The ultimate back-three combination has no room for Christian Cullen or Jason Robinson, as voted for by SARugbymag.co.za‘s readers.
Kolbe in greatest back three of pro era?
Instead, voters clicked to move Cheslin Kolbe to fullback and reinforce the combination with Bryan Habana and Jonah Lomu on the wings in what they deem the greatest combination in the pro era.
Cullen almost made the cut as a shade over 1% of the votes separated the Habana-Lomu-Kolbe combination (29.42%) from runners-up Cullen-Lomu-Kolbe (28.41%).
Legendary All Blacks wing Jonah Lomu, perhaps unsurprisingly, featured in both the top-two selection combinations. His fabled power was seemingly impossible to be ignored by our readers.
Habana’s out-and-out pace and deadly finishing ability, which brought him 67 tries in 124 appearances for the Boks, won out over Cullen’s magic from fullback.
The ‘Paekakariki Express’, who played 60 times for the All Blacks, may feel aggrieved to have missed out with many considering him the greatest fullback to have ever played the game.
There was also little love shown for England’s Jason Robinson. ‘Billy Whizz’, as he was nicknamed, was a try-scoring machine and exemplified, in many ways, the same qualities that make Kolbe so effective.
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