DREAMTEAM
1. Tony Windo – He helped me out a lot when I was coming through the Worcester academy. He was a mentor who ended up coaching me.
2. Tommy Taylor – I played against him a lot before he joined Wasps and he offers everything a hooker should. Has huge potential to take his game even higher.
3. Shaun Ruwers – He used to live with me when I was at Worcester so I’ve got to pick him. Played for Stourbridge after leaving the Warriors.
4. Joe Launchbury – An exceptional player and very good captain. He’s got a lot of Test experience and he asks high standards from himself as much as from the boys.
5. Simon Shaw – I didn’t play with him at Wasps but I got my first England cap in 2010 with him in the team. He helped me and the young guys in the squad to make sure we felt comfortable.
6. Mamuka Gorgodze – I played against the Toulon giant in the past couple of seasons and he’s incredibly strong. So much so that his brute strength and physical presence even stand out alongside other professional players.
7. George Smith – He was unbelievable last season at Wasps. Always the last man to leave training and helped the young guys out too.
8. Kieran Read – I played against the All Blacks four times in my 13 caps and he stood out every time. Not the biggest but very skilful. There’s a reason he won the Player of the Year in 2013.
9. Aaron Smith – Has the all-round capabilities of a top scrum-half. Always keeps the tempo up for the All Blacks. A constant threat ball in hand.
10. Jonny Wilkinson – He also was in that England team in 2010 which was great after growing up watching him. He was above anybody else when he was at his best. Very much like George Smith in the way he carried himself.
11. James Simpson-Daniel – Great combination of skills and pace. I’ll never forget that try he scored when running around Jonah Lomu back in 2002.
12. Matt Giteau – I really like the way he plays in that second
playmaker role. Whether that’s for Toulon or the Wallabies, he’s always the best player on the pitch.
13. Charles Piutau – He was incredible last season so I had to have him in my team even out of position. He’d probably still shine in midfield anyway.
14. Christian Wade – He’s lethal and can do stuff I’ve never seen anyone else do. To make it worse I think he’s only jogging when doing it. I’m not sure he has ever run at full speed on a rugby pitch!
15. Chris Latham – He opened my eyes at Worcester on how to be a true professional. Always doing extra stuff in training and a top bloke with the young full-backs.