The tenth installment of my Greatest Ever series is here!
In this series I will look at the greatest talents to grace various sports. This time I continue to look at Rugby Union, and, following my "Top Ten Second Rows of All Time," I will look at the top ten players ever to play in the flanker positions.
Playing on the flanks of the scrums, hence the name of their position, flankers are often the most agile forwards, and usually the biggest hitters. There are two types of flanker - blindside and openside, so called for the side of the scrum they go. As with props, these positions are similar, but different enough for few players to be able to play effectively in both.
10. Richard Hill (ENG) - Just pipping former England team-mate Neil Back and former French flanker Jean-Pierre Rives to number 10 spot, Richard Hill was a "silent assassin" for club and country for years. His incredibly consistent play ensured he was the only player never dropped during Sir Clive Woodward's tenure.
He won 71 England caps, scoring 60 points, and was named on three British and Irish Lions Tours, winning five caps.
9. Ian Kirkpatrick (NZ) - A former New Zealand captain, Ian Kirkpatrick played for his country for a decade, winning 39 test caps. As well as excellent forward play, Kirkpatrick also had a knack for scoring tries, getting 16 tries for New Zealand (a record at the time), and a phenomenal 115 tries in his provincial career.
This total made him one of the few forwards to reach the century mark. In 2003 Kirkpatrick was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame.
8. Fergus Slattery (IRE) - A fourteen year international career saw Slattery win 61 caps for his country. 18 of these were as captain, including the 1979 tour to Australia, regarded as Ireland's most successful tour ever.
He was called up on two Lions tours, winning four caps overall, all coming in the hugely successful 1974 tour to South Africa. In 2007, Slattery was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame.
7. George Smith (AUS) - Australia's most capped forward, George Smith has been a key figure in the international set-up since his debut in 2000, a match he played before he had ever played a professional game of rugby.
He was one of just three current players to be named in the Wallabies team of the decade, after going to two World Cups, including one final with them.
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