OK now that everybody has picked their hookers I might as well complete my final selection at hooker.
This was really tough, not because there weren't many great hookers left, but how to distinguish one?
I considered Philippe Dintrans - often considered France's best hooker. He's been described as a little dynamo in the mold of Hika Reid, only better, and a tremendous ball carrier. I also considered Dintrans successor in Daniel Dubroca. But then I started to think about Colin Deans, who is generally regarded as Scotland's greatest ever hooker. I'd rather pick Deans over Dintrans because Deans was selected by a panel consisting of Gareth Edwards, David Kirk, Jean-Pierre Rives and two others who escape my mind right now, as being the best hooker of the 80s. Deans was well-known was being able to cover the ground in a manner unseen by a hooker before.
Originally I was going to select Bobby Windsor, primarily because I was, somewhat inadvertedly, on track to selecting the same tight-five as the 1974 British Lions. I figured I'd have a good shot at winning this if I could show I selected a tight-five which was arguably the best ever. But then Indipper had to select Mighty Mouse and ruined that. I continued to consider Windsor, but then I recall a few Welsh XV's that I've seen where Bryn Meredith is labelled their greatest ever hooker. For a long time I figured nobody would select him, and he'd be a steal for me. Although he played an important role in the 1956 tour to South Africa, he didn't play for the Lions in 1959 because he was displaced by Ronnie Dawson.
So then I considered both Karl Mullen and Ronnie Dawson - two famous Irish hookers. Of the two I was going to select Mullen, who was part of the last Irish side to win the Grand Slam in 1948... although I might not be saying that in a week.
I considered selecting Uli Schmidt early on. Voltman ruined that. But I hesitated on Schmidt because he didn't play much rugby. He scored an amazing try for a hooker during the Cavaliers tour where he displayed an incredible side-step. People think Keith Wood was explosive, but man Schmidt was good too. But there's no consensus that Schmidt is South Africa's greatest ever hooker. There's also Jan Lotz (already selected) and Gys Pitzer. Any of those three would look OK in an all-time Springboks side.
I'd be happy with any one of those names. In the end it came down to Bryn Meredith and Gys Pitzer. And whomever I select I'll wish I selected the other one. I'll go with...
Gys Pitzer
SO I AM DONE!!!
1. Ken Gray (New Zealand)
2. Gys Pitzer (South Africa)
3. Francis Cotton (England)
4. Gordon Brown (Scotland)
5. Willie John McBride (Ireland)
6. Ian Kirkpatrick (New Zealand)
7. Jan Ellis (South Africa)
8. Zinzan Brooke (New Zealand)
9. Ken Catchpole (Australia)
10. Cliff Morgan (Wales)
11. Carel du Plessis (South Africa)
12. Mannetjies Roux (South Africa)
13. Jo Maso (France)
14. Gerald Davies (Wales)
15. Gerrie Brand (South Africa)
Not too bad a side. I think I've done pretty well in this draft. Any thoughts from anybody here? Holes in the side? People played out of position? Combinations that make no sense? Have I selected enough South African's to make this a great side?