Dream Team: James Gaskell – Wasps and former Sale lock

1. Andrew Sheridan – A big bloke and big scrummager too. An all-round impressive guy whom it was much better to play with at Sale rather than face with Wasps in the European Cup when he was at Toulon.
2. Sebastien Bruno – A bit of a French legend who had a great haircut. He was very good to me when I was coming through the academy at the Sharks.
3. Vadim Cobilas – I feel like he’s very underrated despite what he brings to the Sharks pack as he’s got a lot of silky skills. Unfortunately we don’t see it in the Premiership but he’s got them on the training ground.
4. Eben Etzebeth – I played against him at the 2010 Junior World Cup in Argentina and despite being a year young he was already huge. He’s gone from strength to strength since.
5. Joe Launchbury – I’ve got to pick Joe for obvious reasons. England international with a huge work rate. The nicest guy off the pitch, too.
6. Mamuka Gorgodze – Made his name with Montpellier in the Top 14 and after that World Cup it’s hard to say anything more about the Georgian captain.
7. David Seymour – He does a lot of hard and unseen work at the breakdown. You’ve got to be in there with him to actually see the stuff he does.
8. Sisa Koyamaibole – The big Fijian plays for Brive now but he was at the back of the scrum when I broke into the Sale team a few years back. The biggest ball carrier I’ve ever seen.
9. Dwayne Peel – I played next to him for four years at Sale and I’ve learned an awful lot. A cool head who knows the game very well. Helped me a lot from the base of the scrum when I was at No.8.
10. Charlie Hodgson – An obvious choice for the way he puts players through holes. Sale did great with him and Dwayne as half-backs.
11. Bryan Habana – What he’s achieved at club and Test level is just incredible. Scores tries for fun and loves an intercept.
12. Lee Thomas – He retired through injury while at Wasps but he was at Sale when I started. A big ball carrier who could kick the ball a fair way, too.
13. Mathew Tait – That’s where he played as a youngster when he broke into the Sale team. Very talented with some serious skills. Learned a lot off him.
14. Mark Cueto – A Sale legend who’s looked after me from the start. Scored heaps of tries for the Sharks over the years.
15. Rob Miller – My housemate and fellow former Shark has dancing feet. And he also said he’d kill me if I didn’t pick him in my team!