Dream Team – Alun Walker

ALUN WALKER, THE CHINNOR AND FORMER EDINBURGH, NOTTINGHAM, EALING & NEWCASTLE HOOKER, CHOOSES THE BEST XV HE’S PLAYED WITH OR AGAINST…

1. Brett Wilkinson – Very good scrummager and a Connacht man through and through. Has made a successful transition into coaching and would later become my scrum coach at Ealing.

2. Mark Darlington – Dutch international. I haven’t come up against many set-piece hookers like him, I would go as far as to say he’s been my arch nemesis but is also the best bloke around, so as team-mates (at Chinnor) that’s where it worked best.

3. Elliott Millar Mills – Now a fully-fledged Scotland international and Premiership player with Northampton. An unorthodox scrummager but it works for him. Does some unbelievable smoked short ribs. Packed down with me at Ealing.

4. Scott MacLeod – Favourite thing was to hear him scream black in his Borders accent. Another great bloke who went on to coach me later in life at Newcastle.

5. James Cannon – The height of a tower but also leaned like one with one leg half the size of the other! The set piece this was his forte. Former England U20 international. Played with him at Ealing.

6. Andrew Durutalo – Big Fijian who carried and hit hard! It’s been eight years since we played together at Ealing and we still catch up even if he is in with the Olympic crowd. A gold medal winner with Fiji at Rio 2016.

7. Arthur Ellis – This man is here for many reasons. He’s fast, agile, great over the ball, and extremely angry. But even more impressively, he always covered hooker with pinpoint arrows. Played together at Ealing.

8. Netani Talei – Former Edinburgh team-mate. e. Mountain of a man, but very quiet away from the pitch. Loved to try and constantly prank the lads, though. h. Went to three World Cups with Fiji.

9. Luke Carter – Chinnor team-mate who is annoying for any forward playing with him as he never shuts up. But a good dog walking buddy with dogs the size to rival mine.

10. Aaron Penberthy – Kicking came natural to him but he also had the skillset to go with it. Played together at

Ealing. He created a very impressive highlight reel on YouTube before leaving pro rugby to work in the police.

11. Jonah Holmes – So strong and fast. Started off as a 9 but made a name for himself in the back three, going on to play for Wales. Always so professional in his approach but very funny, too. Played together at Ealing.

12. Pat Howard – A big, powerful Saffer who carried like a truck for us at Ealing. Very relaxed off the pitch and loved a coffee.

13. Frans Steyn – Thankfully I never had to tackle this man. But as a young kid watching him kick goals from 50 metres during the warm-up was something else.

14. Tim Visser – Big boy, great going forward. Joined Edinburgh from Newcastle. It was great to see him get Scotland recognition for all the tries he scored.

15. Chris Paterson – Played with him briefly at the start of my career. Great ambassador of the game, so helpful to younger players. Immaculate goal kicker and Scotland’s record points-scorer.