Never mind Tory MPs making a call on Boris Johnson — that should have been blindingly straightforward compared with the job James Hook faced of picking a dream XV of players he played against.
Tough choices? Just a bit.
Joe Rokocoko or Tommy Bowe, for instance. George Gregan or Justin Marshall? Dan Carter or Jonny Wilkinson? And so it goes on.
Away in Marbella last week, and ahead of his star-studded testimonial match at The Gnoll on Friday, the 81-times capped former Wales, Ospreys, Gloucester and Perpignan playmaker sweated over who to include and who to leave out.
His final call saw just one Wales player make the cut.
Here, in his own words, is his team and the reasons for his selections.
15. Mils Muliaina
An All Blacks centurion to start, he seemed to have so much time and ran with pace and skill. It helped that he was so often surrounded by great players, but he was still an all-round class act.
Percy Montgomery also impressed me when I faced him in my early days.
14. Bryan Habana
The quickest wing I came up against, a real blink-and-you’ll-miss-him type of player.
I remember Shane Williams facing him in South Africa in 2008. It was a battle within a battle and Shane edged it, which showed how good he was, but on other days Habana caused Wales no end of problems.
13. Brian O’Driscoll
Hot competition here, notwithstanding the presence of one Brian Gerald O’Driscoll in the field.
Conrad Smith was a master outside centre, intelligent and a great decision maker. Ma’a Nonu was another top-of-the-range Kiwi midfielder, while France Yannick Jauzion was little short of immense.
But O’Driscoll was a cut above. Early in his career he was famed for his breaks and attacking skills but he never stopped working at his game and at one point he and Gordon D’Arcy became as good over the ball as the best openside flankers.
12. Sonny Bill Williams
I faced him at 12 early in his All Blacks career and he blew me away with his power and skill. He could break tackles but he could undo defences with devastating offloads. Matt Giteau and Manu Tuilagi were among other options, albeit for different reasons, but Williams edges it.
11. Joe Rokocoko
I came up against this guy a few times in France when he was playing for Bayonne and I was with Perpignan. He still had it: top-end gas and top-drawer skills.
Years earlier I was in Cardiff as a supporter when he beat the Wales defence all ends up en route to scoring for New Zealand. It was skill so bewildering some of the Welsh boys must be still wondering where he went.
A nod, too, to my old Ospreys team-mate Tommy Bowe. I came up against him playing for Wales against Ireland and he was quick and an intelligent defender who snaffled tries out of nothing. Also, you wouldn’t meet a nicer bloke.
10. Dan Carter
Believe it or not, this wasn’t an easy choice.
Jonny Wilkinson was much more than a world-class points gatherer. He was also a resolute defender who hit with real power. He was also a game-controller.
Ronan O’Gara was another fly-half I liked, very clever and a ferocious competitor.
But all roads lead back to Carter. He made the game look easy and I admired the way he battled back after injury ruined his World Cup in 2011. He was a majestic player.
9. George Gregan
An all-round general who controlled play with true authority and made the right calls. He could kick, run and defend but it was his game-control that set him apart.
I also faced Matt Giteau when he was operating at No. 9 and there was no more confident player than Justin Marshall. Self-belief wasn’t a problem for a lot of Ospreys players when he played for us, but Marshall had as much of that particular commodity as anyone.
1. Gethin Jenkins
I played against him for the Ospreys against Cardiff and also for Perpignan when he was with Toulon. There were other legendary loose-heads around, such as Tony Woodcock and Tendai ‘The Beast’ Mtawarira, but my old Wales mate just had an exceptional all-round game.
He could hit you into next week with his tackling and was also world-class over the ball. He could also scrummage and was a leader on the field.
2. Schalk Brits
I just couldn’t get over his X-factor. He spent a lot of the time in backfield, where hookers rarely stray, and had a fantastic array of skills. He was on top of the basics but he could also handle, run and pass like a back.
3. Nicolas Mas
A team-mate of mine at Perpignan and an opponent when I played for Wales against France. When he left Perpignan for Montpellier, there was uproar among Blood and Gold supporters, and understandably so, for Mas was rock solid and a leader.
4. Bakkies Botha
I wouldn’t want my dream team to get bullied up front, so I had to find a place for this man, an enforcer apart. He could play and had skills but his game centred on huge physicality and he relished the battles.
Also, a nice bloke off the field, which didn’t quite square with his fearsome nature on it.
5. Paul O’Connell
Such an impressive guy, hugely respected by all who played with and against him.
Brilliant technically and someone who always gave his all.
When he spoke before games during the Lions tour in 2009, we all hung on his every word.
6. George Smith
He asked me to put in a word for him after he was cited for catching me with his knee when he was playing for Wasps and I was playing for Gloucester. I had a look at the incident and there was nothing in it, so I did some batting for him and he was let off, allowing him to play in a big game for Wasps the following weekend.
He rang me afterwards and asked what he could do as a way of expressing gratitude. I told him just to buy me a vodka and Red Bull when he saw me next. To be fair, he sent a big bottle of limited edition Grey Goose vodka to Kingsholm the following week to thank me. He didn’t need to do that.
But he was also outstanding over the ball and a strong carrier. There weren’t many better back-rowers than the Australian.
7. Richie McCaw.
David Pocock, Sam Warburton and David Wallace were all sevens I rated hugely, but it’s impossible to leave out McCaw.
New Zealand just didn’t seem to lose when he played.
He was a leader who was tough, skilful and as good as anyone over the ball. Despite the competition, he has to feature.
8. Sergio Parisse
A man who could do it all — the hard yards, the graft, the set-piece basics and the flashy stuff.
Taulupe Faletau is right up there with him. When the Ospreys played the Dragons when he was at Rodney Parade he was inspirational for them, and Pierre Spies was another top No. 8.
But Parisse seemed to shine every time I came up against him.
One of the all-time greats, without a doubt.
Tickets are available online only for James Hook's testimonial game at The Gnoll on Friday June 10 and can be purchased at jameshooktestimonal.com and neathrfc.com
