Mike Gibson, centre 1964-79
Ireland: 69 caps, 112 points
Lions: 12 caps
Gibson has to be rated as one of the finest centres ever to play the game, not least for his longevity.
The Dublin solicitor went on an incredible five Lions tours, including the legendary 1971 and 1974 series wins in New Zeland and South Africa, and won a then-record 81 international caps in a career that spanned 15 years and ended at the age of 36 in a Test win against Australia in Sydney.
Gibson's timing was reckoned to be the key to his attacking prowess and he boasted an uncany awareness of opportunities around him.
Fitness, stamina and tackling were also major elements to his game, and he was also a fine kicker in open play.
Gibson was unfortunate that he did not play in one of the better eras for Irish rugby - the championship title in 1974 was his one success, and he never won a Triple Crown.
But the fact that he stood out as one of the greats of his era in a mediocre side is testament to his shining talents.
Keith Wood, hooker 1994-2003
Ireland: 58 caps, 75 points
Lions: 5 caps
Wood's strength was in the loose, where his rampaging runs terrorised defences and he was also a powerful tackler and canny disruptor of opposition attacks.
But for all his fire in open play, he was also a cool-headed and accomplished finisher - his 15 international tries remains a record for a hooker.
The set-piece was perhaps his weakness, but that did not prevent him being a lynchpin for Ireland and the Lions in the opening years of the professional era.
The County Clare forward played a starring role for the Lions in their 1997 series win in South Africa, playing in all three Tests and was named the inaugural IRB Player of the Year in 2001.
A fine player and an inspirational leader on the pitch.
Willie-John McBride, lock 1962-75
Ireland: 63 caps, 4 points
Lions: 17 caps
The legendary lock from County Antrim is renowned mostly for his feats in a Lions shirt but he also enjoyed some notable success for Ireland.
He never won a Triple Crown but did captain his nation 11 times and played in historic Test wins in South Africa and Australia. He scored his only try for Ireland in his final match at Lansdowne Road against France.
A fine player but a magnificent leader, McBride never willingly took a backward step and was an inspiration to all who played alongside him.
He toured with the Lions five times, winning a record 17 Test caps.
He was pack leader as the Lions claimed their first and only series win in New Zealand in 1971, but McBride's finest hour was undoubtedly the legendary 1974 Lions tour to South Africa. He skippered the 'Invincibles' to a 3-0 series victory.
Ollie Campbell, fly-half, 1976-84
Ireland: 22 caps, 217 points
Lions: 7 caps, 26 points
Campbell would have won more than his 22 caps had he not spent his career duelling for the Irish No.10 jersey with the equally talented Tony Ward.
Renowned for his goal kicking, the Dubliner scored all of Ireland's 21 points as they clinched their first Triple Crown since 1948 with victory over Scotland in 1982.
A fine distributor and elusive runner, Campbell at times suffered playing in what was it has to be admitted a fairly pedestrian Irish back line during his era.
Campbell also won seven Test caps for the British and Irish Lions on the 1980 tour of South Africa and the 1983 tour to New Zealand.
Jack Kyle, fly-half 1947-58
Ireland: 46 caps, 24 points
Lions: 6 caps, 6 points
The doctor from Belfast is rightly regarded as one of the finest players ever to pull on the green jersey.
He was the inspiration behind Ireland's Grand Slam triumph of 1948, playing in all four victories, and also played in the side which won the Triple Crown the following year and the championship in 1951.
He starred for the Lions in their marathon tour of New Zealand and Australia in 1950.
He played in 20 of the 29 games, including all six Test matches, scoring a try in the 24-3 win over the Wallabies.
In 2002 Kyle was named the greatest ever Irish player by the Irish Rugby Football Union.Scotland
Gavin Hastings, full-back 1986-95
Scotland: 61 caps, 667 points
Lions: 6 caps, 66 points
A fine attacking full-back and peerless goal-kicker - particularly from long range - Hastings skippered his country 20 times.
He was Scotland's record points-scorer until he was overtaken by Chris Paterson in 2008.
Hastings played a key role in Scotland's Grand Slam triumph of 1990 and almost guided Scotland to the World Cup final in 1991 - his missed penalty in the closing minutes of the semi-final against England was the low point of his career.
But he bounced back to help Scotland beat France in Paris in 1995 for the first time since 1969, scoring a try under the French posts.
The best No.15 of his generation, he played all three Tests in the Lions tour of Australia in 1989 and captained the touring party to New Zealand in 1993.
Andy Irvine, full-back 1972-82
Scotland: 51 caps, 273 points
Lions: 9 caps, 28 points
One of the great attacking full-backs of all time, Irvine is consistently voted Scotland's finest ever player in polls of supporters.
His trademark was a superbly-timed entrance into the attacking line which frequently played havoc with opposition's defensive plans.
Irvine also possessed a fine side-step and his footwork in heavy traffic was almost as feared as his pace.
His own defence was sometimes criticised - particularly in his early years - but the Edinburgh man was clearly the best full-back in the northern hemisphere for nearly a decade and went on three Lions tours.
He captained Scotland 15 times.
Finlay Calder, flanker 1986-91
Scotland: 34 caps, 8 points
Lions: 3 caps
Twenty years ago Scotland had one of the most feared back rows in the game and the man from East Lothian played a key part in that trio alongside John Jeffrey and Derek White.
Aggressive and abrasive, Calder was a menace in the loose and an inspirational figure to those around him.
He may have lacked the pace to the breakdwon to be a true great of the more quickfire modern era, but in his own time there were few finer clear-out men than Calder.
A truly canny operator, Calder survived and flourished in the forward trenches on nous and determination.
He played a key part in Scotland's Grand Slam triumph of 1990 and skippered the Lions on their historic series victory in Australia in 1989.
John Jeffrey, flanker 1984-91
Scotland: 40 caps, 44 points
Lions: 1989 tour, 0 caps
With his mane of white hair there was no more recognisable figure on an international rugby pitch than the 'Great White Shark' from the border country.
His trademark was to be the first to the breakdown and there was no more industrious battler for possession.
Jeffrey semed to reserve a particular ferocity for the English and played a key part in Scotland's 1990 Grand Slam triumph.
The farmer was also a useful try-scorer - further evidence of his all-round mobility - touching down 11 times for his country, a record for a back rower at the time.
He toured once with the Lions in Australia in 1989 but failed to gain a place in the Test side alongside his Scotland back-row colleagues Finlay Calder and Derek White.
David Sole, prop 1986-92
Scotland: 44 caps, 12 points
Lions: 3 caps
Scotland's Grand Slam winning captain of 1990 deserves his place in the pantheon of all-time greats for that alone.
He proved inspirational as Scotland shocked the heavily fancied English 13-7 at Murrayfield in the Grand Slam decider, a game rated by many Scots as their national team's finest hour.
But amidst all the passion associated with that day, it is often forgotten that Sole was a technicaly superb loosehead.
He played in all three Tests on the Lions tour of Australia in 1989 and played a starring role in the series victory over a Wallabies side who themselves were on the cusp of greatness.
Born in Aylesbury, Sole captained Scotland a then-record 25 times.
