Dream Team

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

Dream Team: Tinus du Plessis – London Scottish and Namibia flanker

11 April 2016 0 comments

1. Os du Randt – I played against him at Newlands in the lead up to the 2007 World Cup where we got hammered 105-13. […]

Dream Team: Evan Olmstead – London Scottish flanker

21 March 2016 0 comments

1. Scott Sio – I played with him back in Australia and he’s probably the best loosehead the Wallabies have right now. 2. Tatafu Polota-Nau – He […]

Dream Team: Ben Cooper – London Welsh and former Bedford prop

14 March 2016 0 comments

1. Mako Vunipola – The best loosehead I have scrummaged against and the corner stone of the Saracens pack. Good to see him doing well […]

Dream Team: Luke Wallace – Harlequins flanker

7 March 2016 0 comments

1. Joe Marler – I’ve known him for a long time and he’s a great character to have around. He’s also a very good player […]

Dream Team: Scott Lawson – Newcastle and former London Irish and Gloucester hooker

29 February 2016 0 comments

1. Rob Vickers – For someone to move to loosehead so late in his career but to make such a good job out of it […]

Dream Team: Guy Thompson – Wasps and former Gloucester and Jersey flanker

22 February 2016 0 comments

1. Christian Califano – A French legend who was a great character in the changing room when I came through the ranks at Gloucester. 2. […]

Dream Team: Mark Cornwell – former Gloucester lock

15 February 2016 0 comments

1. Rodrigo Roncero – An outstanding attacking scrummager with an all-round game. Tough customer who could carry and be as useful at the breakdown as […]

Dream Team: Tim Payne – London Scottish coach and former Wasps and England prop

8 February 2016 0 comments

1. Trevor Woodman – You just have to look at 2003 to see how good a scrummager he was plus he offered a lot around […]

Dream Team: Marland Yarde – Harlequins, England and former London Irish wing

25 January 2016 0 comments

1. Clarke Dermody – I remember how big he was when I was coming through the London Irish academy. A former All Black who was […]

Dream Team: Adam Preocanin – Ealing and former London Scottish, Saracens and Queensland University lock

18 January 2016 0 comments

1. Darren Molloy – Packed down behind the Wasps legend when he was player-coach at Westcombe Park. Came on as sub, dominated his opposite prop […]

Dream Team: Michael Keating – Rotherham and former Leinster wing

11 January 2016 0 comments

1. Cian Healy – The Leinster star is a schoolmate of mine from Belvedere College. He has since gone on to be one of the […]

Dream Team: James Bailey – former Saracens, Gloucester, Irish, Lyon and Wasps wing

4 January 2016 0 comments

1. Phil Vickery – Old school no nonsense, flat out commitment – he made it clear from day one what it meant to play for […]

Dream Team: Jebb Sinclair – London Irish and Canada flanker

29 December 2015 0 comments

1. Tom Court – Great Irish international who doesn’t grab the headlines but does a lot of unseen work. At top of his fitness levels […]

Dream Team: Richard Hibbard – Gloucester and Wales hooker

14 December 2015 0 comments

1. Paul James – My old Ospreys front row partner is a hell of a scrummager. He did really well for Bath in the Premiership […]

Dream Team: Sami Fisilau – Jersey and Tonga scrum-half

7 December 2015 0 comments

1. Pauliasi Manu – He used to be my neighbour back in Auckland. He’s now with the Chiefs and also trained with the All Blacks […]

Dream Team: Peter Lydon – London Scottish and former Stade Francais and Ulster full-back

30 November 2015 0 comments

1. Lovejoy Chawatama – Showed great potential for London Scottish and England Students last year. Really humble guy and great work ethic. 2. Agustin Creevy […]

Dream Team: Aaron Mauger – Leicester head coach and former All Blacks and Crusaders centre

23 November 2015 0 comments

1. Greg Feek – My old Crusaders mate has the best laugh in world rugby. He’s now the scrum coach for Ireland. 2. Keven Mealamu […]

