DREAM TEAM
ALLAN DELL, THE SCOTLAND AND LONDON IRISH PROP, CHOOSES THE BEST XV HE HAS PLAYED WITH OR AGAINST
1. Cian Healy – One of the guys I looked up to during my early days. I always admired his dynamism and soft skills in addition to his rock solid scrummaging.
2. Ross Ford – The model professional. He was one of the guys that set the standard for commitment, consistency and professionalism at Edinburgh and Scotland.
3. Sekope Kepu – Having played with and against Kepu, I was able to see how he was the complete modern-day tighthead. He is a solid scrummager and has the pace, power, and skills to offer another attacking threat.
4. Anton Bresler – Bres is the type of player that successful teams are built on – he loves hitting rucks and hitting opposition players backwards. Relishes going to the dark places and therefore allowing those around him to shine.
5. Maro Itoje – Consistently one of the best in the world since he burst onto the scene in 2016. He is relentless and everywhere for the full 80 minutes.
6. Viliame Mata – One of our key players at Edinburgh. ‘Bill' was always our go-to when it came to getting over the advantage line.
7. Pieter-Steph du Toit – Probably the best player in the world when fit. He is just everywhere and involved in everything.
8. Duane Vermeulen – Unfortunate to play in the era of the Richie McCaws, Dan Carters and Kieran Reads otherwise he would be getting GOAT shouts. He is the one player in the world able to play at a 9/10 level regardless how the rest of his team is playing.
9. Antoine Dupont – The standout player in a resurgent French outfit. He is a nightmare to defend against.
10. Johan Goosen – Easily the most talented player I played with. With SA Schools, he could kick it over from 60m-70m with ease. He also knew how to run an attack and had a beautiful passing game.
11. Darcy Graham – The modern-day all-round winger. Very strong and fast but also isn't scared to do the hard work.
12. Jan Serfontein – The ideal centre: has the pace and power to get you over the gain line and can also mix it up with soft touches to put away those around him.
13. Henry Slade – Extremely underrated player. Showed in the 2021 Autumn Tests how talented he is and how important he can be for England going forward.
14. Israel Folau – One of the most complete athletes to ever play rugby. Such a specimen. Whether he was competing for a high ball or on one of his rampaging runs, he could always come up with something.
15. Liam Williams – One of the undisputed kings of broken play. Competes well in the air and has a solid kicking game but his trump card is definitely his attacking prowess.
