World of Boxing and Rugby Union
Blindside Flanker
1. Michael Jones
For me Michael Jones is the greatest dual disciplined flanker that has ever lived, Although Richie McCaw has now made the openside his own, Jones is still ahead of the pack on the blindside - no pun intended.
Few players have exuded so much charisma and mystique as Michael Jones, a supremely gifted athlete who whenever he was fit and available was almost invariably one of the first names written down in any All Black team sheet.
He had pace, athleticism, ball skills and a punishing tackle which quickly won him acclaim as one of the most gifted rugby players of all time. Despite being not much more than 1.85m he was able to out-jump taller forwards because of a spring honed by his years as an accomplished young basketball player.
Jones was just as good on the open-side, however, it was in the six shirt where he redefined what the position could fulfil. Springing out of the blocks to crush any offensive play down the blind-side became so common it struck fear before a ball was thrown.
Jones was in the All Blacks for nearly the same period of time as his contemporary Sean Fitzpatrick. Yet while Fitzpatrick's test tally was in the 90s Jones played just 55. That, of course, was a reflection of Jones' many absences caused firstly by his unavailability for any matches played on Sundays and secondly from his many injuries.
Top performances towards the end of the 1986 season for Auckland confirmed his great promise and he was ear-marked for the All Blacks when he starred with the Barbarians in 1987 on a tour of Britain.
In the 1987-88-89 seasons, despite problems from his religious principles forbidding Sunday play, it seemed as if Jones was a player blessed and he was one of the best All Blacks in the World Cup triumph. He was the first man to score a World Cup try and in one of the pool matches against Fiji.
During 1991 World Cup tournament and he scored in the opening match against England at Twickenham. But Jones's unavailability for three Sunday matches in the 1991 tournament was a factor which did not help the All Blacks' bid to retain the title won in 1987.
He made the move from being an openside tearaway to the more conservative, less flamboyant but more physical demands of becoming a blindside flanker. As a number six, with his strength, commitment and fierce close quarter tackling, he was especially effective in 1996, when the All Blacks scored a record 43-6 win over the Wallabies at Athletic Park, won the inaugural tri-nations title and won a test series for the first time over the Springboks in South Africa.
Jones won many plaudits for his on field deeds, even being acclaimed by some judges as the greatest rugby player of all time. That may have been arguable, but he certainly would be a candidate of any dream All Black XV.
Of part Samoan heritage, he was a splendid role model off the field as well. Always polite and quietly spoken, and a solid student who gained two university degrees, he won respect for the dignified manner with which he stuck to his principles.
It is astonishing to think that if injuries and his faith hadn't got in the way his stature would have been even greater than the god like reverence he already has in the sport.