Hooker

2.  Keith Wood

 

Keith Wood is one of Ireland's most iconic rugby players.  A hard-nosed, driven player, Wood excelled at hooker for Ireland and the British and Irish Lions over an international career that spanned nine years.

 

Wood began his playing career with Garryowen before moving to play for Harlequins, where he spent the remainder of his career aside from a sabbatical with Munster during the 1999-2000 season.  His international debut came against Australian in Brisbane in 1994, and he played at his first Rugby World Cup in 1995. 

 

Wood played in an Ireland side that often struggled at the top end of the game but he proved himself to be in the mix with the best players in the world during his career, notably on the Lions' victorious tour of South Africa in 1997. Wood was one of the most charismatic leaders in the game, and this showed through as he backed up tour captain Martin Johnson with some inspirational displays in their two Test match victories.

He played his second Rugby World Cup in 1999 as Ireland lost out to Argentina in a quarter-final playoff. Wood toured with the Lions again, playing all three Tests against Australia in 2001. The Lions were less successful on this occasion, losing the series 2-1. Wood would continue to represent Ireland until the 2003 Rugby World Cup, his third, retiring after their 43-21 quarter-final loss to France in Melbourne.