Dan Carter and Richie McCaw left out of Sonny Bill Williams' 'Dream XIII'

Sonny Bill Williams. Photo / Getty Images.

Sonny Bill Williams has selected his Dream XIII - the players he played with or against who left a lasting impression on him - but could find no room for Richie McCaw or Dan Carter.

Williams listed the top 13 rugby or league players he had come across in his playing career on Australian website Sporting News.

The list included All Blacks Keven Mealamu, Jerome Kaino, Aaron Cruden, Jonah Lomu, Nehe Milner-Skudder, Malakai Fekitoa, French veteran Thierry Dusautoir, English icon Jonny Wilkinson, Wallabies Kurtley Beale and Quade Cooper and league players Kieran Foran, Johnathan Thurston, Mitchell Pearce and Anthony Mundine.

Williams made his decisions based on the players he respected both on and off the field.

Mealamu was selected "not just for what he's done on the field, but for what he's done off it".

"When you're in that All Blacks environment and you see what he does, he's such an inspiring person," Williams told Sporting News.

Jerome Kaino:

"He'd definitely be one who could play league. I love the way he plays and carries and smashes, there's just no fear in him."

Aaron Cruden:

"He's just a little magician. He's got the highest winning percentage for a No 10 in an All Blacks jersey. He might not get the praise he deserves, but you've just gotta look at that. And he led the Chiefs back-to-back when they probably weren't expected to."

Jonah Lomu:

"The greatest All Black ever. He's someone that stood out because even when I didn't play rugby I knew who he was. You just have to go back and watch some highlights of him to see how crazy what he did was. You don't see players these days running through ten blokes on the way to the tryline."

Malakai Fekitoa:

"He's another young bloke coming up and he's like Milner-Skudder - when I'm finished I'll be sitting there with my kids saying 'I played with that guy'."

Thierry Dusautoir:

"He's not just an amazing player, but you can see the way he rallies his troops and how he performs in those big games. He's someone I really admire."

Jonny Wilkinson:

"I'm lucky enough to say I've played with Jonny Wilkinson and have seen the commitment that he had. When I played with him, he was pretty much at the height of his powers. The way he dedicated himself to his craft was unbelievable and I learnt from him."

Kurtley Beale:

"He was one the best players - if not the best player - for the Australian team in that World Cup. Just his skill-set and you can tell that he's got his stuff together off the field as well."

Kieran Foran:

"Foran plays like another forward and those are the types of players you want to play with, especially being a forward myself."

Quade Cooper:

"He's another guy who can just create something out of nothing and I don't think gets the credit he deserves."
See the full list here.