Out of favour, injured, exiled – they’d make many a team but they never played on the biggest stage of all.
1. Jon Bentley
The unlikely star of the 1997 Lions tour, the barnstorming winger was a league player in 1995 and out in the cold come 1999. Still, you can’t help thinking his big personality might have galvanized an England team still getting used to professionalism and Clive Woodward.
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2. Stuart Barnes
Whenever southern hemisphere sides toured England in the 1980s and early ’90s, they could never understand why the ‘Bath Barrel’ was passed over for the patient and reliable Rob Andrew. Can now be heard enjoying the sound of his own voice and annoying rugby fans around the world on Sky Sports.
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3. Rodney Blake
The Tongan-born, Kiwi-raised ‘Rodzilla’ initially seemed the answer to the Wallabies’ scrummaging woes. Despite consistently strong performances for both Australia and Queensland, Blake found himself without a Super 14s contract in 2009 and so headed off to Aviron Bayonnais and international ineligibility.
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4. Radike Samo
A victim of Australia and New Zealand’s policy of raiding their island neighbours, blindside Samo was just a stopgap for the Wallabies. Had he remained in Fiji, there’s little doubt his physicality and ball-carrying would have made him a hugely influential forward.
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5. Andy Robinson
Openside flanker Robinson was the star of England’s near-miss 1988-89 season. Seemingly set for a lengthy international career, the Bath star was brushed aside when Peter Winterbottom hit top form.
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6. Andy Dalton
For some, a serious rival to Sean Fitzpatrick as the greatest ever All Black hooker, Dalton was due to captain New Zealand in the inaugural Rugby World Cup but had to withdraw through injury. Spent the whole tournament sat on the bench sporting his head-guard and a sour expression.
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7. Eric Rush
One of the world’s greatest sevens player, the appropriately named Rush started out as a flanker before switching to the wing at the behest of the North Harbour coaching staff. Won just nine, non-World Cup caps for New Zealand before making way for someone called Jonah Lomu.
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8. Nigel Melville
England skipper aged just 23, we mightn’t have heard of ‘Captain Carling’ had Melville been less injury prone. Capped just 13 times, he was still playing incredible rugby in his early thirties but by then his was fourth choice scrum-half behind Richard Hill, Dewi Morris and Steve Bates.
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