A look at the different roles played by members of the team and what skills they need
Second-rows
Rugby’s Greatest: Willie John McBride
Major teams: Ballymena Country: Ireland Test span: 1962-75 Ireland caps: 63 (63 starts) Lions caps: 17 (17 starts) Test points: 7 (2T) Rugby’s Greatest: Willie John McBride Not the least…
Rugby’s Greatest: John Eales
John Eales's influence on rugby was so profound in his ten-year Test career that the second-row is widely regarded as Australia's greatest player
Rugby’s Greatest: Victor Matfield
South African second-row Victor Matfield has done much in rugby to grant him the title of one of the greatest
Rugby’s Greatest: Martin Johnson
One of the greatest second-rows to play the game, we profile the imposing figure of Martin Johnson.
The greatest second-rows of all time: Gordon Brown
Major teams: West of Scotland Country: Scotland Test span: 1969-77 Scotland caps: 30 (28 starts) Lions caps: 8 (8 starts) Test points: 8 (2T) And there were few personalities…
The greatest second-rows of all time: Frik du Preez
Major teams: Northern Transvaal Country: South Africa Test span: 1961-71 Test caps: 38 (38 starts) Test points: 11 (1T 1C 2P) When Frik du Preez and the All Black…
The greatest second-rows of all time: Colin Meads
Major teams: King Country Country: New Zealand Test span: 1957-71 Test caps: 55 (55 starts) Test points: 21 (7T) Between 1957 and 1971 he set a world cap record by…
The greatest second-rows of all time: Walter Spanghero
Major teams: Narbonne Country: France Test span: 1964-73 Test caps: 51 (51 starts) Test points: 14 (4T) “Cometh the hour, cometh the man,” said French critics when Walter Spanghero made…
The greatest second-rows of all time: Paul O’Connell
Major teams: Munster Country: Ireland Test span: 2002-2015 Ireland caps: 108 (99 starts) Lions caps: 7 (7 starts) Test points: 40 (8T) Superman heads to bed each night wearing Paul…