Simon Shaw’s Team of My Life: All Blacks great ‘sneaks in’ over Richie McCaw as ‘special player’ completes Springboks engine room

Few players have such a glittering CV in rugby as former Bristol, Wasps and Toulon lock Simon Shaw.

We have partnered with eToro, the official investing and trading partner of Premiership Rugby, to bring you this series, Team of my Life, in which a famous face from the world of rugby recalls an ultimate XV.

A three-time British and Irish Lion, who revels in the fact he’s their oldest Test cap, a World Cup winner and a player with a 15-year international career, there’s few better players that Shaw to select a Team of My Life.

“I think that throughout my career I saw the game move forward at real pace in terms of professionalism. The difference in knowledge of elite sport and training between my first Lions tour in 1997 to my last in 2009 really demonstrated just how far the game had evolved, especially since both of those tours were against the Springboks,” he said.

“Anyway, without further ado, here’s the best I played with or against and I apologise in advance to those I’ve omitted or overlooked!”

Simon Shaw’s Team of My Life

15 Matt Burke (Australia): Such a class act and a metronomic goal kicker. I think he’s overlooked in the modern pantheon of greats but for me he epitomised everything that a Wallaby back is – abrasive, reliable and quick!

14 Jason Robinson (England): He redefined England‘s back play and was the missing cutting edge that Clive Woodward needed to turn his team from good to great. A joy to play with and he defined professionalism. The best acceleration I’ve seen on a rugby player too.

13 Philippe Sella (France): I played against him when he came to Saracens and he still had every tool in the trade. Quick, big and very elusive. A classy operator.

12 Matt Giteau (Australia): Someone I’ve seen from both sides of the fence after playing with him at Toulon, ‘Gits’ was such a superb playmaker and that natural footballing 12 who can also play 10.

11 Jonah Lomu (New Zealand): A gamechanger. Even when the game had caught up with him from a size perspective his pure gas and athleticism set him apart. And a wonderful human being too.

10 Dan Carter (New Zealand): So hard to pick my ten given how much rugby I played with Jonny Wilkinson but Carter’s performances in 2005 were amongst the best I’ve seen from any player. Peerless.

9 Antoine Dupont (France): I am cheating here as I never quite managed to face him, but I can’t not pick him. I know some may question this, but pretty much the best player I’ve ever seen. So I’m picking him and that’s that!

The forwards

8 Zinzan Brooke (New Zealand): It’s hard to overlook players like Dallaglio and Parisse given how much rugby I played with or against those two, but Zinny is the combination of both of their skill-sets and that’s why he’s in. Class.

7 Michael Jones (New Zealand): He was just coming to the end of his career when I played against him but he left such an impression on me that he sneaks in over the great Richie McCaw. In truth I’d be happy with either, but ‘Ice’ was an eyeopener for me in my formative playing years.

6 Jerome Kaino (New Zealand): Nails. Hard as they come, physical as they come, yet the nicest man imaginable off the pitch and someone I’ve gotten to know reasonably well in France in later life.

5 Bakkies Botha (South Africa): I had many a battle with Bakkies and, as he was a similar style of lock to me, he was always a benchmark player to measure yourself against. World class and I got to know him well when we linked up at Toulon.

4 Eben Etzebeth (South Africa): It won’t come as a big surprise for me to pick two Bok locks and it was clear to me Eben was going to be a great the moment I clapped eyes on him in 2011. A special player.

3 Carl Hayman (New Zealand): The best tighthead of all time, in my opinion. Huge and very skilled, it’s rare to find someone so technically good at 6’5″ as a prop.

2 Keith Wood (Ireland): The life and soul of the 1997 Lions and one of the best tour ‘Prosecuting Counsels’ I’ve ever encountered with brutal forfeits! His body would be in bits but somehow he’d find a way to shine.

1 Os du Randt (South Africa): Os’s superpower was his tackle count and work-rate around the pitch. He’d put in the big hits all day long but still dominate in the scrum. A massive man with a massive career.

Simon Shaw‘s Team of My Life is brought to you by eToro, the official investing and trading partner of Premiership Rugby.

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