Dream Team: Jack Yeandle – Exeter captain and former Doncaster hooker

17 November 2015 0 comments

1. Cian Healy – What he does on the international scene is pretty impressive. A very strong ball carrier. Ben “the Truffle Pig” Moon deserves […]

Dream Team: James Gaskell – Wasps and former Sale lock

9 November 2015 0 comments

1. Andrew Sheridan – A big bloke and big scrummager too. An all-round impressive guy whom it was much better to play with at Sale […]

Dream Team: Micheal Hills – Doncaster and former London Welsh and Sale lock

2 November 2015 0 comments

1. Andrew Sheridan – The former England powerhouse is the strongest man I have ever played rugby with. For that reason alone he has to […]

Dream Team: Freddie Burns – Leicester and former Gloucester fly-half

27 October 2015 0 comments

1. Nick Wood – A great friend and he’s become a Gloucester legend over the years. For a prop, he knows the game inside out. […]

Dream Team: Ryan Burrows – Yorkshire Carnegie and former Rotherham No.8

19 October 2015 0 comments

1. Ben Harris – He’s moved to Newcastle now but he had a couple of very good seasons for us at Carnegie. He only played […]

Dream Team: Seb Jewell – London Welsh and former Harlequins & Wasps full-back

12 October 2015 0 comments

1. Pete Edwards – Pete “the meat” or “Hobnob” as he was known. My former London Welsh teammate is a great scrummager and when it […]

Dream Team: Lee Byrne – former Lions, Wales, Dragons, Clermont and Ospreys full-back

5 October 2015 0 comments

1. Gethin Jenkins – The Welsh Lion has an almighty engine around the park and is simply impossible to move at the breakdown. 2. Shalk […]

Dream Team: Tom Court – London Irish and former Ireland and Ulster prop

28 September 2015 0 comments

1. Rodrigo Roncero – The former Argentina prop is exactly how a loosehead should be – horrible, aggressive and mobile. In your team that is. […]

Dream Team: Joe Carlisle – London Welsh and former Worcester and Wasps fly-half

22 September 2015 0 comments

1. Matt Mullan – The fittest prop I’ve ever played with. A great leader too who is rightly captaining Wasps when James Haskell is away. […]

Dream Team: Thomas Waldrom – Exeter and former Leicester and England No.8

14 September 2015 0 comments

1. Joe Marler – I got to pick Joe just because of his banter really. He’s also a very good prop and I fully expect […]

Dream Team: Adam Powell – Newcastle and former Saracens centre

7 September 2015 0 comments

1. Deon Carstens – I played with the former South Africa Test prop at Saracens and aside from being a very good loosehead he was […]

Dream Team: Kelly Brown – Saracens, Scotland and former Borders back row

31 August 2015 0 comments

1. Cian Healy – Clearly spent a significant part of his life in the gym, strong, good in the set-piece and talented all-round. He needs […]

Dream Team: Alex Grove – Worcester and Scotland centre

24 August 2015 2 comments

1. Kyle Trainor – For a big bloke the Bristol prop is quite mobile and very skilful with ball in hand. A good guy, I […]

Dream Team: Joe Gray – Harlequins and former Northampton hooker

17 August 2015 1 comment

1. Tom Smith – He was awesome at the set piece but he was also able to step in at fly-half and throw miss passes […]

Dream Team: Darren Barry – Worcester and former Cornish Pirates & Bristol lock

10 August 2015 0 comments

1. Mako Vunipola – A big, strong and physical prop who has the skills of a back. He’s very humble and works very hard. We […]

Dream Team: Rhys Lawrence – Ealing & former Bristol and Scarlets hooker

3 August 2015 1 comment

1. Ryan Bevington – I grew up playing alongside him in Llanelli. He’s got great pace for a prop and scored some memorable tries. 2. […]

