Jonny Wilkinson named England's greatest ever Six Nations player

Each competing nation has a player who they hail as 'the greatest', yet specifically on the Six Nations stage, who stands above the rest for their countrymen. The 2023 tournament is fast approaching, with the opening weekend kicking off on Saturday 4th February. Lets review our picks for the tournament's greatest player, for each of the six competing nations.

Italy's one and only. In a conversation which provokes a great debate amongst rugby's old and young fans, there is no doubt in who the undisputed standard bearer for the 'gli Azzurri' is. Sergio Parisse, Italy's evergreen who has played 142 times for his country over 16 years. Martin Castrogiovanni is an honorable mention, yet Parisse's unfaltering leadership, and consistancy in the Italian eight jersey gives him the advantage.

The back rower took up the Italian captaincy in 2008, aged just 24, and held it for a remarkable 13 years until 2021. The 2008 Six Nations saw Parisse mark his new leadership with a victory over Scotland. His efforts were acknowledged in being shortlisted for the 2008 IRB World Player of the Year Award.

Parisse was the fabled leader in the Italian squad which caused many an upset throughout the late 2000's and into the early 2010's. He scored a milestone try as Italy recorded a famous 2013 victory over France, and bestowed the belief in his countrymen which saw them beat Ireland for the first time ever, and pass on the wooden spoon in a fourth placed table finish. The all-time leading Six Nations appearance holder with 69 caps, Parisse has witnessed the highs and lows of Italy's time in the competition.

Italy are now with a promising crop of talented youngsters, led by talisman Paolo Garbisi. Expectations are building once again, after they ended their seven year Six Nations run without a win, in the dramatic 22-21 victory over Wales. Parisse is still active at the top of his game, playing for Toulon in the Top 14. A rumoured Italy return could be on the horizon, for the living legend to have a definitive and rightly deserved send-off on his international career, after the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic unfairly closed the doors on his adoring supporters.

DID YOU KNOW: Sergio Parisse was born in La Plata, Argentina.

The King of the Six Nations. Jonny Sexton, Ronan O'Gara, Paul O'Connell all come close, but O'Driscoll stands above with the unmatchable accolades to prove it. The only player in history to have won the decorated Six Nations Player of the Tournament three times, as he achieved the feat in 2006, 2007 and 2009.

With 26 Six Nations tries across 15 campaigns, O'Driscoll is rightfully considered the finest centre the tournament has ever witnessed. Four tries to the better than second placed George North, O'Driscoll stands tall above the Championship's greatest try-scorers, with a record that has now stood for nine years.

Making his Six Nations debut in 2000, O'Driscoll's hat-trick against France marked his arrival on the grandest stage. Ireland fans would soon wear the slogan 'In BOD We Trust' on their t-shirts and hats, as the tricky-footed Dubliner established himself as Ireland's talisman.

Awarded Irish captaincy in 2003, the 2000's soon became the era of O'Driscoll. Back-to-back Triple Crown successes in 2006 and 2007 saw Ireland get the better of their home nation counterparts. The pinnacle achievement was the 2009 unbeaten Grand Slam and long awaited title as Six Nations Champion. Ending his international career as 2014 Six Nations Champion, O'Driscoll could not have wrapped up his legacy in any more of a fitting way.

DID YOU KNOW: Brian O'Driscoll is a big Manchester United fan.

It is close at the top for Wales, as Alun Wyn Jones and Shane Williams both present the right to be considered their country's greatest Six Nations player. However, as magical it was to watch Williams score magnificent tries in a Welsh jersey, Alyn Wyn Jones just edges him for the top spot. The lock's longevity and accomplishments for his country in the Six Nations have been insurmountable, and at 37-years-old, he still isn't finished.

Alun Wyn Jones has been at the heart of the Wales squad throughout their tremendous accomplishments, since the turn of the millennium. A five time winner of the Six Nations, Jones is also the countries leading appearance holder, and their most capped captain. He is a truly generational talent that instils fear into his opponents, and courage into his brothers around him. Alun Wyn Jones began his international career in 2006, following on from a victorious U21 Six Nations Championship the year prior.

Just four Six Nations caps behind all-time appearance holder Sergio Parisse, Alun Wyn Jones is expected to eclipse the great Italian atop of the record's list. O'Driscoll has just one more cap the Jones, with the second rower looking to equalise the Irishman against his own nation, in Wales opening match of the 2023 tournament. The 2019 Six Nations Player of the Championship, Jones was the fierce Welsh leader that breathed the fire into his teammates, for the monumental Grand Slam success.

The 2019 Grand Slam was Jones' third, completing a hat-trick of unbeatable tournaments for Wales, and solidifying him as his country's greatest Six Nations player. A 2021 Championship and Triple Crown has only elevated Jones' already mighty high pedestal. It will be exciting to see the legacy he leaves behind, after the 2023 Championship is etched into the history books.

DID YOU KNOW: Alun Wyn Jones has a Law degree, and is a graduate of Swansea University.

