A South African and a Namibian have been named as two of the top- five toughest rugby players of all time.

Respected rugby scribe Brendan Gallagher has compiled a list of players he deems the most resilient players to have played Test rugby.

Interestingly, no All Blacks, Wallabies or Irishmen have made the top five, which is made up of players from Namibia, South Africa, England, Wales and France.

Coming in at No 5 is Frenchman Michel Palmie, a lock who played 23 Tests for Les Bleus. In fourth place is Bobby Winsor, a former Welsh hooker with 33 Test caps to his name.

The top three are players from a much-more recent era. In third, is England’s World Cup-winning captain Martin Johnson.

Taking second place is late Springbok Ruben Kruger. Known as the ‘Silent Assassin’, he was part of the 1995 World Cup-winning squad and passed away in January 2010 after a 10-year battle with brain cancer.

And topping the list is former Namibia captain Jacques Burger, who made a name for himself at English club Saracens.

Top-five toughest players:

1. Jacques Burger (Namibia)
2. Ruben Kruger (South Africa)
3. Martin Johnson (England)
4. Bobby Winsor (Wales)
5. Michel Palmie (France)

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