Dream Team with Barry Everitt

Barry Everitt, the former Munster, Leinster, London Irish and Northampton fly-half, chooses the best XV he’s played with or against…

1. Carl Hayman – A wonderful player and a terrific anchor in the set-piece. He had a tremendous career with New Zealand, the Highlanders and Newcastle Falcons.

2. Dylan Hartley – Played with him at Saints. He was a fantastic leader and a very abrasive and uncompromising competitor. Whenever you found yourself in a challenge, there was no better person to have on your side.

3. Jason Leonard – A player who has been there and done it all! World Cup winner, Grand Slams and three tours with the British and Irish Lions. In recent years, I’ve had the opportunity to play against him again as part of the annual Legends fundraiser for charity.

4. Courtney Lawes – Someone who carries and tackles as well as any back row but who also gives you a genuine lineout option makes them a real asset. You didn’t want to be on the receiving end of one of his tackles if you’d just taken a poor pass and he was in range.

5. Bob Casey – My captain at London Irish and a brilliant motivator of the players around him. A superb lineout operator.

6. Richard Hill – Known for his ferocious tackling and outstanding support play, he was the ultimate professional and team player.

7. Olivier Magne – A cracking bloke with a great sense of humour. I was lucky to share the changing room with him for two seasons at Irish. It always seemed like everyone had to work harder than him to get to the same places because he read the game so well; always in the right place at the right time.

8. Dave Wallace – A lightning-quick, explosive ball carrier. A well respected British and Irish Lion, Ireland and Munster player who made huge contributions at the very top level of rugby.

9. Agustín Pichot – An impressive career with Argentina, Bristol and Stade Francais. Always looked for space and an opportunity to attack. So quick off the mark and had fantastic feet.

10. Jonny Wilkinson – Possibly the most all-rounded fly-half in the history of the game. Tremendous in attack, fearless in defence and a composed matchwinner.

11. Jason Robinson – World Cup winner with England and a British Irish Lion, he made such an impact after moving to rugby union. Incredible at creating space for himself or others – a devastating finisher.

12. Gordon Darcy – Fantastic ability to read the game in attack and defence. With his skill level, if he couldn’t find the space, he would make it for himself. He was very strong in the tackle as well.

13. Brian O’Driscoll – Probably one of the best centres of all-time, whether it was in attack, defence, reading a game or playmaking. He just had a wonderful ability to find space and with electric pace, he could exploit it. He seemed to have so much time on the ball.

14. Chris Ashton – I saw at first-hand what an impact he would have in rugby union when he scored with his first touch of the ball for Saints against London Welsh in 2007. A real poacher who was always on the end of a scoring pass.

15. Mike Catt – Equally classy at centre but I’m giving him a run out at 15. A fantastic distributor of the ball and a real visionary with ball in hand. He was devastating in broken play.