Fans are only now discovering why New Zealand wears black even though it’s not a colour on their flag – Page 3 of 3

SECOND ROW

Lock: Martin Johnson (England) – “I think he defined an era, both in terms of the play of the forwards and the performance of the teams he represented.”

Lock: John Eales (Australia) – “He was a two-time Rugby World Cup winner with the Wallabies in 1991 and 1999 and led his side to victory over France in the second of those finals. Many of the ‘number fives’ who have followed him play the way they do because of the type of play Eales put in.”

BACK ROW

Blindside flanker: Richard Hill (England) – “One of the easier choices, if I’m honest. Hill seemed to know almost instinctively where to be and when.”

Openside flanker: Richie McCaw (New Zealand) – After picking Richard Hill at blindside, the thought of pairing him with Richie McCaw at openside really excites me. Can you imagine those two together? The opposition wouldn’t stand a chance.

Number 8: Zinzan Brooke (New Zealand) – “One of the toughest choices of the bunch. Perhaps the toughest. His ability to involve others in the game, his ability to stay connected to the game himself, which is shown repeatedly in different phases; all exemplary. And of course he scored goals. A true original.”