England legend Martin Johnson has caused a stir in the rugby world by unveiling his ultimate XV – and it’s not what anyone expected.
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The lineup is packed with rugby royalty, but shockingly, it snubs icons like Lawrence Dallaglio, Brian O’Driscoll, Jason Robinson, and Shane Williams.
The towering lock, hailed as one of rugby union’s most influential figures, has once again proven he’s not afraid to ruffle feathers. Johnson famously led England to their epic 2003 Rugby World Cup triumph and became the only player to captain the British & Irish Lions on two separate tours (1997 and 2001).
His career is the stuff of legends – anchoring England’s pack during two Grand Slam victories in 1995 and 2003, the latter being the crown jewel of his captaincy. Johnson’s picks for his dream team will no doubt spark fierce debate, but one thing’s for sure – he’s never been one to play it safe.
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MARTIN JOHNSON DREAM TEAM:
BACK-THREE:
Fullback: Serge Blanco (France) – “A great France full back who dominated games.”
Winger: Joe Roff (Australia) – “You’d put David Campese up there but Roff is my choice. A fantastic all-round rugby player, and old-style wing.”
Winger: Jonah Lomu (New Zealand) – “Not much difficulty in choosing one of the most awesome wings to have ever played.”
CENTRES:
Outside-centre: Philippe Sella (France) – “I used to watch him as a kid on TV and think he was brilliant; and then ten years later I played against him and he was still brilliant. He still looks as if he could play for France today. One of the best backs I’ve ever seen. If you hit him it was like running into concrete.”
Inside-centre: Danie Gerber (South Africa) – “Scored a hat-trick against England in the first half in one match in the 1980s. He didn’t play many Tests because of apartheid, but he had power and pace. I don’t know if he could pass: it seemed like he never needed to. I played against him in a charity match in 1996 when he must have been well into his 40s, he was still awesome.”
HALFBACKS:
Fly-half: Jonny Wilkinson (England) – “I could have gone for Phil Bennett, Michael Lynagh, Stephen Larkham or others but Jonny is special, not just for his kicking. I remember in the 2003 Grand Slam decider in Dublin, Ireland attacked down the right and Jonny was there to stop them; then they switched quickly to the left and Jonny was there to stop them too.”
Scrum-half: Gareth Edwards (Wales) – “The Welsh have put mythical status on Edwards and their 1970s players, but Rob Howley was almost as good and scored some great tries. Joost van der Westhuizen was the best scrum half I played against.”
FRONT-ROW:
Loosehead-prop: Jason Leonard (England) – “Solid as a rock, was regularly asked to play on both sides of the scrum and never moaned. His record of four World Cups and two finals says it all.”
Hooker: Sean Fitzpatrick (New Zealand) – “Played for the All Blacks for ten years, a fantastic competitor and a great captain.”
Tighthead-prop: Jean-Pierre Garuet (France) – “From the old school of scrummagers, played in the 1987 final, a nuggety, fierce-looking guy.”
SECOND-ROW:
Frik du Preez (South Africa) and Colin Meads (New Zealand): “The 1990s was a great era for locks. There were Robin Brooke and Ian Jones for New Zealand; Australia had John Eales; South Africa had Mark Andrews. I could have picked any of them but I’ve gone for some older players. Both Du Preez and Meads played in the 1960s but were very modern players. Meads was the greatest ever All Black; Frik was very quick and athletic. I wasn’t in their league.”
BACK-ROW:
Blindside-flanker: Richard Hill (England) – “It was a difficult choice but Hill, a quiet guy, very understated, was the pick. When he was with the Lions teams, if he didn’t play, we didn’t win. He would be embarrassed to be in this side, but he deserves it.”
Openside-flanker: Michael Jones (New Zealand) – “Sean Fitzpatrick says he was the greatest player he ever played against, a mythical figure.”
Number 8: Wayne Shelford (New Zealand) – “Buck was at his peak for the World Cup final in 1987. I remember watching him as a 16-year-old on the terraces at Leicester a year earlier and saw him charge down the flank, chip the ball over the wing and score a try. Not bad for a back row.”
