Dream Team

This is where you will find all of The Rugby Paper’s Dream Team news, interviews, opinion and other content.

Dream Team: Shaun Knight – Bath tighthead

8 May 2017 0 comments

1. Marcos Ayerza – He was the hardest prop I ever faced as a young player and every tighthead I speak to says the same. […]

Dream Team: Teimana Harrison – Northampton flanker

1 May 2017 0 comments

1. Mako Vunipola – The guy is a ridiculous carrier. He is good at the scrum like any prop should but what makes him special […]

Dream Team: Alex Crockett – former Bath centre

24 April 2017 0 comments

1. David Flatman – He would get you six or nine points per game just by talking to the referee and could talk his way […]

Dream Team: Nic Groom – Northampton scrum-half

17 April 2017 0 comments

1. Steven Kitshoff – We started at the same time at the Stormers and he’s got a great work rate. He’s very tough but he’s […]

Dream Team: Will Owen – Rotherham centre

10 April 2017 0 comments

1. Robin Hislop – ‘Bomber’ has a solid set piece and a great work rate in the loose. He wears his heart on his sleeves […]

Dream Team: Jim Evans – former Harlequins lock

3 April 2017 0 comments

1. Ceri Jones – He has to be the hairiest player to play the game. I was never quite sure if I was twisting his […]

Dream Team: Topsy Ojo – London Irish wing

27 March 2017 0 comments

1. Clarke Dermody – It can’t be bad when your prop has hands like a centre as well as being able to scrummage. He was […]

Dream Team: Marc Jones – Bristol hooker

13 March 2017 0 comments

1. Eifion Lewis-Roberts – Turned up at Sale around the same time as me in 2005, so I spent a long time with him. Strong […]

Dream Team: Steve Boden – Yorkshire Carnegie forwards coach

7 March 2017 0 comments

1. Tom Davies – Known as ‘Toddy’, he is very good at the set piece but also very skilful ball in hand. A case of […]

Dream Team: Brendon O’Connor – Leicester flanker

27 February 2017 0 comments

1. Tony Woodcock – I played with him at the Blues and he’s a great player. So much so that he picked up over 100 […]

Dream Team: Declan Cusack – Doncaster fly-half

20 February 2017 0 comments

1. Luke Cowan-Dickie – I only played with him a few times down at Plymouth Albion and he was still a loosehead. Very aggressive and […]

Dream Team: Mike Delany – Newcastle fly-half

13 February 2017 0 comments

1. Sone Taumalolo – My old Chiefs mate brings fear into the opposition but he’s actually a gentle giant and a very nice guy. Scores […]

Dream Team: Jack Wallace – Bristol full-back

6 February 2017 0 comments

1. Kyle Trainor – Fantastic leader who brings his international experience to the squad. Very vocal and very much a player who leads by example. […]

Dream Team: Alex Rieder – Wasps flanker

30 January 2017 0 comments

1. Mako Vunipola – The in-form loosehead in the country. Unbelievable around the park and his scrummaging has improved massively. 2. Ashley Johnson – Outstanding […]

Dream Team: Sione Kalamafoni – Gloucester back rower

23 January 2017 0 comments

1. Tony Woodcock – I played against the All Blacks in the last two World Cups and every time he was great. A good all […]

Dream Team: James Horwill – Harlequins lock

16 January 2017 0 comments

1. James Slipper – My old Reds and Wallabies mate is a prop who used to be a fly-half. And in case that wasn’t enough […]

Dream Team: Geoff Parling – Exeter lock

9 January 2017 0 comments

1. Rob Vickers – He came through the Falcons academy with me and has made over 200 appearances for them since. A grafter and the […]

Dream Team: Marcus Watson – Newcastle wing

26 December 2016 0 comments

1. Mako Vunipola – Known as ‘Bacon Ears’. My old housemate is not shy of a KFC. An awesome person to have on and off […]

Dream Team: Dan Mugford – Sale fly-half

19 December 2016 0 comments

1. Mako Vunipola – I don’t know a lot about pushing in the scrum but his skill set is top draw and he’s pretty hard […]

Dream Team: Matt Mullan – Wasps prop

12 December 2016 0 comments

1. Tony Windo – He helped me out a lot when I was coming through the Worcester academy. He was a mentor who ended up […]

Dream Team: Andrew Fenby – Saracens wing

5 December 2016 0 comments

1. Pete Edwards – ‘The Meat’ is a late comer to the game, turning pro at 28 at the Scarlets. But he’s one of the […]

Dream Team: Marco Mama – Worcester flanker

28 November 2016 0 comments

1. Mako Vunipola – Val Rapava-Ruskin could be in the same league soon, but Mako is a hell of a player, very consistent, has international […]

