Jonah Lomu
David Campese
Stat by stat
Bars are scaled to the leader in this list.
The verdict
David Campese leads 2 of 2 categories. Our all-time ranking places Jonah Lomu at #4 and David Campese at #12.
Head-to-head FAQ
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The case for Jonah Lomu
The player who made rugby a global commercial phenomenon and redefined what a wing could be. At the 1995 World Cup, an unstoppable 19-stone 20-year-old ran through the world's best defences, scoring four tries in the semi-final demolition of England and terrorising every opponent with a blend of sprinter's pace and prop's power never seen before. Lomu scored 37 tries in 63 Tests and holds the record, shared with Bryan Habana, for most World Cup tries with 15 across the 1995 and 1999 tournaments. He never won the World Cup — New Zealand lost the 1995 final to South Africa — and a rare kidney disorder eventually cut short his career and, tragically, his life at 40. But his impact transcended silverware: he was rugby's first true superstar, the man who proved the professional game could sell out stadiums and captivate audiences far beyond its traditional heartlands.
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.