HALFBACKS
Fly-half: Jonny Wilkinson (England)
A clutch player under pressure, Wilkinson famously kicked England to World Cup glory in 2003 and remains one of the best defensive 10s in history.
“I could have gone for Phil Bennett, Michael Lynagh, Stephen Larkham or others, but Jonny is special – not just for his kicking.”
Scrum-half: Gareth Edwards (Wales)
Widely regarded as the greatest scrum-half ever, Edwards was the heartbeat of Wales’ dominant team in the 1970s.
“The Welsh have put mythical status on Edwards and their 1970s players, but Rob Howley was almost as good. Joost van der Westhuizen was the best scrum-half I played against.”
FRONT ROW
Loosehead-prop: Jason Leonard (England)
Leonard played in four Rugby World Cups, won in 2003, and retired as England’s most-capped player with 114 appearances.
“Solid as a rock, was regularly asked to play on both sides of the scrum and never moaned.”
Hooker: Sean Fitzpatrick (New Zealand)
One of the toughest leaders in rugby history, Fitzpatrick won the inaugural World Cup in 1987 and captained the All Blacks 51 times.
“Played for the All Blacks for ten years, a fantastic competitor and a great captain.”
Tighthead-prop: Jean-Pierre Garuet (France)
A formidable scrummager, Garuet helped France reach the 1987 Rugby World Cup final.
“From the old school of scrummagers, a nuggety, fierce-looking guy.”
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