Irishman Tops The List In Debate Over The Six Greatest Captains Of The Six Nations Era
Latest posts by Will Matthews (see all)
- Brian O’Driscoll slams Irish rugby fans that need to take a “hard look” at themselves - March 2, 2025
- New Zealander lands the head coach role at Munster Rugby - February 26, 2025
- ORIGIN ROUND: Shane Daly is proof that it’s never too late - February 25, 2025
Leader.
Former Wales skipper, Sam Warburton, and England legend, Danny Care, recently sat down on BBC’s Six Nations Greatest podcast to debate a hugely interesting topic – the six greatest captains of the Six Nations era.
When you look back at some of the captains that had led their home nations in rugby’s greatest championship, it’s by no means an easy task. But the pair had a go anyway, with Ireland’s Brian O’Driscoll coming out on top as their number one pick overall.
Warburton, who captained Wales to two Six Nations championships, believes the centre pips Martin Johnson on his longevity alone.
“Brian’s longevity in the role is why he’s number one for me and not Martin Johnson,” he explained.
“He got a Grand Slam, did it for nine years, was player of the tournament three times, which I know is an individual accolade – but that would have been inspirational, and he also won four Triple Crowns.”
The other names that made the illustrious list were England’s Dylan Hartley, Warburton himself (Care insisted, even though he wasn’t comfortable in being named himself), France’s Fabien Pelous, Wales legend Alun Wyn Jones, and of course, Martin Johnson.
Sam Warburton and Danny Care’s six greatest Six Nations captains.
1. Brian O’Driscoll (Ireland)
2. Martin Johnson (England)
3. Alun Wyn Jones (Wales)
4. Fabien Pelous (France)
5. Sam Warburton (Wales)
6. Dylan Hartley (England)
