#4. Kieran Read (New Zealand)
Death, taxes and Read unpicking defences in the 15-metre channel were three inevitabilities during his incredible career. One of the modern day greats, Read was a member of New Zealand teams that won the World Cup in 2011 and 2015 and he was voted World Rugby Player of the Year in 2013.
Read also won four Super Rugby titles with New Zealand’s Crusaders. Making his All Blacks debut in 2008, Read assumed the captaincy from Richie McCaw in 2016 and led the All Blacks to the semi-final at the 2019 World Cup before ending his international career in 2020.
Did you know? Read is the third most-capped All Blacks in history with 127 Test appearances – 52 of them as skipper.
#3. Mervyn Davies (Wales)
The late Wales and British Lions Number 8 Thomas “Mervyn” Davies is the only player on this list from the pre-World Cup era. He won a Triple Crown in his first international season in 1968 before claiming a Grand Slam and being selected for the Lions’ famous tour of New Zealand in 1971.
He then skippered Wales to the Five Nations Championship in 1975 before winning the Grand Slam the following year but was forced to retire at the age of 29 due to injury. Davies sadly lost a long battle with cancer on March 16, 2012 – just one day before Wales went for a possible Grand Slam against France.
Did you know? He was inducted into the IRB Hall of Fame in 2001 and the following year a poll of Welsh rugby fans saw him voted the greatest ever Welsh captain and the greatest ever Welsh No.8.