A hooker by trade, he played for three domestic Australian sides before eventually retiring from club and country in 2017. Genia holds the lowest number of caps for anyone in this squad, but the former Wallabies captain managed to win both the Tri-Nations and its newer format, The Rugby Championship. Those ads you do see are predominantly from local businesses promoting local services. Despite speculation of a move elsewhere, namely to the Top 14, the SRU haven't yet offered Townsend a contract extension to carry on leading Scotland in 2024 and the situation has perplexed ex-England half-back Goode. It is acknowledged, of course, that subjectivity is inevitably at play when judging performances and, in many cases, merely reputations, so there should be plenty of scope for discussion as the full list of 50 is unveiled in the next few days. After their run of three successive championship wins was interrupted in 1928 he took over the captaincy in his final season to lead the side to yet another title in his final season in 1929. The Blues will take on Australian heavyweights the Brumbies at 4:00pm NZT, in the final match of the Super Round weekend. Don't click on the links if they infuriate you. He did that under Philippe Saint-Andr before being named as the captain by Guy Novs and then his successor Jacques Brunel. For years he was known as the best centre in the world and proved this in a magnificent 15-year career for Ireland and Leinster, finally retiring in 2015. Another former skipper in this list, and not the last, Dylan Hartley saw his World Cup hopes ended by injury in 2019. Honours: 44 Scotland caps, five Calcutta Cup wins. One of his most memorable last-ditch tackles was against England full-back Ben Foden in the 2011 Calcutta cup match at Twickenham. Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours. (1959-68) Howe of Fife Find the US States - No Outlines Minefield, Find the Countries of Europe - No Outlines Minefield. Willie John McBride, Martin Johnson, JPR Williams, Barry John, Gerald Davies, Mike Gibson, Mervyn Davies, Phil Bennett and Brian O'Driscoll make up the rest of the top 10. Male rugby players with the most test appearances, Primarily active during rugby's amateur era, before the, Smit returned to hooker in the Springboks' final 2009 Test against Ireland after having spent about a year as a, List of leading rugby union test try scorers, List of leading rugby union test point scorers, List of leading international rugby union drop goal scorers, "Statsguru / Player analysis / Richie McCaw", "Statsguru / Player analysis / Brian O'Driscoll / Test matches", "2007 Rugby World Cup Squad Profiles: George Gregan", "Statsguru / Player analysis / Keven Mealamu", "Statsguru / Player analysis / Victor Matfield / Test matches", "Statsguru / Player analysis / Tony Woodcock / Test matches", "Statsguru / Player analysis / Dan Carter / Test matches", "Statsguru / Player analysis / John Smit / Test matches", "Statsguru / Player analysis / George Smith / Test matches", "2008 Qantas Wallabies Squad Profiles: George Smith", "Statsguru / Player analysis / Martyn Williams / Test matches", "Statsguru / Player analysis / Matt Giteau", "Statsguru / Player analysis / Andrea Lo Cicero Vaina", "Statsguru / Player analysis / Shane Williams", "2007 Rugby World Cup Squad Profiles: Stephen Larkham", "I giocatori della nazionale - Alessandro Troncon", "Australia's Top Tens: Leading Australia Test Caps", "Statsguru / Player analysis / Adam Jones", "Statsguru / Player analysis / Mils Muliaina / Test matches", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_rugby_union_test_caps_leaders&oldid=1141738941, Lists of international rugby union players, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2022, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. Known for his versatility, he played at wing, fullback and centre for the Wallabies. We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments. With the most significant overhaul of players in the club's history . This page was last edited on 26 February 2023, at 15:09. Since then The Edinburgh great called time on his playing career at the end of last season, but not before making 110 appearances for Scotland. Yet, while those lists offered useful pointers, many great international players missed out on those jaunts fora variety of reasons, particularly during the amateur era when the capacity to find the time to take part in gargantuan tours was a factor. Sean Fitzpatrick (NZ) - Widely regarded as one of the finest players New Zealand has ever produced (And that's saying something!) In aneight-year career that might have brought around 80 caps in modern times hewas a powerful forward who would lead Scotland in 15 of his 23 Tests in all and also captained the Lions in all three Test appearances for them. Report this user for behavior that violates our Community Guidelines. There are some who enter the international arena and become mainstays in the first team for years on end, taking up iconic positions in the squad, amongst the fans and rugby as a sport. We are doing this to improve the experience forour loyalreaders and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. Still playing for Toulon in the French league, it was rumoured that Sergio Parisse would return to play one final game for Italy in the six nations to officially retire in front of the Azzurri fans. The record point scorer in test rugby (1,598), a two-time Rugby World Cup winner and three-time World Rugby Player of the Year. 49 Charles Reid Scotland's record cap holder Ross Ford has confirmed his retirement from playing and will now help coach the country's best young talent. (1924-30) Glasgow Accies In 2019, Richie McCaw was made an inductee of the World Rugby Hall of Fame. Between 2010 and 2019 he played for Glasgow Warriors before moving down to the South West of England to join Exeter Chiefs. Universally known as Wagga in honour of his home town in Australia, the adopted Scot, who arrived in Gala on a life-changing walkabout year in 1998 and has hardly stopped touring Europe since, is as pleasant a characteroff the field as he is unpleasant to face on it. Newsletter Sign-up. Gordon Bulloch comes in at No.43 in our list. Scotland squad for 2022/2023. 