Few players are lucky enough to win the Rugby World Cup once, but Australia’s most-capped forward John Eales is one of a select trio – Tim Horan and Jason Little the others – to have won the Tournament twice in 1991 and 1999.
Eales only made his international debut two months before Rugby World Cup 1991, in the 63-6 defeat of Wales at Ballymore in his native Brisbane, but went on to play in all of Australia’s matches as they lifted the Webb Ellis Cup with a 12-6 defeat of England.
Eight years later Eales, one of the greatest players of all-time, captained Australia to a historic second victory with a 35-12 defeat of France, despite having missed all of the Super 12 and domestic Test programme that year because of a shoulder injury.
Two Rugby World Cup successes, though, were not the only highlights of Eales’ career, the lock having also captained Australia to two Tri Nations titles, five Bledisloe Cup victories and a first ever series victory over the British and Irish Lions.
Eales brought the curtain down on his illustrious career at the end of the 2001 domestic season, having won 86 caps to lie third on Australia’s all-time list and scored a record 173 Test points for a forward, all but 10 of them coming from his accomplished boot.
Awarded the Order of Australia in 1999, Eales has all the qualities necessary in a captain with his strong leadership and composure, and it is therefore unsurprising that the Wallabies won 41 of his record 55 Tests as captain following his appointment in 1996.
Throughout his career Eales, who was nicknamed ‘Nobody’, because ‘Nobody’s Perfect’, was one of the most respected players in the game and also collected the Best and Fairest award in Brisbane club rugby on three occasions.