The Greatest: Inside centre

In what was a tightly contested poll for inside centre, Tim Horan staved off Tana Umaga to claim our last remaining three-quarter spot.

In what became a tightly contested poll for inside centre, Tim Horan has staved off Tana Umaga to claim our last remaining three-quarter spot.

Umaga's 31 per cent of your votes fell just short of Horan's tally of 34.

The nuggety Australian is called to line-up alongside an Irishman following Brian O'Driscoll's earlier cruise against Stirling Mortlock, Yannick Jauzion and Will Greenwood, with many readers questioning our logic over recent player positioning (we reckon Umaga was at his best at twelve).

All things being honest, we would raise an eyebrow to anyone disagreeing that Horan alongside BOD would have been lethal at both attacking the line and foiling any opposition attempting to break through their defences.

The 30-try double World Cup-winning playmaker was a cut above rival centres while stories of food poisoning the night before what was arguably his best game in the gold jumper just adds to his long list of top-class 80 minute showings.

Born on May 18, 1970, the former Queensland Reds man could also play fly-half and got one Wallaby cap on the wing. On a comical side note, his nickname was Helmet, for his immovable hairstyle, or Truckie, due to his fondness of bacon, sausages and eggs for breakfast.

Horan had two major playing partners over his international tenure – starting in 1989 against New Zealand – beginning with Jason Little and later on a more than capable Daniel Herbert.

The former duo met when they were thirteen, rooming together during their rugby league days. Yet that was not the end of his ties to the 13-man game as Horan received several offers to return to league – a possibility that his Wallaby team-mates did their utmost best to not let happen.

Now 39, the most memorable passage of his career surely came when Australia won the World Cup for the second time in 1999. Horan was later voted the tournament's best player after his line-breaking effort against South Africa in the 27-22 semi-final win led to them beating France to the trophy.

The following year was to be the centre's final in Australia's Test jersey and it was unfortunately affected by a run of injuries. Saracens then came knocking before he began a career as a newspaper columnist, broadcaster, ambassador for the Spinal Injuries Association and more recently a Business Development Manager.

In 2009 he was made a Member of the Order of Australia.

Now check out the polling section below the features box on the front page to vote for the fly-half of the professional era… hurry, you only have 48 hours from the time this article was published!