Greatest XV: 'Best player I've seen' - Australia's magnificent 7, despised by All Blacks and cherished by Eddie

It says something about George Smith that Richie McCaw named him as one of the five players he least liked playing against.

Smith “was always pretty tough”, McCaw said.

“I remember playing him when I was in the under 19s against Australia and remember then thinking just what a good player he is.”

The Roar is counting down the Wallabies’ Greatest World Cup XV of all time from No. 15-1 with thanks to thousands of votes from our readers.

One of the other five players he named? David Pocock.

Yet, in this incredibly tough task of selecting an openside flanker, the vote for The Roar’s best Wallabies World Cup side settled on Smith.

It says something about Smith that he edged out the likes of Pocock, who virtually single-handedly kept the Wallabies in their 2011 quarter-final against the Springboks, and World Cup winners David Wilson and Simon Poidevin.

Smith was an absolute baller, featuring prominently in the Wallabies’ run to the World Cup final in 2003.

Indeed, the BBC named him in their team of the tournament in 2003 and he had a close bond with coach Eddie Jones, who later described him as the best player he had ever coached and was furious he was allowed to leave for overseas early in his career.

“The best player I’ve seen is George Smith and to me it’s the biggest crime of Australian rugby,” Jones said at a Sydney University lunch.

“How Australia let him go at 28, it’s a crime. Can you imagine if New Zealand let Richie McCaw go at 28? It’s just ridiculous. He should be the most capped player for Australia and he should be remembered as an all-time great. It’s one of the great sins of Australian rugby.”

George Smith. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

Smith recalls his Brumbies debut, ”the day I rocked up to sign my first Brumbies contract with dreadlocked hair, board shorts and thongs, I think back and shake my head as to why coach Eddie Jones didn’t just turn me away right there and then.”

The pair had their moments, of course.

Jeremy Paul told The Roar of an incident when Smith was sprung in the lift in the early hours of the morning coming back from a big night out as Jones woke and went to use the gym.

“So, mate, you’ve got two options,” Jones is said to have said to Smith, “you’re going to get off the piss and lose some weight, or you’re going to stay on the piss and I’m going to flog you.’ As every player said right, ‘I’m going to get off the piss.’  But Jones said, ‘No, mate, I want you to drink. I want you to socialise. I’m just going to flog you.’

“Georgie Smith after every training had to do extra fitness. But this was the guy. He knew socialising was a big part of sport and saw the benefits of camaraderie and bonding.”

Justin Marshall, the then All Blacks halfback, didn’t look upon Smith as fondly after copping a fractionally late shot around the midriff during their 2003 semi-final loss in Sydney. It saw Marshall miss out on playing in their bronze medal match a week later.

“It’s gutting. To get taken out like that, I’m bitterly disappointed and I hold a real grudge because of that,” he said.

“I don’t mind if somebody puts a hit on me and takes me out of the game when I’m carrying the ball because at least you’re able to take the confrontation on, and if you come out second best, you come out second best.

“But all I remember is passing the ball and getting whacked, I didn’t even see him. It destroyed my tournament in one brief moment.”

Like all world-class players though, Smith was all about timing.

While he got penalised for the late shot, it rattled the All Blacks halfback and the team.

After Stirling Mortlock’s early try, those little moments rattled the All Blacks. It was the difference between winning and losing.

He got a rousing applause when he left the field that evening because the dreadlocked flanker was everywhere that night on both sides of the ball.

Smith scored earlier in the tournament, diving over out wide against Ireland.

Four years later, Smith was still causing a menace at the breakdown.

Who remembers his tackle, jackal and try in a flash against Japan in Lyon?

The try summed up Smith’s career, where he was the most influential flanker in the world until that mantle was taken by McCaw.

Crafty and cunning, Smith was awarded player of the match on Test debut against France in 2000 and his career matched that early accolade.

George Smith is your choice of No.7 for The Roar’s Greatest Wallabies Rugby World Cup XV, powered by ASICS, the Official Performance Apparel and Footwear supplier for the Wallabies. Smith won with 57.2% of the vote, followed by David Pocock and Michael Hooper. Check back tomorrow to find out who was selected at No.6.

Get your hands on the wonderful new ASICS Wallabies RWC strips which is available to purchase in-store, and online now at asics.com.au.

The Roar’s Greatest Wallabies Rugby World Cup XV

• Fullback: Matthew Burke
• Right Winger: Ben Tune
• Outside Centre: Stirling Mortlock
• Inside Centre: Tim Horan
• Left Winger: David Campese
• Fly-half: Stephen Larkham
• Scrum-half: George Gregan
• Number Eight: Toutai Kefu
• Openside Flanker: George Smith