be.
After briefly talking about current stars Aaron Smith and Faf De Klerk in company with legends like Gareth Edwards and the ‘world-class’ Joost van der Westhuizen, the World Cup winner opted for a Scotland international instead.
Former Newcastle Falcons player Gary Armstrong represented his country 51 times over eleven years, making his debut in Scotland’s 31-12 defeat at the hands of Australia at Murrayfield.
Wilkinson said: “The sheer aggression and resilience of the guy, his sheer character meant that anything, any ball that wasn’t good enough to go out to the number ten was never going to go out to the number ten.
“He would deal with everything himself and that meant control of the game”
Armstrong appeared at the 1991, 1995 and 1999 World Cups, scoring two tries in nine games. However, his greatest success at the tournament undoubtedly came when he lead his side to the semi-finals in 1991.
DID YOU KNOW? During the amateur era of rugby he was a long-haul lorry driver a
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England Legend Jonny Wilkinson Names His Five Best Fly-Halves Of All-Time
The group boasts four Rugby World Cup winners, and between them the five have amassed 553 points.
Each individual played their part in their countries’ successes and all possessed the qualities to take the pivotal spot in the team.
1. Michael Lynagh (Australia)
For a decade from his debut in 1984 to his international retirement in 1995, former Wallaby Skipper Lynagh was one of the most distinguishable players in World Rugby. After 72 internationals, he had set a new point-scoring record of 911, which is still an Australia record. He was an important member of the side that won the 1991 World Cup in England, but retired from International Rugby after Australia’s loss to England in the quarter-final of the 1995 Rugby World Cup.