15. The same applied to the Lions once Irvine arrived as a late replacement on the 1980 tour of South Africa; and both performed admirably with the late Clem Thomas perhaps best summing Hay up with his simple description of the Boroughmuir man in his official history of the Lions as a hundred-per-cent player if ever there was one.. Paul O'Connell urges Ireland players to relax and switch off before Scotland showdown Raidhr O'Connor Opinion How Scotland and Ireland are bolstering their talent pools by casting . He remains a legend to many Scottish fans for the triumph over England in 1990. One of four Wallabies to make the 23, Gregan featured more times on the international stage than any other Australian in history. But his time at Tigers . He comes in every day, works hard, puts everything out on the field, recovers well and he comes in and does it again. Brian O'Driscoll: We've got to think about winning the World Cup Ireland's most-capped player believes Ireland will beat Scotland in the Six Nations but admits he will `never escape'. What set him apart? Scotland has produced many highly skilled, tough and committed players during its long history in International rugby. Where else to start than the man who called time on his Ireland career at the end of 2019 after a remarkable decade and a half. A member of the Rugby World Cup 1999 winning squad, Gregan boasted great bravado and quick wit on the pitch. To help make this website better, to improve and personalize your experience and for advertising purposes, are you happy to accept cookies and other technologies. "Fordy is a legend," he said "I sit next to him in the Edinburgh changing room and he epitomises a professional. He was also a British & Irish Lion, helping the team to victory in the third Test in South Africa in 2009, and in 2012, led Scotland in the Championship. Racking up 1,083 points, OGara holds the record as Irelands top point scorer and is one of only five men to surpass the 1,000-point barrier. In one match against France in 1925 he scored an impressive 4 tries. By 2017 he had overtaken Chris Paterson as the most capped Scotland rugby player of all time, an accolade he still holds to this day. The only current player on this list, Ken Owens earned his second Grand Slam title in 2019, and has now established himself as a Wales great in the position. (1975-81) Boroughmuir In the build-up to the opening match between Grand Slam champions Wales and Italy, we are counting down some of the best players to have graced the Championship and today its the turn of the hookers. It is important that we continue to promote these adverts as our local businesses need as much support as possible during these challenging times. Ken jij alle winnaars van de Strade Bianche? Winning 124 caps in total for his country, Best was part of four Championship-winning sides in all, and became the bedrock of the team under Joe Schmidt having spent his early years battling with Jerry Flannery for the starting role. Why Are Leprechauns Associated with Saint Patricks Day? This website and associated newspapers adhere to the Independent Press Standards Organisation's Most Capped Male Scottish Rugby Players: Here are the 11 male rugby union players with most Scotland appearances - from Gregor Townsend to Stuart Hogg scotsman.com - David Hepburn 1d The Scottish men's rugby union team dates back to 1871 when they played their first game - a 1-0 victory over England at Raeburn Place. Honours: 23 Scotland caps, oneLions tour (three Test appearances). As a subscriber, you are shown 80% less display advertising when reading our articles. Thomas Ramos - 7.5. One of the few England players to be part of both their 2003 Grand Slam and the 2011 Championship title, Steve Thompson was Englands standout hooker for much of the 2000s. he must be this good at club, definitely not test rugby. It gave him an edge and highlighted his attention to detail. Scotland Simon Berghan Weight: 119.55kg Height: 1.91m Berghan is a prop forward who plays his club rugby with Edinburgh. View history. Ford began his career at Border Reivers and played in the World Cup in 2007, 2011 and 2015, as well as going on the 2009 Lions tour. Who holds the record for most appearances for the British & Irish Lions? Facebook. What set him apart? You can make a complaint by using the report this post link . Only 24 when he retired from international rugby he had set a then Scottish record of 19 or 20 international appearances (depending on whether the first meeting with Ireland in 1885 which was abandoned after half an hour is included), captaining his country in four of his last five matches and running in four tries, a formidable strike rate for a forward in any era. In the early part of the century, Gordon Bulloch was the go-to man in the No.2 jersey for Scotland, racking up 75 caps for his country over an eight-year spell. However, it probably also spoke to the Lions managements inability to work out how best to accommodate his unorthodoxy. A frantic game but France had enough in the tank to see it out. Read about our approach to external linking. His record cap figure is a historic statistic in the sport, contributing to three of Wales' Grand Slams. Until very recently the Ayrshireman was the most capped Scottish player never to have gone on a Lions tour. Servat broke onto the scene in 2004, winning the Grand Slam at the first attempt, only for a back injury to keep him out for an extended period and even lead to thoughts of a positional switch to No.8. What set him apart? 