Billy Searle, the former Worcester, Bath, Wasps, Bristol & Plymouth fly-half, chooses the best XV he has played with or against
1. Marc Thomas – Always got the scrum going forward at Worcester and was generally a great bloke to have around the Sixways changing room. Always lifts morale by taking the piss out of himself and everyone else.
2. Sam Matavesi – We started our careers together at Plymouth Albion and were part of the same Cornwall team that retained the County Championship in 2016. Was awesome back then so it’s no surprise to see how well he has done since.
3. Kieran Brookes – Not a bloke you’d want to run into; he is a big, old boy and a very good player. You don’t get a three-year deal at Toulon for nothing.
4. Joe Launchbury – Hasn’t really got any flaws in his game. Gets round the park and does a lot of unseen work. From all the props I speak to, they say it is brilliant to have him behind them in the scrum with all his weight. Was captain for the two years I was at Wasps and is a great leader as well as an awesome player.
5. Graham Kitchener – The lineout guru, I’ve not seen anyone run one better. Ensured we always had a good supply of ball at Worcester. Also good around the park.
6. Steven Luatua – It was cool to play with someone like that at Bristol. It was my first experience really of playing with an All Black. Has skills like a back and looks equally at home on the edges as he does trucking it up the middle.
7. Jack Willis – One of my best mates from my time at Wasps. It is awesome to see how he has put his injury problems behind him and is flourishing now at Toulouse.
8. Nathan Hughes – So destructive at the back of the Wasps scrum. Would often ignore my calls but would go over and score himself so I never had too many complaints.
9. Francois Hougaard – Electric at the base and can play scrum-half or wing. Has a good kicking game but it’s his running ability that sets him apart. Played with him at Worcester and also against him a few times. Edges out Dan Robson.
10. Lima Sopoaga – An awesome bloke who helped me a lot when we were competing for the 10 jersey at Wasps. His skillset is next level. Might not have gone as well as he wanted in England but is still a quality player, that was obvious.
11. Duhan van der Merwe – Freak of an athlete who is so hard to put down. Give him a bit of space and he would make the most of it. Also a great bloke off the pitch who bought into everything at Worcester.
12. Gavin Henson – He was there in my first year at Bristol and we played a fair bit together at 10-12. Had a brilliant un- derstanding of the game and o me. Also had the best right boot I have ever seen,
13. Ollie Lawrence – Another good mate. He is so destructive as a ball carrier but has a lot more attributes to his game. He can beat people on the outside, has got a good pass and his kicking game is not too bad as well.
14. Melani Nanai – One of the best players I have played with, at Worcester or anywhere else. Has ridiculous feet, a brilliant offloading game and his communication is next level, he tells you exactly what he wants.
15. Willie Le Roux – Kind of like the general in the back field. A quality player who can do everything; it’s like having another 10 on the pitch. A World Cup winner and it was awesome to play with him at Wasps.
