150 combined captains for the Wallabies and Kangaroos

Thanks Teejay, Had I spotted that earlier, the article wouldn't have happened! So probably a good thing Slipper slipped under the radar!!

Okay Nick, I stand corrected! There was another Frenchmen around the same time as Shanghero - Benoit Dauga, who was actually taller & bigger. Benoit, like Spanghero, alternated between lock & no.8, & both men captained their country. And yes, this is leading somewhere..... Both men was such 'ornery, brutal sons of bitches that, being so similar, they detested each other. Towards the end of their careers, neither could abide being in the same French team as the other!!!

Yeah Dave, Lewis & Matthews could have been twins. Very similar personalities.

Oooh Onside, That is so difficult, almost to the point of being unfair. There are so many outstanding leaders in both codes. As the preamble to the book on Wallaby captains says, leaders come in all shapes & sizes, with entirely different personalities. There is no one perfect way to lead, as long as you can get everyone pulling together. But I'm usually always up for a challenge. As a starting point, Trevor Allan & Clive Churchill were named the respective captains of the Wallaby (1899-1999) & Kangaroo (1908-2008) teams of the century. But I think John Eales & Cameron Smith have jumped to the top of the queue with their quiet, inclusive, authoritative, inspirational leaderships. As an aside, there's a train of thought in business that if you want to be a leader, you have to set yourself apart from the group, stop being one of the boys. I disagree with this philosophy entirely. I believe if people respect your qualities as a human being, they'll follow you as a leader. My outstanding example is Ian Chappell (not everyone's cuppa tea). Chappelli remained one of the boys, but when he asserted his authority, everyone listened. And his team mates, to this day, would follow him to the edge of the earth. In my book, this is true leadership. But there are so many wonderful leaders in both sports, ditto cricket & soccer. As Aussies, we've been blessed.

Maybe in non-tests. The critieria is to have captained the national team in a test at least once.

Thanks Nick, I recall reading somewhere that Meads thought Dick Thornett the best lock he played against. That's a huge rap considering he only played Thornett in one year - 1962. And he also played against Frik du Preez, Wili-John McBride & another great Aussie Rob Heming. Thornett had it all for his time - height, size, aggression, skills, athleticism, mobility.

PK, You can't beat the royal blue, with a dab of white. Just like Newtown. Great sporting colours.

Dave, Perhaps later in the year.

That's okay Pat - all forgiven!