John Eales
David Campese
Stat by stat
Bars are scaled to the leader in this list.
The verdict
Dead even across the measured categories. Our all-time ranking places John Eales at #7 and David Campese at #12.
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The case for John Eales
One of only a handful of players to win the World Cup twice, and a lock so complete his team-mates nicknamed him 'Nobody', because nobody's perfect. Eales won the 1991 tournament as a 21-year-old and captained Australia to a second title in 1999, a rare feat of sustained excellence at the pinnacle. He was a supreme lineout forward and athlete, but his signature was almost unheard-of for a second-rower: he was a reliable goal-kicker, amassing 173 Test points and famously slotting a last-minute touchline penalty to beat New Zealand in 2000. He captained the Wallabies 55 times through their most successful era, leading with a calm authority that made him one of the sport's most respected figures. Two World Cups, the leadership of a golden Australian side, and a versatility no other great lock has matched place him firmly among the game's elite forwards.
The case for David Campese
The great entertainer of the amateur-into-professional transition, and for thirteen years the holder of the world Test try record. Campese scored 64 tries in 101 Tests, a mark that stood as the international record until 2006, and he did it with an audacity — the swerving 'goose step', the outrageous behind-the-back pass — that made him one of rugby's most watchable and infuriating players. He was the star of Australia's 1991 World Cup triumph, named player of the tournament, and his flick pass to set up a try against New Zealand in that semi-final is part of the sport's folklore. A wing or fullback who prized adventure over caution, he sometimes gambled and lost, but his willingness to attempt the impossible defined an attacking philosophy and inspired a generation. Few players have combined statistical achievement with pure showmanship as completely as Campese.