Dream Team – JJ Hanrahan
JJ Hanrahan, the Munster, Northampton, Clermont, Dragons, and Connacht fly-half, chooses the best XV he has played with or against…
1. David Kilcoyne – I am great mates with both Dave Kilcoyne and James Cronin. Because I can’t choose between the two I’d have to start with DK – a killer ball carrier and chop tackler – and replace him with Crow (James) at half-time. Crow is in for the dark arts of scrum and maul .
2. Dylan Hartley – Leader on the pitch and incredible in the dressing room. Looked after me when I arrived in Northampton. His record speaks for itself. Elliot Dee would on the bench as cover.
3. Finlay Bealham – Most unique person I know, in the best way possible. His love for wrestling is unmatched.A shout out to the legend that is Stephen Archer, the best changing room puppeteer you’ll ever find.
4. Tadhg Beirne -World class at poaching the ball. If he was any more laidback he would fall over. Class to play with. Same goes for Peter O’Mahony. How he gets a team up for a match is unrivalled.
5. Paul O’Connell – Leader of men and an incredible player, and the most inspiring player I’ve played with.
6. Courtney Lawes – The most impressive athlete I’ve seen and still going strong. Spent a lot of my time at Saints trying to avoid the running spear tackle he perfected on 10s. CJ Stander would provide more than adequate back up.
7. Fritz Lee – A centre playing in the back row. His skills are next level. A great man to share a bottle of wine with.
8. Louis Picamoles – Only had one year with him at Saints and his impact was insane. His ball carrying and ability to offload is outrageous and his highlight reel tells all.
9. Conor Murray – Best passer and kicker I’ve seen, and a dream to play with as a 10. Ironically, he has a terrible slice off the tee box when playing golf. Morgan Parra makes the bench.
10. Ronan O’Gara – Childhood hero growing up, so to play alongside him a few times was amazing. What he did for Munster and Irish rugby speaks for itself. Camille Lopez has a next level left boot and would give a different option off the bench.
11. Keith Earls – Fastest person I’ve seen live. Amazing rugby intellect, just a baller and we share a passion for whiskey.
12. Bundee Aki – In for his ball carrying, hands, vision and chat. An all-rounder as a 12 but he very nearly didn’t make the cut because he is the worst heckler in the gym. Honourable mention to George Moala, the human pinball.
13. Casey Laulala – Crazy feet, his step and offload was insane. It was amazing for me as a young 10 to play alongside him. He could also cut you in half in the tackle.
14. Mack Hansen – Just for the craic! On a serious note, he’s such an intelligent footballer and his ability to step you in a phone box is unmatched. Honourable mention to Alivereti Raka who is the scariest person I’ve seen ball in hand; his power and pace is unmatched.
15. Kotaro Matsushima – Freakish talent who takes everything in his stride. Has amazing feet and is crazily strong for a skinny fella. Honourable mentions to Simon Zebo, someone who always rose to the big occasion – the brighter the lights, the better he was – and model pro Felix Jones, an amazing mentor to me at Munster.