The toughest decision out of any nation. Chris Patterson or Stuart Hogg. There are polarising debates for the inclusion of either man, yet for anyone to deny a two-time Six Nations Player of the Championship the top spot for his country, they must stake an undeniable claim. Chris Patterson does just that, with 381 points he is the leading scorer for Scotland in the competition. Patterson is Scotland's overall Six Nations star... for now.

There is time yet for Hogg to overtake Patterson as Scotland's finest, as the Exeter Chiefs fullback has certainly still got enough time to solidify his legacy. Yet for now, Patterson is the best to ever wear the thistle in the Six Nations. A Scottish centurion with 109 caps, just one shy of Ross Ford's 110 cap record, Patterson is part of an elite few. Hogg is just a margin short with 96, and will hope to reach the one hundred club this tournament, as his injury concerns are reportedly improving. He is just two shy off Patterson's 53 Six Nations cap record, and will too look to pass this in the coming weeks.

Patterson was a versatile back, shining on the wing, fullback and even at fly half. Patterson ran the Scottish backline from 1999 to 2011, and dominated the point scoring from the tee. Scotland's all-time point scorer with 809, he also holds the kicking consistency record, scoring 36 in a row from 2007 to 2008. Hogg holds the try scoring record with 27, surpassing Patterson's 22 tries.

The two are so well-matched, boasting an equal skill-set and two decorated CV's in Scotland jerseys. Scotland have historically struggled at the Six Nations, frequently finishing in the bottom half of the table. Neither Patterson or Hogg has lifted the Six Nations trophy, with Scotland's last triumph being the 1999 Five Nations, just months before Patterson's debut. Patterson narrowly bests Hogg to the top spot for now, but an unexpected Six Nations Championship win would certainly solidify Hogg as Scotland's greatest.

DID YOU KNOW: Soon after retirement, Chris Patterson took on an ambassador role for Scotland's national team.

England won three out of the first four editions of the Six Nations Championships, with a hat-trick of silverware from 2000 to 2003. France's 2002 success intervened a perfect start to the new Championship format, yet England can look back on the tournament's early days with great fondness. Martin Johnson and Jonny Wilkinson were at the helm for England throughout those three Championship wins, co-captaining England to success.

England then entered a hiatus period, as they failed to win the Six Nations for eight seasons. It was 2011 when they finally re-claimed their crown, with Johnson as the team's Head Coach, and Wilkinson stepping back in to the side to mentor for the next generation, playing a pivotal role as an off-the-bench impact player. There is a significant debate for both Wilkinson and Johnson to both be regarded as England's greatest Six Nations player, and it would be considered fair that they shared the accolade.

However, there must be one, and the award goes to Wilkinson. His four Six Nations Championships outweigh Johnson's three, on the technicality that Johnson's additional 1995 and 1996 triumphs come under the Five Nations era. The two share their weight in Six Nations gold, yet Wilkinson has more as a player since the Italian inclusion of 2000.

Wilkinson is the second highest points scorer in the competitions 23 year history. He tallied a total of 546 points for England throughout his tenure, and sits below Ronan O'Gara for the all-time record. Owen Farrell is catching Wilkinson in each passing season, just 46 points behind adrift of Wilkinson's record. Farrell will soon stake a claim as England's greatest Six Nations player, with three Six Nations titles under his belt as captain.

DID YOU KNOW: Jonny's brother Mark Wilkinson also played for Newcastle Falcons.

A possibly controversial look to the here and now, in a debate which is dominated by the legends of the past. There is no denying that France's legends of the 2000's are all rightful contenders to this position. Thierry Dusautoir, Fabien Pelous and Serge Betsen are all definitively in the conversation from the heights of France's Six Nations heyday.

However, Antoine Dupont in just four international seasons, has established himself to World Rugby Player of the Year standard. Under the tutelage of Fabien Galthie, Dupont revived a French side with a strike of lightning in the nine jersey. It is always important to wait out the initial hype around a new 'superstar' player, yet Dupont has proven that he is not a flash in the pan, and should be contended as an all-time France legend, at just 26-years-old.

It took a 12 year wait, for France to win the Six Nations in 2022, as the aforementioned greats of the early 2000s left 'Les Bleus' for retirement. Dupont was the defibrillator which re-started the French heart, and captained them to Grand Slam glory, writing his own headlines through his unprecedented control of the game. Audacious offloads, sensational footwork, power and pace, Dupont is the proven whole package for a scrum half.

His moments of magic against Scotland and Ireland, and systematic dismantling of the remaining defences, instantly went viral amongst the modern day rugby community. He was rightfully awarded the 2022 Six Nations Player of the Championship award, and now orchestrates what many believe to be the best international rugby team in the world. Ahead of a Rugby World Cup on home soil, all eyes will be on Dupont once again, throughout the upcoming 2022 Six Nations.

DID YOU KNOW: Antoine Dupont's brother Clemont is involved in the family's pig breeding business.