John Eales is widely regarded as Australia’s greatest ever forward. Standing 6’7” (2m) and with the full range of footballing skills he was the complete modern lock and a supreme captain. Having won his first cap as a 21-year-old in the 63-6 demolition of Wales in 1991 he overcame two shoulder injuries to play 86 times for Australia, a record for a Wallaby forward, and to be a major contributor to a glorious decade of achievement. His first season in the national team ended with a Rugby World Cup winner’s medal at Twickenham; eight years later he held the Webb Ellis trophy aloft as captain when Australia became champions for an historic second time. Eales had taken over the captaincy in 1996 and by the time he retired in 2001 he had led his country a record 55 times. As well as the world championship in 1999 he had led them to three consecutive Bledisloe Cup wins over New Zealand, two Tri-Nations titles in 2000 and 2001, and a triumphant series against the British Isles in 2001. He was also a considerable goal-kicker, his 173 points in tests including a nerveless injury time penalty goal from 40 metres to beat New Zealand 24-23 in Wellington in 2000.