10. Brian O’Driscoll (Centre, Ireland, 71 caps) As a balanced centre he has everything – pace strength, great attacking skill and is as good in defence as attack. On the 2001 Lions tour, he showed his outstanding talent as the stand out back in the series. He has the ability to prise open defences that other players cannot even contemplate. With his poise, his change of speed and his closeness to the ground it is very hard to stop him. Ireland are half the side without him.
9. Zinzan Brooke (No 8, New Zealand, 58 caps) A No 8 who could drop a goal from the 10-metre line. For a forward his skills were outrageous. As comfortable playing sevens as 15s, he had better kicking and handling skills than some fly-halves playing international rugby. You align that with his strength and ability as a forward to read the game – he was unique.
8. Martin Johnson (Second row, England, 84 caps) Inspirational leader, formidable player, competitive in every situation. The example he set in tight situations led the way. He didn’t ask you for effort or even have to demand it, his very presence made you want to live up to his high standards. He was indispensable to England in the World Cup win. He made it happen.
7. Hugo Porta (Fly-half, Argentina, 58 caps) Out of anyone that has made an impact on international rugby, few can match Porta. Argentina were playing at a lower level until the class of Porta lifted them. 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.
6. Danie Gerber (Centre, South Africa, 24 caps) I wouldn’t have liked to have played 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 an F1 car. Although he wasn’t seen much on the international scene (because of the apartheid boycotts) he made a huge impact. With more time he would have had an incredible effect.
5. Serge Blanco (Full-back, France, 93 caps) 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. He turned many matches from full-back. He was the epitome of the brilliant Frenchmen. A dream to watch, a nightmare to play against.
4. Jonah Lomu (Wing, New Zealand, 63 caps) 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. He could singlehandedly take on four or five players – no one had done that before or has done it since.
3. David Campese (Wing, Australia, 101 caps) 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. He was an extraordinary talent – the best winger.
2. Michael Jones (Openside, New Zealand, 55 caps) Like Zinzan Brooke for ball skills. He also 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. Up until he played it was unheard of to be such a complete player in this position.
1. Gareth Edwards (Scrum-half, Wales, 53 caps) 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. He played in the 1970s, but, if he played now, he would still be the best. He was outstanding at running, passing, kicking and reading the game. He sits astride the whole of rugby as the ultimate athlete on the pitch.
