Rugby World Cup: Jonah Lomu tops vote - who made your all-time XV?
- Published
2019 Rugby World Cup |
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Hosts: Japan Dates: 20 September to 2 November |
Coverage: Full commentary on every game across BBC Radio 5 Live and Radio 5 Live Sports Extra, plus text updates on the BBC Sport website and app. |
Stop the press... your all-time World Cup XV has been revealed.
More than 160,000 people voted on who should make the final cut, with legendary New Zealand wing Jonah Lomu proving the most popular candidate by taking almost 90% of the vote for the wide spots.
Lomu is one of seven All Blacks in a side that also contains three South Africans, two Englishmen and one player each from Australia, France and Ireland.
However, there is no place for the tournament's all-time top points scorer Jonny Wilkinson or fellow England World Cup winner Jason Robinson, with New Zealand's Dan Carter taking the number 10 jersey and France's Serge Blanco preferred at full-back.
Lomu, Blanco and Ireland centre Brian O'Driscoll are the only players not to have won a World Cup, while Australia's John Eales joins four New Zealanders in winning it twice.
There was a scrap for who would start at tight-head prop, with New Zealand's Owen Franks edging Welshman Adam Jones to join compatriot Sean Fitzpatrick and England's Jason Leonard in the front row.
There is no shortage of leaders in a forward pack that boasts four World Cup-winning captains in Eales, South Africa's Francois Pienaar, England's Martin Johnson and Richie McCaw, who lifted the trophy twice with New Zealand.
And it is a side blessed with try-scoring prowess on the flanks, with Lomu and South Africa's Bryan Habana the tournament's all-time top try scorers on 15 apiece.
So, without further ado, here is your all-time World Cup XV...
The stats behind your key players...
Martin Johnson: Despite appearing for New Zealand's under-21 side, the lock went on to become the first, and so far only, England captain to lift the Webb Ellis Cup in 2003. Well backed with more than 100,000 votes.
Richie McCaw: One of the most popular selections and the only man to have captained two World Cup-winning teams, McCaw is the all-time most-capped player in international Test rugby, having played 148 times for New Zealand and made more tackles, 225, than any other player in the competition.
Dan Carter: The influential fly-half scored 19 points in a man-of-the-match performance as New Zealand beat Australia in the 2015 final. Just imagine seeing him outside South Africa's Joost van der Westhuizen in the half backs...
Brian O'Driscoll: Second only to McCaw in the number of international appearances made, O'Driscoll made his debut for Ireland aged 20 in 1999 and went on to captain his country 83 times. The third-most popular selection, behind Lomu and McCaw.
Jonah Lomu: The joint-top try-scorer in World Cup history, alongside South Africa's Bryan Habana. Four of Lomu's 15 tries came against England in the 1995 semi-final, though the wing never won the tournament.
You can still select your all-time World Cup XV by clicking here but votes will no longer count towards the final team selection.