Planet Rugby Readers’ Professional XV: Backs
As professional rugby reaches its 25th anniversary and with time to reflect on those incredible years, we decided it’s time to look at the greatest players we’ve seen grace the pitches and screens of the world.
When we embarked on our mission to select this XV, we never quite anticipated the level of engagement and passion we’ve had from our readers.
Arguments have raged on every corner of social media over the minutiae of qualification (yes, we said over 50% of their career as a professional), over the players we didn’t shortlist and of those perhaps some thought we’d forgotten.
The editorial team didn’t select this in isolation and we’d like to thank some of our regular contributors, England internationals Nick Easter and George Chuter, our heads of selection, together with Premiership referee David Rose and former England Women’s coach, Graham Smith, for their tireless wisdom and inside track in discussing the players they’ve experienced and played against in their careers. Some of the debates were very intense and absolutely eye-opening.
We promised you that the readers would have the final say in selection, and after counting up literally thousands of votes on Twitter, here’s the final line-up in the backs.
15 Christian Cullen (New Zealand): Our readers had no doubt who they wanted in the 15 shirt, and agreed with our selection of one of rugby’s consummate entertainers, the “Paekakariki Express” polled 64.7% of the votes. Twitter follower @niallcollins summed this up eloquently: “2 types of people voting here. Those voting for CC, and those who are wrong!”
14 Jason Robinson (England): Another agreement from our audience, but with more of a split as the incredible Doug Howlett pushed “Billy Whizz” right down to the wire with the right wing flyers polling 37.1% and 44.6% respectively. Reader John Elsnau summed up the dilemma well: “Robinson or Howlett……tough call. Both so good, in different ways…..”
13 Brian O’Driscoll (Ireland): It seems “BOD” has captured the hearts of even the hardiest southern hemisphere fans as he saw off stiff competition from three other world class centres, but a final poll of 61% says everything about the rugby love for the Dubliner. Facebooker John Maguire summed it up well: “It’s between BOD and (Conrad) Smith. I give it to BOD because Smith had better, more dangerous players alongside him, whereas all too often BOD was the main threat in the Irish backline and was recognised as such and targeted by the opposition.”
12 Ma’a Nonu (New Zealand): So, it seems we got this one wrong, although we’ll claim that we’re a little older and grayer than our readers! Our choice, Tim Horan polled at 25.6% but social media disagreed, with the powerful Nonu being the overwhelming pick with 47.6% of the votes. For the record, we at Planet Rugby Towers spent ages agonising between the two players and it’s surely a case of win/win? PR opinion contributor Kyle Robinson certainly thought so when he said: “I can’t call this. I’m stuck between Horan, Nonu, and Jauzion. I’d have had Greenwood on the list over Gibbs, then I’d have been torn 4 ways!”
11 Jonah Lomu (New Zealand): Lomu’s choice as our left wing was as seismic as one of his collisions, polling a massive 67.5% with our readers vindicating our selection. PR opinion contributor Trippy said exactly what we all felt: “Whatever the merits of other players on this list, and others not on this list, Jonah is the icon that changed the game.” Amen to that.
10 Dan Carter (New Zealand): The argument ‘Jonny or DC’ will go on in rugby clubhouses until Hell freezes over and Wilkinson pushed Carter polling 26.6%. But the All Black was the consummate fly-half and an overwhelming 63.4% sees him take the shirt. Twitter commentator Neil Dalrymple @ndal423956 summed up the age-old dilemma: “I’d probably say Carter but to be fair Wilkinson was a great player.”
9 Joost van der Westhuizen (South Africa): Another agreement by proxy, as Van der Westhuizen rightly takes the shirt he graced with such passion. However, a final poll of 46.1% with George Gregan grabbing 23%, Aaron Smith 17.4% and Fourie du Preez 13.6% kept our giant Springbok honest. PR opinion commentator Jacques Hughes summed it up even better than we did when he observed: “Joost: 38 tries says it all – no other no.9 from an established tier one nation comes close. He was built like a middle-weight boxer, as tough as old boots and played like an extra back-rower… FDP had overall better game control and GG and AS were better distributors and had faster and more fluid passes.”
So, there you have it. A fortnight of lockdown debate ends up with something near violent consensus from our readers with only one change from that of our selection panel. Whilst we’ll lose Horan’s footballing IQ at 12, we’ll welcome the physicality and fun Nonu brings to the shirt; both are incredible centres and it’s testimony to their legacy just how close the votes were.
On Sunday, it’s the forwards, where there’s at least two variances to our picks and then, the full team. If you’ve not voted yet, do so by following @planetrugby on Twitter.
Thanks to all who commented and voted – it really means a lot to us and we hope our debates entertained you in these difficult times.