Ian McGeechan (Getty Images)
- Scottish coaching legend Ian McGeechan has named his ultimate rugby XV filled with stellar players from several nations.
- The All Blacks dominate the side with six players named by McGeechan.
- He could not find a place for a single Springbok in his XV, however.
Ian McGeechan, the mastermind behind the British and Irish Lions’ series win against the Springboks in 1997 has named his ultimate rugby XV.
The wily Scot, who played 40 times for his country as well as the Lions named his line-up in his column for the Telegraph over the past week.
It features a who’s who of rugby greats and includes players from seven different nations with New Zealand contributing six players to the starting line up.
McGeechan, however, does not include a single Springbok in his side.
Other countries to feature include England (3 players), Wales (2) and Ireland, Scotland, Australia and France (1 each).
Although the All Blacks dominate, McGeechan singled out Welsh scrumhalf Gareth Edwards for particular praise.
McGeechan said that Edwards had everything as a player who would be at home in any era.
“To play alongside him, as I did on the 1974 Lions tour to South Africa, was one of the great privileges of my career. Gareth had everything as a player. Not only did he possess a wonderful pass, he was such a powerful runner – very strong from the waist up – and he always made the most of quick ball, running at defenders and either getting across the gain-line himself or keeping defenders occupied so that you had an extra second.
“He had a knack, in common with special players, of producing something when you most needed it.
“It was an amateur game back then but Gareth would have been at home in any era,” said the Scotsman.
Other names featured in McGeechan’s team include Jonah Lomu, Richie McCaw, Sean Fitzpatrick, Martin Johnson, Philipe Sella and Dan Carter, who he called the greatest flyhalf of the modern era.
Ian McGeechan’s Ultimate XV
15 JPR Williams (Wales), 14 John Kirwan (New Zealand), 13 Brian O’Driscoll (Ireland), 12 Philippe Sella (France), 11 Jonah Lomu (New Zealand), 10 Dan Carter (New Zealand), 9 Gareth Edwards (Wales), 8 Zinzan Brooke (New Zealand), 7 Richie McCaw (New Zealand), 6 Richard Hill (England), 5 John Eales (Australia), 4 Martin Johnson (England), 3 Jason Leonard (England), 2 Sean Fitzpatrick (New Zealand), Tom Smith (Scotland).
– Compiled by Sport24 staff
