DREAM TEAM

JOSH BARTON, THE COVENTRY AND FORMER NEWCASTLE SCRUM-HALF, CHOOSES THE BEST XV HE HAS PLAYED WITH OR AGAINST…

1. Phil Brantingham – Played with him at Newcastle. Hugely skilful with great rugby IQ. Still young and learning but has massive potential. Now at Saracens and destined for big things.

2. Jamie Blamire – Explosive, powerful and dynamic. The perfect hybrid between a hooker and back row. Relentless work-rate and was a constant threat with ball in hand when we were at Newcastle together.

3. Trevor Davison – Old-school tighthead who locks everything down. Scrummaging rock and reliable set-piece anchor at Newcastle. Does all the unseen graft and gives the pack its platform. Proper front row operator.

4. Pedro Rubiolo – The young Argentinian I played with at Newcastle. Freakish athlete, melts defenders in contact and gets through huge work. Versatile to play across the back five. Big future.

5. Posolo Tuilagi – Faced him when he was playing for Perpignan and he’s an absolute behemoth. Huge, explosive carrier and frighteningly strong for his age. Only 21 but already a nightmare to stop.

6. Gary Graham – Hard as nails. Built from granite and never took a backward step when we were together at Newcastle. One of the toughest players I’ve shared a pitch with – uncompromising, fearless and a born leader.

7. Guy Pepper – A freak of an athlete. Made about 30 tackles in a half once at Newcastle! Unbelievable engine, relentless work-rate and limitless potential. Thriving at Bath and deservedly so.

8. Callum Chick – Ultimate all-rounder. Massive work ethic, great athlete and natural leader. Always delivers consistent performances. Has really kicked on since moving to Northampton from Newcastle – top professional.

9. Danny Care – High-tempo scrum-half who thrives on energy. Drives the game beautifully and injects pace into everything. I realised what a tough competitor he was whenever Newcastle played Quins.

10. Adam Hastings – Played with him at school. Has gone on to huge things. Makes the game look effortless – composed, classy and supremely skilful. Natural footballer.

11. Mateo Carreras – Outrageous player. Can score from absolutely nothing. Lightning quick, unbelievably powerful and impossible to pin down. Was like a pinball bouncing off tackles at Newcastle. Box-office talent.

12. Tommaso Menoncello – Faced him when Newcastle played Benetton in Treviso.

Strong, fast and a genuine strike threat. Gets his team on the front foot and combines power with real flair. One of Italy‘s best.

13. Matías Moroni – The ultimate professional at Newcastle. Classy, calm and composed in defence. Puts teammates at ease and reads the game brilliantly. A huge presence for Argentina.

14. Adam Radwan – Ridiculous pace. Genuine X-factor and pure excitement every time he touches the ball. One of the quickest players I’ve ever seen. Joy to play alongside him at Newcastle.

15. Marcus Smith – Played against him when he was at 10 for Quins, but he’s just as dangerous at full-back. Outstanding vision, creativity and balance. Manipulates defences for fun. Simply world-class.