Dream Team: Leicester and ex-Bedford Blues and Northampton hooker Charlie Clare

Charlie Clare, Leicester Tigers and former North Walsham, Jersey, Bedford and Northampton hooker, chooses the best XV he has played with or against…

1 Alex Waller

Quasimodo’s stunt double has been a consistent performer for Northampton in the Premiership for many years and is an important go-to man for them.

2 Tom Knight

Norfolk’s self-proclaimed answer to Dane Coles, I played with him at North Walsham where he’s still plying his trade and has just won promotion with them.

3 Alex Penny

Consistently good performer for Bedford and a skilful operator who’s not shy of a dart down the wing either. Good man to have on a social.

4 Mark Flanagan

Possibly the most underrated player ever. Excellent in the lineout at Bedford, added a bit of brilliance here and there and was always one to lift a team’s morale.

5 Christian Day

Failed chef and an average golfer but very strong in the lineout and was able to catch a few of my pies at Saints to make me look good.

6 Calum Green

Another Norfolk boy and another excellent lineout man, which is a big strength of my team. Work-rate second to none for Tigers, unlucky to be overlooked by England.

7 Josh Buggea

When he turns it on, he’s a great carrier and a hell of a tackler. Good man to have in any side and he’s the fines master at Bedford, where I’m told he does a great job!

8 Louis Picamoles

Some of the stuff he did and the effect he had on the game for Saints, I’ve never seen anything like it. Offloading ability and the chances he created were unbelievable.

9 Ben Youngs

Has been a consistent performer at club and international level for the last decade and I really hope he wins that 100th England cap. Creates stuff out of nothing.

10 George Ford

Played with him at U15s level and he was as good then as he is now. Dedication is outstanding, has always been a standout and one of England’s best-ever 10s.

11 Pat Tapley

Great bloke off the field, always leads the social side and when I was at Bedford he scored some brilliant tries that not many others would be capable of.

12 Mike Le Bourgeois

First played with ‘Booj’ at Jersey and we moved to Bedford together. Kicked-on brilliantly and deserved his chance at Wasps, where he’s done well.

13 Rob Horne

The effect he had on Northampton in such a short space of time was remarkable, both on and off the pitch. Such a shame he had his career cut short.

14 Dean Adamson

You want your wingers to score tries and Dean did it better than most for Bedford. He’d be upset if I didn’t mention him so has to be in my team.

15 Telusa Veainu

X-factor player at Leicester who can make even the best defenders look stupid. Being able to watch him operate at close quarters has been really good.