42 Gregor Townsend Last updated on 27 June 201927 June 2019.From the section Scottish Rugby. Honours: 20/21 Scotland caps, three Home International Championship wins, one Calcutta Cup win. We will promote things to help pay for everything. No one will forget the slow walk by the Scotland team as they were led out onto the pitch by David Sole to face England at Murrayfield. The fourth most capped player in history, ODriscolls eight games for the Lions is surpassed by just 10 players. England showed improvement in a 20-10 win against Wales with some well-constructed attack leading to three tries. Michael Hooper (Australia/Waratahs) - 572,000 (AU$1.1m) Data returned from the Piano 'meterActive/meterExpired' callback event. Piutau made his debut for Auckland in 2010, his first year out of high school, and was named Auckland Under 20 player of the year. The 5 Greatest Scottish Rugby Union Players of All-Time The first-ever international rugby match took place in Edinburgh in 1871 between Scotland and England. The 23-year-old is on loan at Vitoria . Alun Wyn Jones says he will be treating Wales' Six Nations match against Scotland just as normal, even though he will become world rugby's most capped player when he wins his 149th cap Indeed, local legend around Cupar maintains that he could have gone on longer but the Scottish selectors of the time did not want someone from their little club to surpass the national cap record held by a man from much more prestigious Hawick, his long time front-row colleague Hugh McLeod. The 23-year-old Bath centre had only ever started one Six Nations match in his previous six caps, but on being called up for England's second outing he was deservedly named the Player of the Match. A Test Lion in 2013, Hibbard remained part of the Wales team through to 2015, making his final appearance with a try in a World Cup warm-up clash. Clearly identifiedas an exceptional talent from an early age, Morrison was first capped as an18-year-old and, at the age of just 21,was captaining his country. Winning most of his caps out of London Scottish he could also take particular satisfaction from being a member of one of only four Scottish teams ever to win at Twickenham, just along the road from his clubs home ground in Richmond. 0. Between 1986 and 1992 he was awarded 44 caps for Scotland and 3 on the victorious 1989 tour of Australia with the Lions. Peter Stringer (Ireland, 98 caps) In June the scrum-half hung up the well-travelled boots at the age of 40. Sadly, 27-year-old Polledri's injury hell continues with the Gloucester Rugby forward set to have surgery on his shoulder after feeling discomfort while playing for the Azzurri in their 14-31 . Ghiraldini played his parts in some of the great Championship moments for Italy, including coming off the bench in the maiden win over France in 2011, and starting the first Championship win over Ireland two years later. 50 John Bannerman Here are the 11 male players who have made the most appearances for Scotland in that time. William Servat is the current France forwards coach, having fulfilled a similar role for club Toulouse since retirement. If you are dissatisfied with the response provided you can Nevertheless Molony has his eyes on the biggest prize of all - a place in Farrell's France 2023 squad - and his ambition is to do it without injuries clearing the path for him. Player is still active at club level but has either retired from international rugby or has not been selected for their national team over a year. Perhaps that moment which allowed Gavin Hastings to end 26 years of Scottish waiting for a win in Paris happened too early in his career in raising expectations as it did. The flying Scotsman died in 1972 and in 2013 he was inducted into the Scottish Rugby Hall of Fame. To be a step above all these other incredible players you need a certain drive, a tenacity to achieve what is truly great. Honours: 82 Scotland caps, one Five Nations Championship win, one Calcutta Cup win, one Lions tour (two Test appearances,one series win). Final Test: Scotland 10-6 Ireland, 2011 Rugby World Cup warm-up (Murrayfield, Edinburgh) Accolades: Grand Slam (2009), Six Nations Championship (2009), Triple Crown (2004, 2006, 2007, . At his best, Servat was among the very best in the world at his position, although his path at international level did not run smooth. Italys greatest ever player was a stalwart for his national side, playing for 17 long years before hanging up his jersey in 2019. Looking back, the 35-3 drubbing Exeter suffered against Saracens on New Year's Eve could have sent their season down two paths. Now the head coach of La Rochelle, Ronan OGara was one of the most intelligent rugby players on the planet. The Lions lost the first test but went on to win the remaining two to clinch the series. Check out our five takeaways from the Six Nations clash between France and Scotland that took place at the Stade de France on Sunday. Former British & Irish Lion Ford, 35, will put his experience to use in the Scottish Rugby academy. . He also holds the record for the most points in the Heineken Cup. Between 1986 and 1992 he was awarded 44 caps for Scotland and 3 on the victorious 1989 tour of Australia with the Lions. This is a list of the appearance leaders in men's rugby union test matches, listing the 79 players with over one hundred test caps. Georgia may be known for their hulking forwards, but its centre Kacharava who holds their record cap tally. Both teams were just one win away from securing a Grand slam Five Nations championship.