Former All Blacks playmaker Nick Evans made a shock call in his Perfect XV, bypassing rugby icon Dan Carter at flyhalf and choosing a surprise Springbok in the No 2 jersey.
Evans, who earned 16 caps for New Zealand as a flyhalf and fullback, shared his line-up of legends on Danny Care’s Hits Different show.
Now the Harlequins attack coach, Evans was asked to name his all-time XV of players he’d competed with or against – a list featuring some intriguing choices.
Starting with the pack, Evans selected All Blacks heavyweights Tony Woodcock and Carl Hayman as his props, flanking a surprise pick at hooker: former Springbok Schalk Brits.
Evans continued his forward selections with a formidable lock pairing of South African enforcers Bakkies Botha and Victor Matfield, while his back row featured Juan Smith, Richie McCaw, and Rodney So’oialo.
In a notable departure at flyhalf, Evans overlooked Carter and instead opted for Wallabies legend Stephen Larkham.
“I am probably going to get hammered for this so this will be me. I’m picking not a New Zealander and again probably one of the players I have spoken a little bit around and who I modelled my game on. That’d be Stephen Larkham.
“The reason I’m putting him in there is, as I said, I modelled a lot of my game on him (Larkham). He was part of that Brumbies team that was unbelievable. They kind of revolutionised that second play; the old back, the layered attack and it was literally like ‘what is this sorcery?’ Your full-back is like ‘what the hell is going on here?’ There’s down lines and there’s people out the back and who do I take here?
“No one could double defend. You used to be able to double defend in the day cause there used to be like a wide out the back and you could swim off and now there was like this tight little shape. They were unbelievable and I think he kind of revolutionised that flat to the line, ability to pull the ball back, play front line and be a threat himself so I kind of wanted to be like that so, yeah, you’d have big Stevie outside you.”
Evans rounded off his team with some serious firepower in the backline, picking Bryan Habana and Fijian sensation Rupeni Caucaunibuca on the wings, Aaron Mauger and Jaque Fourie in the midfield, and Mils Muliaina as his full-back.
Nick Evans’ Perfect XV — 15 Mils Muliaina, 14 Rupeni Caucaunibuca, 13 Jaque Fourie, 12 Aaron Mauger, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Stephen Larkham, 9 Danny Care, 8 Rodney So’oialo, 7 Richie McCaw, 6 Juan Smith, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Bakkies Botha, 3 Carl Hayman, 2 Schalk Brits, 1 Tony Woodcock.
Photo: Richard Heathcote – World Rugby via Getty Images/World Rugby via Getty Images
The post Evans’ Perfect XV: No Carter, Bok surprise appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Src: sarugbymag.co.za
