Dream Team: Budge Pountney – former Northampton and Scotland flanker

1. Tom Smith – Never underestimate the quiet players, he was destructive on the pitch but a true gent off it. A real stalwart for Scotland and the Lions – one of the best players I have played rugby with.
2. Steve Brotherstone – aka the ‘V’ Man. Steve had tremendous chest strength, that’s the thing that has stuck in my mind. Not only that, he was a great hooker.
3. Mattie ‘Bubba’ Stewart – Mattie completes my fearsome all-Scottish front row. He also deserves his spot because of his uncanny resemblance to Bubba from Forrest Gump.
4. Matt Lord – He has the heart of a lion the body of jabba the hut. Another  former Northampton teammate, he’s now back in New Zealand living the dream on his dairy farm.  I also need to give a special mention to Simon Miall – a friend for over 30 years since school along with his brother Julian, who was my best man.
5. Jon Phillips – He was the biggest, clumsiest fool that you would ever wish to meet but you wouldn’t want to be facing him on the rugby field. He was always incredibly entertaining off the pitch and he remains a legend of Northampton.
6. Carl Hogg – I think it’s fair to say he was the dirtiest, cheap-shot artist I have come across on the pitch. He even decided to instigate violence at a friend’s wedding!
 7. Mark ‘breezeblock’ Soden – He’s the man with the largest head imaginable. Now married to my wife’s cousin Daisy so for that reason alone I had to pick him in this team. Top openside to boot.
8. Grant Lionel Seely – To give him his full name. He’s the best pal a man can have, equally sarcastic as he is talented. He fell short of an England cap due to being sat on by the Quinnell brothers and dislocating his shoulder in a game against Richmond.
9. Mark ‘Sharky’ Robinson – He was every player’s wife’s friend and every player’s worst nightmare as a result! It was a real toss up between him and Bryan Redpath – another little rat who played way above his dwarf stature – but Sharky just edges it.
10. Gregor Townsend – Just a genius of a player who nobody could read – including his own teammates at times.
11. Ben Cohen – Ben was a big, powerful winger and obviously a World Cup winner – and now can dance!
12. Jonny Bell – It was a real honour to play with the mad Irish dog that was ‘Dinger’. I think it’s fair to say he had the largest bum in modern rugby!
13. Allan Bateman – I have never been hit by anything tougher. But as well as his immense strength, he was a really classy centre who was quiet and cultured – but one of the hardest individuals.
14. Harvey Thorneycroft – He’s built like a silver back gorilla and he was banned from the gym as he was dangerous to those around him!
15. Nick Beal – Clean cut, elegant player, who’s now my financial advisor so I thought I had better put him in. Also, he’s one of those that is sickeningly good at all sports!