England legend Will Carling picks his all-time top 30 players - but who makes the cut?

30. Keith Wood (Hooker, Ireland, 58 caps) Mad, explosive Irish talent.

29. Jason Leonard (Prop, England, 114 caps) More than 100 caps as a prop is unbelievable.

28. Barry John (Fly-half, Wales, 25 caps) The king, to me his swerve and body movement were simply sublime. A subtle move of his hips sufficed. A very deceptive runner.

27. Richie McCaw (Openside, New Zealand, 55 caps) Brave, athletic, quite outstanding exponent at the breakdown.

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - JULY 25: Richie McCaw (All blacks Captain) in action during The Castle Lager Rugby Championship 2015 match between South Africa and New Zealand at Emirates Airline Park on July 25, 2015 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images/Getty Images)[/caption]

26. Morne du Plessis (No 8, South Africa, 22 caps) He was everything that's great about South African rugby - intelligent, athletic, brave.

25. John Eales (Second row, Australia, 86 caps) Line out genius, quiet leader, double World Cup winner.

24. Jonny Wilkinson (Fly-half, England, 57 caps) The ultimate kicking and defensive fly half.

23. Dan Carter (Fly-half, New Zealand, 41 caps) At his best – sublime. If he continues in same vein will make top ten.

22. Wayne Shelford (No 8, New Zealand, 22 caps) Huge influence in returning the pride to the haka and the All Blacks.

21. Tim Horan (Centre, Australia, 80 caps) Double World Cup winner. Pace, balance, great ball skills, courage.

(Full-back, Wales, 55 caps) When I was growing up he was the embodiment of competitiveness. Brave, attacking full back and a rock in defence.

19. Willie John McBride (No 8, Ireland, 63 caps) Pipe-smoking legend, the definitive Lion.

18. Sean Fitzpatrick (Hooker, New Zealand, 92 caps) Nasty, ultra-competitive winner.

17. Peter Winterbottom (Openside, England, 58 caps) Respected in New Zealand, adored in South Africa, worshipped by me.

16. Jean-Pierre Rives (Openside, France, 59 caps) Hardest and bravest man I have seen on a rugby pitch, and he had all the skills.

15. David Duckham (Wing, England, 36 caps) His talent and sidestepping ability shone through though he was starved of ball.

14. Colin Meads (Second row, New Zealand, 55 caps) 'Pinetree' - this hard man was the foundation which the success of the All Blacks was built around.

13. Mike Gibson (Centre, Ireland, 69 caps) Almost the complete centre. Balance, vision, ball skills, temperament.

12. George Gregan (Scrum-half, Australia, 132 caps) Most capped player of all time - that says it all.

11. Philippe Sella (Centre, France, 111 caps) Prince of French centres, at his best untouchable.

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.
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LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 04: Former Ireland player Brian O'Driscoll looks on prior to the 2015 Rugby World Cup Pool D match between Ireland and Italy at the Olympic Stadium on October 4, 2015 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)[/caption]

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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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