Dream Team: DTH van der Merwe – Glasgow and Canada wing

1. Cian Healy – He’s just a really hard man; hard to tackle, hard to take down and hard to play against. He is a real all-rounder.
2. Rory Best – It’s like playing against two guys. He carries really well and the way he can steal balls is ridiculous. You know what he’s going to do but stopping him is another matter.
3. Rod Snow – Canada prop and one of the toughest men alive. He hurts opponents and is just a beast who demands respect.
4. Jamie Cudmore – ‘The Sheriff’ is big, strong and hits hard. If someone made a mistake in training he would be the guy to dish out punishment and it was refreshing to have that come from a player.
5. Brad Thorn – Another physical player and a bit of a brick wall. He’s a huge man and his sheer physicality makes him a really formidable opponent.
6. Victor Vito – I played against him in the 2011 RWC and he got the better of me. He bumped me off and I went flying through the air. A real specimen!
7. Sean O’Brien – Such a tough guy to take down. He is so powerful and can cause you a lot of problems.
8. Kieran Read – Named 2013 world player of the year and that says it all. He’s a top all-rounder and I love his ball carrying and offloading skills.
9. Kahn Fotuali’i – He is a general around the field and has some crazy skills. He can find gaps no one else can, is very strong and has good feet. You have to have two guys watching him.
10. Stephen Larkham – I was a youngster at the 2007 RWC and his kicking to the winger caused me so many problems. The way he put me under constant pressure was not something I’d experienced before.
11. Shane Williams – He’s someone I really admire and even before I played rugby a guy that I looked at as a great player. A fantastic runner with dazzling quick feet, his achievements in the game show just what an exceptional player he was.
12. Sonny Bill Williams – For me, the world’s best offloader. There is no one else like him around. He is an enormous player, a real man-mountain. I played against him once and he did some real damage.
13. Conrad Smith – He is the template for what a 13 should be. He is the best in the world in that position. He organises everyone perfectly and just knows what to do in every situation. I’ve played a bit at 13 and I have studied most of his games. He’s an inspiration for me.
14. Lote Tuqiri – I played against him in the World Cup and I didn’t realise how massive he was! I made the mistake of getting in his way while he was running and he hit me hard.
15. Leigh Halfpenny – He’s not the biggest but I think that’s what makes him so impressive. He is so assured under the high ball and explosive. His kicking game is what really stands out for me.