The all time World Cup team

As Rugby World Cup 2007 draws ever closer and fans wonder which stars will shine and which stars will fall in France, why not take a nostalgic look back at the players who shone at the previous five World Cups?

While it can be hard to compare star players from different eras, all of these players had an impact on rugby’s biggest stage and are deserving of being in the all time World Cup XV.

Fullback: John Gallagher (New Zealand) It was tempting to select Christian Cullen in this position, but Cullen only played in the 1999 World Cup where he played out of position at centre with disastrous results. Gallagher was undoubtedly the world’s best full back in the late 80s and showed his flair with brilliant performances in the 1987 World Cup, including four tries against Fiji. A solid defender, he injected himself into the back line with precision timing, throwing off opposition defences.

Wing: Jonah Lomu (New Zealand) Who could forget that moment when Lomu stumbled after breaking Rory Underwood’s attempted tackle, looked up and saw English full back Mike Catt lining him up, and then ran straight over Catt to score his fourth try of the match? Against England in 1995 he was devastating and, although he never quite reached those heights again, performed well at the 1999 World Cup.

Wing: David Campese (Australia) Quite possibly the best winger of his era, the man they call “Campo” was always something of an enigma. Capable of the most brilliant runs, and the most boneheaded of mistakes, Campese will always be remembered by fans of both sides of the Tasman for his blind pass to Tim Horan in the 1991 semi final, which helped the Wallabies to their first World Cup. His battles with All Black greats John Kirwan and Stu Wilson are also legendary.

Centre: Jason Little (Australia) A member of a very select group of players who have won two World Cups in 1991 and 1999, Little was known more for his attacking prowess than his defence, but showed he was also a tenacious tackler when he was targeted by Will Carling at the 1991 World Cup. Able to pierce opposition defensive lines with his angled runs, he and Tim Horan made one of the greatest mid field pairings of all time.

Second Five: Tim Horan (Australia) Little’s long term partner in the mid field for the Wallabies, Horan would also win two World Cups. Horan was a mainstay in the Australian mid field throughout the 90s. Known for his formidable defence and distribution skills, Horan played 80 tests for the Wallabies between 1989 and 2000.

First Five: Johnny Wilkinson (England) Two men have kicked their sides to victory in extra time in the World Cup final: Wilkinson and South Africa’s Joel Stransky. During the 2003 World Cup Wilkinson kicked his side to victory on multiple occasions and gave his team confidence that they would be able to keep the scoreboard ticking over. Wilkinson was also a fearless defender, frequently facing much bigger men running at him, he stood his ground and made the tackle. His last second drop goal to win the World Cup, off his less favoured right boot no less, was clutch play at its finest.

Halfback: George Gregan (Australia) The most capped player every in international rugby with 136 appearances for the Wallabies, Gregan was a stand out player in the 1999 World Cup. Always providing quick service from the base of the ruck, back then Gregan was also an excellent runner with the ball in hand. In the 2003 World Cup he continued his stellar play and also provided leadership as he captained the team to the final where they were beaten by England.

Number 8: Zinzan Brooke (New Zealand) One of the greatest No. 8 forwards in the history of the game, Brooke had the bruising power of a loose forward and the hands and kicking ability of a back. Virtually always gaining yards with his drives close to the ruck, he played in both the 1991 and 1995 World Cups. Brooke famously kicked a drop goal in the All Blacks’ win over England from 45 metres out, to the surprise of everyone in the stadium – including himself.

Opensider Flanker: Michael Jones (New Zealand) Not only did Jones score the first try in both the 1987 and 1991 World Cups, but he is also credited with revolutionising the role of the opensider flanker. Possessing uncanny speed, superb fitness and a great instinct for the game, Jones made the position what it is today. He could have played in the 1995 World Cup, but because of his strong Christian beliefs he refused to play on Sundays, and was left out of the team as both the quarter final and semi finals fell on Sundays.

Blindside Flanker: Francois Pienaar (South Africa) When South Africa came out of the international rugby wilderness they had no better ambassador than Pienaar. Personable and intelligent off the field, rugged and uncompromising on it, he led his team to the 1995 World Cup. Despite suffering a calf strain in the final, Pienaar played on in extra time and would receive the William Webb Ellis trophy from Nelson Mandela in an iconic moment of South African history.

Lock: Martin Johnson (England) Quite possibly the best player ever to play for England, Johnson led his team to the 2003 World Cup. An imposing physical presence on the field, he was dominant in the tight exchanges, brilliant in the line out and provided the kind of leadership that inspires men to great things. Some have criticised his confrontational style of play, but there is no denying his results.

Lock: John Eales (Australia) After winning his first World Cup in 1991, Eales collected his second World Cup winner’s medal in 1999, this time as captain. Known as a brilliant line out forward, Eales also possessed a good kicking game – an unusual trait for a tight forward. He was known as a great leader in the dressing room and a cerebral tactician on the field who rarely made an error. He is also the highest scoring forward in international rugby, thanks largely to his goal kicking ability.

Tighthead Prop: Jason Leonard (England) One of only two players to have played in four World Cups, Leonard finally got his winner’s medal in 2003. Able to play both sides of the scrum, Leonard was a powerful scruammager who never shied away from confrontation. Until recently he was the most capped player in test rugby history.

Hooker: Sean Fitzpatrick (New Zealand) Although he was considered the second choice hooker to captain Andy Dalton for the 1987 World Cup, an injury to Dalton saw Fitzpatrick play every game for the All Blacks, even after Dalton had recovered. Fitzpatrick would go on to play in the 1991 World Cup and captain the All Blacks in the 1995 World Cup, putting him in a select group of players to have played at three World Cups.

Loosehead Prop: Os du Randt (South Africa) His nickname means “Ox” because he is as strong as one. A member of the 1995 World Cup champion Springboks and again in 1999, du Randt was one of the best props of his time. A powerful scrummager, he was extremely mobile for a big man and would often show up running the ball down the wing.

So there is my all World Cup XV, is there anybody I have missed? Someone who shouldn’t be here?

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The The all time World Cup team by Hamish McBrearty, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.