Dream Team: Dan Seal – Bedford and former Bath prop

1. Alan Paver – He’s been the cornerstone of the Pirates scrum for nearly a decade and knows the dark arts better than anyone.
2. Viliami Ma’asi – So popular wherever he played. I’ve never seen anyone carry the ball through so many people, it was great to see him on the rampage.
3. Dan Cole – Formidable opponent even when dual-registered with Nottingham. I was the fourth loosehead he took on in one game – only difference is he had a little more hair then.
4. Martin Haag – We came down together from Bath but I didn’t really know him before I got to Pirates. A scary-looking man but a great leader.
5. Richard Carroll – ‘Newks’ had a real surfer’s appearance and he looked after us youngsters both on and off the field in the early years in Penzance. Could play either lock or back row and was a true grafter.
6. Lakalaka Waqanivere – You’ll be hard-pressed to meet a nicer guy than Laka. Scored tries at will and had serious wheels for a big man which is why he didn’t look out of place on the wing if we were short.
7. Kevin Penrose – We had a great atmosphere at Pirates and it was guys like Kevin, who had a full-time job on top of training, who were instrumental. Had a knack of turning over ball at just the right time for us.
8. Tim Cowley – I wouldn’t want to face Tim. He always made yards and his tackling was incredible. His hits would hurt even the biggest guys.
9. Ricky Pellow – Has been key to Exeter‘s success and he is so knowledgeable about the game. Like all good No.9s he never shut up and always tried to wind up the opposition.
10. Carlos Spencer – There was huge hype when he signed for Saints so everyone wanted to tackle him. He was too good though and I got nowhere near him.
11. Chris Ashton – Northampton were far too good that year in National One and Ashton smashed the league try record. He’d pop all over the pitch and was impossible to mark.
12. Owen Farrell – I played with Owen when he joined Bedford on loan. He had great confidence in his own ability but most importantly was an experienced head on young shoulders. He was also a hell of a tackler, which we all appreciated.
13. Will Greenwood – Unlike Carlos I did actually manage to tackle Will once when I was out wide for some reason. He pushed me over afterwards, though!
14. Matt Jess – I was best man at Jessy’s wedding so I can’t really leave him out. We got to know each other at Pirates and have stayed in touch ever since.
15. James Pritchard – An absolute points scoring machine for Bedford. He also leads by example and is an absolute pro on and off the field.