5.  Lock

Martin Johnson

 

A giant of the game in more ways than one, Johnson is widely regarded as one of the greatest locks to have ever played the game.  As a player he famously led England to glory at the 2003 Rugby World Cup and also captained the British & Irish Lions in 1997 and 2001 - the only player in history  to have ever led the elite tourists on two occasions.  Johnson, like all great players, delivered when the stakes were at their highest - dominant in the line-out and brutally effective in the tight exchanges. 

 

He was a colossus of a man who always led from the front and expected every player to give his all.  His gritted determination never to give up until the final whistle was legendary.  For Jonny Wilkinson to say ‘he felt safe’ when Johnson was on the pitch demonstrates the massive influence this great leader had on the team.  Simply put his leadership was inspirational – best of the best.