By Country / New Zealand

Nicknamed ‘Nobody.’ As in ‘Nobody’s Perfect,’ Eales is part of a unique bunch of rugby titans. One of only five blokes to win two world cups, it was a fitting moment for all rugby men when Eales, arguably one of the greats of the modern game, lifted the Williams Webb Ellis trophy in 1999. Seen as the archetypal lock, combining the skills of a back with the brutal strength of a forward, the gentle giant skippered Australia on 52 occasions, scoring a record 173 points. But who are his favourite five second-rows?

Richie McCaw is a rugby's foremost vigilante - killing the ball, kidnapping it, be it through extortion, coercion, or torture - using acceptable forms of breakdown battling, 'tackles' McCaw will do anything - put his body on the line and go the extra mile - for the All-Black jersey.

Driven by the death of New Zealand rugby, McCaw often wages a one-man war on the opposition, leading by example and is a master of stealth tactics at the breakdown.

Used conventional weapons but motivated by fanatical hatred for criminals and those Australian criminals, he is as close to human physical perfection as it comes without no superhuman abilities.

Stick that down your southern hemisphere trumpets. Despite dominating the IRB rankings, forcing the IRBs hand to radically change the game, the southern hemisphere has only one nomination in the IRB Player of the Year awards.

Dan Carter's a pretty strong candidate mind you, and stands out as the early favourite, although Welsh wing-wizard, Shane Williams could trump him on the outside after a record-breaking 2008.

Three captains, Ryan Jones (Wales), Mike Blair (Scotland) and the outstanding Italian Sergio Parisse make up the list, ahead of the awards ceremony in London on November 23.

Few could argue it wasn't worth the two-week wait but New Zealand's pulsating Tri-Nations clincher over the hard-nosed Wallabies championed enough proof that these experimental laws need no longer obstruct our warm attention from sport's blessed ball game.

Hanging to the edge of the cliff by their fingernails, the All-Blacks managed to hold on as if there dear rugby lives depended on it - remarkably churning out a 21-point spending spree that would've even had Victoria Beckham up on her feet - to retain the silver.

All the big personalities stood up - Richie, Carter, Mils, So'oialo, Williams - especially Graham Henry. As if running through no man's land with nothing but a towel, the All-Black coach has tasted his sweetest triumph with Tri-Nations number four.
 
New Zealanders are used to pretty looking stuff rather than trudging their way through adversity and hard graft but a viscious word at half-time saw the All-Blacks cop a pounding like Amir Khan and sent straight back out to battle.

Ruthless sheer-bloody mindedness and character by the trailor load saw the All-Blacks surge back from a ten-point deficit.

It's scary to think how many players have jumped ship by either following the lure of the cash cow or the pension plan since les world cup miserable.

Piri Weepu, the summer's forgotten man, bounced back to take a tear jerking chunk of the celebratory game pie with his crucial match-winning try.

Richie McCaw proved once again that when it comes to getting the job done at the breakdown there is no one more industrious nor effective.

And when you've got ice-cold calming genius Dan Carter not even shelling a drop of sweat in the most unforgiving circumstances, you're well in control.

But it is hard to glance past Henry and his band of brothers for whom the decision to ditch the nonsensical rotation policy in favour of blooding some breathtaking talents in Richard Kahui and Jerome Kaino, should give him the reigns until the All-Blacks take on the world in their own back yard in 2011.

Good on you Graham...