A professional era rugby XV

Rugby has been professional for 20 years. In that time there have been some great rugby players, many of whom each of us have had the opportunity to watch.

Who would make a best XV in the professional era?

15. Christian Cullen
Made his international debut in the first year of professional rugby and watching footage of his tries now is still as equally hair-raising as it was back in 1996.

Cullen played 58 Tests and scored 46 tries, briefly holding the All Black record. He still holds the record for most tries by a Hurricane.

The great New Zealand rugby writer TP MacLean who saw every All Black fullback from George Nepia to Cullen play concluded Cullen was the best.

14. Adam Ashley-Cooper
AAC has played 114 Tests and is still only 31. Perhaps he is a jack of all trades and a master of none, but he is a quality back anywhere on the field.

Ashley-Copper has scored more tries against the All Blacks than any other player and that is a big complement to his excellence and durability.

An incisive runner with a great fend, he is rock solid on defence.

13. Brian O’Driscoll (Ireland)
In his youth he ran with an exuberance and incisiveness that few centres have matched. He holds the world record for most tries in his position (47) which almost doubles that of the next rival.

He was a great leader, captaining Ireland to 52 wins in 84 Tests and winning everything but the World Cup and a Test against the All Blacks.

A resolute defender who finished with 141 Tests in total, it would be great to watch him alongside Ma’a Nonu as he brings similar skills to Conrad Smith, but with greater flair in his youth.

12. Ma’a Nonu
Since 2008 the All Blacks have won 95 out of 109 Test matches. Nonu has been involved in 85 of them.

In 2011, when the All Blacks won the World Cup, he was a nominee for IRB World Player of the Year.

A fearsome physical presence with the brains to match the brawn he formed one half of the most enduring and successful midfield pairing in rugby history.

11. Bryan Habana (South Africa)
Jonah Lomu played most of his Tests in the professional era, but his absolute best was a year too early to be counted in this exercise. Besides Julian Savea is a mounting a serious challenge to Lomu’s status as the greatest left wing New Zealand has produced.

How many Tests would Bryan Habana have played if he was a Kiwi? A lot I suspect.
Habana is an attacking genius whose often starved of the ball given the way the Springboks play.

Still he has managed to score 64 tries in 117 matches, easily a South African record. He has scored some real beauties against the All Blacks to.

In 2007 he was the IRB Player of the Year when the Springboks won the World Cup – where he shares the try scoring record with Lomu and Drew Mitchell.

Habana is as safe as houses under the high-ball and very stoic defensively.

An honourable mention for diminutive Welshman Shane Williams. He scored 60 tries in 87 Tests on the wing.

10. Daniel Carter (New Zealand)
Has won every conceivable honour in the game, is the highest points scorer in Test rugby and is a more complete attacking player than Jonny Wilkinson.

9. Joost van der Westhuizen (South Africa)
He played 73 of his 89 Tests in the professional era. When he retired in 2003 he held the Springboks records for most caps and tries (38).

George Gregan is very unlucky to miss this side, but Van der Westhuizen perhaps posed more questions to the opposition defence. He had searing pace off the mark and a slightly quicker pass.

He was a key part of the South African team that won a Tier 1 world record 17 Tests in a row between 1997 and 1998.

8. Kieran Read (New Zealand)
The IRB player of the year in 2014 has won two World Cups and played 84 Tests since 2008.

He is dynamic with ball in hand scoring 20 tries. The way he roams wide has changed the way his position was previously played.

His work rate on defence is massive and he is vice-captain of one the most dominant sports teams on the planet at present.

An honourable mention for Italian Sergio Parisse.

7. Richie McCaw (New Zealand)
Holds the records for most Tests played, most Tests captained and the most Tests won. Neil Back (England), George Smith (Australia) and Thierry Dusautoir (France) presented stiff competition in the seven jersey, but when all is said and done McCaw’s record is second to none.

6. Schalk Burger (South Africa)
Started 11 Tests in 2004, playing a key role in South Africa’s first Tri-Nations triumph since 1998. His impressive performances saw him awarded the IRB Player of the Year.

Capable of playing anywhere in the loose his career was threatened in 2006 when he suffered a serious neck injury.

The injury required cervical fusion surgery and there were fears that he may never play again – however the subsequent operation was declared a success and he began a long period of rehabilitation.

Against all the odds he battled back to fitness and returned to the international fray against England on 26 May 2007 – scoring a try in the 58-10 mauling of the tourists.

He won the World Cup later that year and has been among the World’s best loose-forwards since.

5. John Eales (Australia)
The Wallabies greatest skipper captained all of his 55 Tests in the professional era. Australia won 41 times, capturing World Cup glory in 1999 and taming the Lions in 2001.

Eales was a peerless lineout jumper, tireless worker and who could forget his goal kicking?

4. Martin Johnson (England)
Led England to glory at the 2003 World Cup and also captained the British and Irish Lions in 1997 and 2001. He is the only player to have ever led the elite tourists on two occasions, winning the former series.

Between 2001 and 2003, England won 42 out of 47 Test matches, those numbers are akin to the All Blacks.

Johnson was a great leader and an immense physical presence.

Honourable mentions for Victor Matfield (South Africa), Paul O’Connell (Ireland), Brad Thorn, Sam Whitelock and Brodie Retallick (New Zealand).

3. Martin Castrogiovanni (Italy)
Italy don’t win very often, but Castrogiovanni has played 115 Tests since 2002 and been rarely bettered in the scrums. He is a beast in that department.

A huge work ethic around the paddock he would surely command a starting spot in many teams.

2. Dan Coles (New Zealand)
Coles has changed his position in recent times. He roams wide which is a strategy that many now employ, but few perfect.

Coles’ ball skills and pace are unrivalled by any modern tight forward. His tries against Australia and South Africa this year are a case in point.

He is very good at his core roles, but especially lineout throwing where he was close to faultless in this World Cup.

A magnificent player who is still on the ascent.

1. Tony Woodcock (New Zealand)
Tailed off towards the end of his career (especially in the scrums), but was a formidable presence most of the time.

Woodcock scored the winning try in the 2011 World Cup final and was a mobile and effective ball carrier. He won 102 of his 118 Tests.