Why they rank here
The embodiment of French flair and the greatest attacking fullback of the amateur era. Blanco played the game with an improviser's instinct, counter-attacking from deep in his own half in a way that thrilled crowds and terrified defences, and he finished with 38 tries in 93 Tests — a French record when he retired that was remarkable for a fullback. His most famous moment came in the 1987 World Cup semi-final, when he finished a sweeping, last-minute counter-attack to beat Australia and send France to the inaugural final. He won Grand Slams in 1981 and 1987 as the creative fulcrum of a gifted French generation, playing with a cigarette-and-flair mystique that made him an icon beyond the sport. Where others measured the game in structure, Blanco measured it in instinct and adventure, and no fullback of his time matched his ability to turn defence into breathtaking attack.
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