ENGLISH RFU
Open-side and blind-side flankers are often considered to be the players with the fewest set responsibilities, but as such must be excellent all-rounders with inexhaustible energy. Speed, strength, fitness, tackling and handling skills are all vital.

Flankers are more often than not at the centre of the action – winning balls at the ruck and maul, collecting short passes from tackled players and making their own big tackles in open play. While they can rarely be blamed for a loss, they can certainly be the key to victory.

The open-side flanker plays on the far side of the scrum from the touchline and is often smaller in size than their blind-side partner, making them more mobile around the pitch. The blind-side flanker tends to have bigger, more physical role around the pitch, and also acts as a target jumper in the lineout.

Key Abilities
Stamina, pace, tackling, mobility

ZINZAN BROOKE
"The number six is the guy who cleans out the rucks and is primarily a defensive player on the blind-side, shutting down the opposition number eight or number nine.

He needs to be someone who likes that confrontation and physically robust approach, and of the three back-row positions he needs to be the absolute bedrock.

The role hasn't changed much over the years, a blind-side flanker still has to make sure that the opposition doesn't get over the advantage line - it's his job to smash them back.

If it has changed at all it's in the ball-carrying, not necessarily the off-load, but you have to be able to carry the ball to defensive lines and through defensive lines.

The All Blacks, for example, play a high-risk level of rugby these days, punching holes and then using short interplay to get in behind the opposition.

For this, the blindside and the rest of the back-row are often used more as three-quarters to punch holes because they're bigger and can draw two defensive players, and if you can do that you've created a hole somewhere else.

My idea of world-class number sixes would be New Zealand's Jerry Collins (pictured) or the old All Blacks legend Michael Jones."