"Happy St George's Day" - Greatest England XV of all time named
Rugby NewsSunday, 23 April 2023 at 08:46
In a recent poll, Sky Sports wanted to know what you think the best-ever England XV from the World Cup era is.
And after 30,000 votes, here is the team fans selected. There are one or two surprise inclusions.
Fullback: JASON ROBINSON (94% of the vote)
The speedster was a menace whatever number was on his back, a bewildering opponent, a man seemingly able to sidestep in mid-air, with pace and nerve and vision, tough in the tackle, intelligent in his use of angles and selfless when it came to creating openings for teammates.
Winger: RORY UNDERWOOD (56%)
Underwood, the top try scorer in England's history, scored an impressive 49 tries in just 85 caps. His prolific nature ensures that the elder of the Underwood brothers will always be remembered for his contributions to the national team.
Centre: JEREMY GUSCOTT (69%)
The Prince of Centres,’ was how Guscott was described by Clive Woodward. And he wasn’t wrong.
Centre: WILL GREENWOOD (66%)
At 6ft 4ins, Greenwood had a physical presence himself but it was the judgement he brought to the field of play that marks him out. Everything you could want in a modern day inside centre and more. He is sorely missed.
Winger: JOSH LEWSEY (55%)
A player reborn after joining the armed forces and playing for Wasps simultaneously; his physical prowess was matched with a determination to constantly improve and a wonderful ability to read the game in front of him.
Fly-half: JONNY WILKINSON (97%)
Who else could it have been? There’s little to say about this man that hasn’t already been written. One of the greatest defensive fly halves to have ever played the game, and a physical embodiment of rugby as a professional sport. One of a kind.
Scrum-half: MATT DAWSON (83%)
A sniper and an absolute pain for defences, Dawson caused havoc on the 1997 Lions tour when he dummied half of South Africa’s pack and headed for the corner to help seal the first test. Although never the greatest of distributors, Dawson’s competitive edge and ability to spot the gap puts him in ahead of many other contenders.
Prop: JASON LEONARD (69%)
The most enduring, the most accomplished and, as his ‘Fun Bus’ nickname would suggest, one of the most faithful and inspirational team-mates to have alongside you.
Hooker: BRIAN MOORE (43%)
‘To be or not to be’ was a question answered by this William Shakespeare fan. He played in three World Cups for England and won three Grand Slams, earning World Rugby’s Player of the Year award in 1991.
Prop: PHIL VICKERY (82%)
As one of the hardest hitters in rugby, “Raging Bull” is never far from a Dream XV list. The former captain played every game of the 2003 campaign, coming back from a series of injuries.
Lock: MARTIN JOHNSON (98%)
The stats themselves – 84 caps for England across a decade, 39 of them as captain, culminating in that World Cup victory, three tours for the British and Irish Lions as well.
Lock: MARO ITOJE (59%)
The 25-year-old would have excelled no matter the time or style of game, be it tight and relentless, a bare-knuckle exchange as often used to be the case, or, as he does now, as an all-purpose player, as at ease in the open spaces as he is doing the grunt work at the coal-face.
Flanker: RICHARD HILL (85%)
The flanker was “first on the team-sheet,” according to Johnson and Sir Clive Woodward. Praised by Jeremy Guscott for his “work rate”, it is no wonder the forward scored so many points.
Flanker: PETER WINTERBOTTOM (56%)
interbottom, a shining archetype for the modern openside, was a menace to many fly-halves during his prime. His exceptional timing and precise tackles around the fringes were among his greatest strengths. He had the distinction of being a part of two British and Irish Lions tours, first in 1983 and later a decade after, becoming only the second Englishman ever to earn 50 caps in the interim.
Number 8: LAWRENCE DALLAGLIO (70%)
Dallaglio has always been a singular figure, one never daunted by any situation which is why he was such a long-standing captain with Wasps.
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