Dream Team: Olly Woodburn – Exeter wing

21 November 2016 0 comments

1. Alec Hepburn – He sits next to me in the Chiefs‘ changing room and he’s a great player. He did very well with the […]

Dream Team: Richard Baxter – Exeter Chiefs legend

7 November 2016 0 comments

1. Andrew Sheridan – I played with him with England U21s and he was very strong in the scrum but also a great ball carrier. […]

Dream Team: Cooper Vuna – Worcester wing

31 October 2016 0 comments

1. Val Rapava-Ruskin – He’s the most mobile loosehead I know and he loves getting stuck in at the breakdown. It wouldn’t surprise me to […]

Dream Team: Phil Dollman – Exeter full-back

24 October 2016 0 comments

1. Brett Sturgess – Plenty can be said about ‘Sturg’. He once said he was the first name on the team sheet but that’s mainly […]

Dream Team: Carl Kirwan – Worcester flanker

17 October 2016 0 comments

1. Alec Hepburn – His work rate is phenomenal and he seems to have got his scrummaging right since we played together at London Welsh. […]

Dream Team: Ross Chisholm – Harlequins full-back

10 October 2016 0 comments

1. Joe Marler – I grew up playing with Joe at Haywards Heath where I was a year below him. He’s very good all-around whether […]

Dream Team: Jamie Gibson – Northampton flanker

3 October 2016 0 comments

1. Marcos Ayerza – There can’t have been many better looseheads than him over the last four or five years at club and Test level. […]

Dream Team: Billy Robinson – Nottingham full-back

19 September 2016 0 comments

1. Campese Ma’afu – The Fijian had a great 2015 World Cup. Top scrummager, good ball skills, and puts in some big shots in defence! […]

Dream Team: Jake Sharp – Bedford Blues fly-half

12 September 2016 0 comments

1. Mako Vunipola – He is my old housemate and one of the best ball carrying props around. It was great to have played with […]

Dream Team: Alex Waller – Northampton loosehead

5 September 2016 0 comments

1. Soane Tonga’uhia – Very good set-piece but he’s exceptional in the open which comes with being a 140kg (22st) Tongan. He was my mentor […]

Dream Team: Darryl Veenendaal – Nottingham scrum-half

29 August 2016 0 comments

1. Alan Paver – He played so many games for the Pirates over the years and ruled the roost in the front row when I […]

Dream Team: Tom Catterick – Newcastle fly-half

22 August 2016 0 comments

1. Mako Vunipola – I played England age goups with him and he’s an all-round ball carrier. He’s a proper scrummager and a grafter too. […]

Dream Team: Greig Tonks – London Irish fly-half

15 August 2016 0 comments

1. Alasdair Dickinson – One of the hardest working players I’ve come across and he always delivers whether that’s for Edinburgh or Scotland. 2. Ross […]

Dream Team: Tom Heathcote – Worcester fly-half

8 August 2016 0 comments

1. Val Rapava-Ruskin – He can do things I never saw others props do and I’m certain once he gets his head in the right […]

Dream Team: Tom Savage – Gloucester lock

1 August 2016 0 comments

1. Richard Barrington – I played with Baz at Hartpury. He’s now at Saracens and has gone on to win the Premiership and Champions Cup […]

Dream Team: Tyson Lewis – Doncaster wing

11 July 2016 0 comments

1. Sam Lockwood – Offers a lot whether that’s at the set-piece or in the loose. The standout loosehead in the Championship so it’s not […]

Dream Team: Ciaran Hearn – Canada and London Irish centre

4 July 2016 0 comments

1. Cian Healy – I played against him twice. The first time was with Agen against Leinster and then at the World Cup with Canada. […]

Dream Team: Charlie Walker – Harlequins wing

27 June 2016 0 comments

1. Luke Cowan Dickie – I know he plays hooker now but we came through the England system together and he was a top loosehead […]

Dream Team: Joe Atkinson – London Scottish and ex-Cornish Pirates

20 June 2016 0 comments

1. Alan Paver – I’ve known Paves as a player and coach and he’s got a lot of time for the finer details. He sometimes […]

Dream Team: Ollie Phillips- former England 7s, Gloucester and Newcastle wing

13 June 2016 0 comments

1. Nick Wood – The Gloucester loosehead is such an underestimated prop. He is so effective at what he does. So unlucky not to have […]

Dream Team: Simon Hammersley – Newcastle Falcons full-back

6 June 2016 0 comments

1. Rob Vickers – Known as Mr Reliable in the Falcons squad. A very good player who just scores too many tries as a loosehead […]

Dream Team: Nick Royle- Caldy and former Fylde, Sale & England 7s wing

30 May 2016 0 comments

1. Eifion Lewis-Roberts – ‘Fridge’ is a massive man. I’ll never forget that pre-season match in Perpignan with him flying across to smash their wing […]