Wally Lewis played with a level of vision and awareness that I've rarely seen, probably 2 or 3 other players in 40+ years of being involved in one way or another. His passing game was the best I've ever witnessed and I'm not just talking about his famed long passing ability which was peerless and sublime but his short passes, disguise and offloads were equally refined, he rarely took the wrong option or threw a poor pass.
Another remarkable quality was his pace over 20 - 30 metres, due to his obvious ability he was often closed down which rarely worked on him as he could step and accelerate into the holes left behind an advancing defender, once into the clear he found the support by varying his pace and angle, buying time until he could pick his pass.
I've seen front row forwards try to take him out and come off second best in collisions, even when Lewis got hit, cut and bloodied he maintained his involvement at the highest level and just got on with it, he was as tough as they make them.
Defensively he was right up there with anyone you wish to name and he often covered from touchline to touchline in order to prevent breaks.
His kicking game was a masterclass for anyone who wants to learn the art of controlling a game through territorial dominance and he also had a superb short kicking game, either a chip or a grabber over and through the defensive line.
He carried players over the try line in their threes and fours even at SoO and Test level, such was his balance, footwork, power but more importantly his will!
He was proud of his reputation, took the field ready to play and never shirked the responsibility his name and status placed upon his shoulders.
For me the best I've ever witnessed and certainly several classes above Andrew Johns