Dream Team: Billy Meakes – Gloucester and former Australia U20s centre

20 July 2015 1 comment

1. Scott Sio – I played with Scott both for Sydney‘s Northern Suburbs and Australia U20s. A very good all round player who offers a […]

Dream Team: Tyler Hotson – Doncaster and Canada lock

13 July 2015 0 comments

1. Hubert Buydens – The Cow Head as he goes by. This guy always gets over the gain line and rumbles when he carries. I […]

Dream Team: Paul Rowley – Uister and former London Welsh, Plymouth Albion & Munster scrum-half

6 July 2015 0 comments

1. Nathan Trevett – A great guy who reminds me of Nessa from Gavin and Stacey. He is a lot more skilful than he looks […]

Dream Team: Sam Harrison – Leicester scrum-half

29 June 2015 0 comments

1. Logovi’i Mulipola – He’s a huge ball carrier offering a lot more than a lot of other looseheads. He can scrummage but he’s also […]

Dream Team: Mark Lilley – London Scottish and former Bath and Bristol loosehead

15 June 2015 0 comments

1. Nathan Catt – Best prank caller I’ve ever worked with and a very good friend. Moved from back-row to prop at 16 which is […]

Dream Team: Drew Locke – Jersey and former Gloucester and Cornish Pirates centre

1 June 2015 1 comment

1. Sam Lockwood – Up and coming loosehead who was named in the Championship Team of the season a few weeks back. I’m sure he […]

Dream Team: Jon Fisher – Northampton and former London Irish No.8

25 May 2015 1 comment

1. Alex Corbisiero – Obviously! We’re the same age and I grew up with Corbs at London Irish before linking up again this season at […]

Dream Team: Dominic Day – Bath and former Scarlets lock

18 May 2015 0 comments

Dominic Day1. Iestyn Thomas – The old boy at Scarlets who took me under his wing. A good guy who showed me the ropes in […]

Dream Team: Bradley Davies – Wasps, Wales and former Cardiff Blues lock

11 May 2015 0 comments

1. Gethin Jenkins – Mr Grumpy! He pretty much did my job for me when I played with him. He used to run behind me […]

Dream Team: Ben Mosses – Bristol and former Bath centre

4 May 2015 0 comments

1. Mako Vunipola – I played with him at Millfield and he was a massive force running over and around people. He actually came over […]

Dream Team: Aaron Penberthy – Jersey and former Cornish Pirates fly-half

28 April 2015 0 comments

1. Alan Paver – He’s very respected down at the Pirates for what he’s done for the club over the years. A great loosehead prop. […]

Dream Team: GJ van Velze – Worcester Captain & former Northampton and Bulls No.8

21 April 2015 0 comments

1. Soane Tonga’uiha – Played with him at North-ampton and he was a great bloke to have a beer with after games. Strong set piece […]

Dream Team: Tom James – Exeter and former Cardiff Blues wing

14 April 2015 0 comments

1. Cian Healy – The Leinster and Ireland loosehead has an awesome work rate. He loves a carry but he is also highly regarded as […]

Dream Team: Carl Fearns – Bath and former Sale back row

7 April 2015 2 comments

1. Nathan Catt – As a loosehead he is very good at the scrum but he is also a skilful ball player. Just been unlucky […]

Dream Team: Jordan Crane – Leicester & former Leeds and England No.8

10 March 2015 0 comments

1. Marcos Ayerza – Pretty easy pick really. The best scrummaging loosehead in the world at the minute but also a very good work rate […]

Dream Team: Joe Simpson – Wasps and England Saxons scrum-half

4 March 2015 0 comments

1. Soane Tonga’uiha – When he was at his peak at Northampton three or four years ago he was the best ball carrier in the […]

Dream Team: Luke Narraway – London Irish and former Perpignan & Gloucester No.8

24 February 2015 2 comments

1. Nick Wood – Very underrated but technically the best loosehead in the country. Unlucky not to have been capped for England. 2. Guilhem Guirado […]

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