Dream Team: Steven Shingler – London Irish and former Scarlets centre

1. Alex Corbisiero – A really good player around the loose and has become a world-class loosehead, although he is cutting back on his rapping skills.
2. Matthew Rees – Captain of the Scarlets when I was there and although he might seem quiet in public, I can tell you he’s pretty vocal in the dressing room. Leads by example with his scrummaging, lineout and impact around the field.
3. Martin Castrogiovanni – Everyone knows he is a destructive scrummager but he is also a jackal over the ball, which is quite rare for a tighthead. I remember trying to move him off the ball and it was like hitting a brick wall.
4. Steve Borthwick – I came up against him in my second professional game playing for the Scarlets against Saracens. He was brilliant in the lineout as well as carrying.
5. Bob Casey – One word sums him up: emotional. I remember his last team talk against Gloucester sent shivers down my spine. He will be a big loss.
6. Aaron Shingler – No bias here honestly. A great lineout forward who you might not notice on the pitch, but you see in the video afterwards what a shift he puts in. Cricket came first for him for a long time.
7. Jacques Burger – I remember in that same Scarlets v Saracens match swearing there were four or five of him on the pitch. He would just be making one tackle after another.
8. Chris Hala’ufia – A big man but definitely not a gentle giant. Very disruptive and if you give him the ball you know he is going to run over people.
9. Michael Claassens – Really impressed by the way he gets his forwards to do exactly what he wants. The ball always seems to go where he wants it to.
10. Stephen Jones – A big influence on me professionally and personally at the Scarlets. A back the forwards really respected.
11. Sailosi Tagicakibau – An impossibly talented South Sea Islanders with a bit of magic up his sleeve. Always broke the  tackle.
12. Jonathan Davies – Coming through the age grades with him, it was obvious he was going to go to the very top. Got the full package.
13. Jonathan Joseph – The type of player who can create something out of absolutely nothing with a turn of pace or a hand-off. Was scoring tries for fun last season.
14. Alex Cuthbert – Has that devastating combination of speed and power. No surprise to see him making his mark on a world stage.
15. Morgan Stoddart – Coming through at the Scarlets, he was the main guy we looked up to because he just kept scoring tries. Has been incredibly unlucky with injuries.