The best English team of the professional era — of any era — were a bunch of amateurs. They were, of course, the group of players that produced pace and panache that Europe had never seen before (some would argue since) and went on to become the only northern hemisphere side to lift the World Cup.

Men whose roots were deep in the dying days of amateurism when the best players performed for the love of it and were expected to think for themselves and make meaningful decisions on the field; on the hoof. Giants of the game such as Martin Johnson and Lawrence Dallaglio were supplemented with the smart rugby brains of Neil Back, Matt Dawson and Will Greenwood among others.

A few days