Former England and British & Irish Lions captain Martin Johnson has named his Test dream team, which includes two former Springboks.
Johnson himself played 92 Tests (84 for England and eight for the Lions) during the span of his 10-year international career from 1993 to 2003. His honours roll includes a World Cup title, five Six Nations championships – including two Grand Slams – and a Lions series win as captain.
During a recent special guest appearance on a podcast, the legendary lock revealed his all-time Test XV, ranging from players he watched as a kid, to those he played with and against.
There are five All Blacks in Johnson’s lineup, three each from England and France, two South Africans and one apiece from Australia and Wales.
Willie le Roux is HUGE for the Springboks
Johnson’s all-time Test XV:
15. Serge Blanco (France)
‘A great France fullback who dominated games.’
14. 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.’
13. Philippe Sella (France)
‘I used to watch him as a kid on TV and think he was brilliant; and then 10 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.’
12. 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.’
11. Jonah Lomu (New Zealand)
‘Not much difficulty in choosing one of the most awesome wings to have ever played.’
10. 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.’
9. 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 scrumhalf I played against.’
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 rower.’
7. Michael Jones (New Zealand)
‘Sean Fitzpatrick says he was the greatest player he ever played against, a mythical figure.’
6. 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.’
4&5. Frik du Preez (South Africa), 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.’
3. Jean-Pierre Garuet (France)
‘From the old school of scrummagers, played in the 1987 final, a nuggety, fierce-looking guy.’
2. Sean Fitzpatrick (New Zealand)
‘Played for the All Blacks for 10 years, a fantastic competitor and a great captain.’
1. 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.’
ALSO READ: World Cup-winning Bok quartet in Jones’ all-time XV
Photo: Getty Images
