Dream Team: Joe Carlisle – London Welsh and former Worcester and Wasps fly-half

1. Matt Mullan – The fittest prop I’ve ever played with. A great leader too who is rightly captaining Wasps when James Haskell is away. A top professional who should be in the England squad.
2. Ed Shervington – Like Matt he always trains a lot. Loves a joke even if they’re a bit weird at times. I think he’s still mad at me for missing his wedding.
3. Carl Hayman – Monster of a man. I played against him once when he was at Newcastle and he scrummaged us off the park. Always admired him.
4. Joe Launchbury – The big friendly giant is the biggest natural talent I’ve ever played with. He’s the nicest guy off the pitch but on it he is an animal. A 14-year-old looking one!
5. Pascal Pape – Big presence! A huge man who’s hard as nails. He scared the life out me when I played against Stade Francais. Hit me late once and popped one of my rib cartilages.
6. Tom Wood – I played with him at Worcester before he moved to Northampton. A great leader who’s at 100 per cent all the time. It was a privilege to play alongside him.
7. Matt Kvesic – The future England openside is called the Polar Bear because of his white hair, or what’s left of it. Looks about 35 but a great player. The last man you’d want to play against as a fly-half.
8. Taulupe Faletau – Faced him last season in the Pro12 and he stole the show for the Dragons. A great all round player and I always enjoy watching him play.
9. Joe Simpson – I can’t understand why he’s not in the England squad. I know he picked up that knee injury but he’s the only scrum-half in the country who can break defences. Always a threat with a great box-kicking game.
10. Jonny Wilkinson – Grew up watching him and ended up playing against him when he was at Newcastle. I was gob-smacked when he said to me: “Keep up schoolboy!”
11. Christian Wade – The best finisher in the game. Half a gap is always a gap with him. Can run around players in the five-metre channel. Did it to James Simpson-Daniel once.
12. Manu Tuilagi – Ran down my channel all game once and I couldn’t get out of bed the next day. He is so powerful and he’s getting better and better all the time. England will miss him at the World Cup.
13. Elliot Daly – Huge natural talent with pace to burn. A huge boot, too. I’d be practising my kicking from 40 metres and he’d be banging them from 60 for fun.
14. Rico Gear – The best right foot step I’ve seen. I grew up watching him so it was a privilege to play with him at Worcester.
15. Chris Latham – Another legend who played for the Warriors. Great under the high ball and always wore his heart on his sleeve.