Your home country's greatest XV

Discussion in 'Rugby Union Discussion' started by Hurricane, Oct 3, 2013.

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  1. Hurricane JD Hurricane

    Edit wrong sub forum Heef can you move this to Rugby union discussion please?

    Quite interested in what some of the Saffer boys and English will come up with. These are players I have either seen or have heard of.

    New Zealand

    1) Wilson Whineray
    2) Fitzpatrick
    3) Loe (enforcer)
    4) Jones
    5) Pinetree
    6) Michael Jones
    7) McCaw
    8) Shelford (capt)
    9) Loveridge (hon mention Going)
    10) Fox (hon mention Carter)
    11) Lomu
    12) Umaga
    13) Stephen Pokere (a Personal favourite)
    14) Kirwan
    15) Nepia (honourable mention Don Clarke)
     
    Last edited: Oct 3, 2013
    Hurricane, Oct 3, 2013
    #1

  2. Droos JP Rhodes

    Professional Era:

    1. Os Du Randt
    2. Bismarck Du Plessis / John Smit
    3. Adrian Garvey
    4. Mark Andrews
    5. Victor Matfield
    6. Schalk Burger
    7. Andre Venter
    8. Rassie Erasmus
    9. Fourie Du Preez
    10. Henry Honiball
    11. Bryan Habana
    12. Jean De Villiers
    13. Japie Mulder
    14. Pieter Hendricks
    15. Percy Montgomery

    All Time:

    1. Os Du Randt
    2. Bismarck Du Plessis / John Smit
    3. Boy Louw
    4. Frik Du Preez
    5. Victor Matfield
    6. Jan Boland Coetzee
    7. Jan Ellis
    8. Morne Du Plessis
    9. Danie Craven
    10. Hansie Brewis / Naas Botha
    11. Bryan Habana
    12. Mannetjies Roux
    13. Danie Gerber
    14. Ray Mordt
    15. Andre Joubert
     
    Last edited: Oct 3, 2013
    Droos, Oct 3, 2013
    #2

  3. Fiery GR Smith

    Cullen has to be at 15 imo Hurricane.
     
    Fiery, Oct 3, 2013
    #3

  4. Jabba HJ Bots

    So does Conrad Smith imo
     
    Jabba, Oct 3, 2013
    #4

  5. Fiery GR Smith

    Zinzan Brooke was also a million times better than Buck Shelford
     
    Last edited: Oct 3, 2013
    Fiery, Oct 3, 2013
    #5

  6. Fiery GR Smith

    Umaga > Smith
     
    Fiery, Oct 3, 2013
    #6

  7. Hurricane JD Hurricane

    He's ranked number 5 overall by the Roar in their top 100 all blacks. The Invincibles basically established the All Blacks brand and deserve to be represented somehow in this XV.

    Lastly in researching Don Clarke - I learned at one point he kicked a 72 metre penalty!
     
    Hurricane, Oct 3, 2013
    #7

  8. Fiery GR Smith

    Must have been hugely wind assisted. He was a bit of a plodder really. Comparing him to Cullen is like comparing a Ferrari with a Volvo.
     
    Fiery, Oct 3, 2013
    #8

  9. Hurricane JD Hurricane

    ZinZan never made Badassoftheweek.com
     
    Hurricane, Oct 3, 2013
    #9

  10. Hurricane JD Hurricane

    Undoubtedly Cullen had the better running skills. But Don even kicked drop goals from over 50 metres. He was the most prodigious kicker of all time. Again you can't have all guys from the modern era. It is guys who dominated the era they were in and Don was the man in the 50s.
     
    Hurricane, Oct 3, 2013
    #10

  11. Jabba HJ Bots

    Umaga can play inside him
     
    Jabba, Oct 3, 2013
    #11

  12. MrPrez CM Dyer

    Won't comment on all time as quite frankly I don't know enough to argue.

    With this one, I'd change the following.
    Bakkies over Mark Andrews. Even if you argue that Mark was better, the experienced Bakkies/Victor partnership gives extra oomph, and they are the perfect foil to each other.

    Juan Smith and Joe van Niekerk can both compete with Venter, imo. Joe would have to be 8 with Rassie moving to 7 though.

    Reckon Steyn has eclypsed Honiball myself.

    Paulse for Hendricks, maybe.
     
    MrPrez, Oct 3, 2013
    #12

  13. Hurricane JD Hurricane

    My comments on Droos' team are limited in that I only know the recent players however from comparing Matfield to every lock I have seen in my life. I would put him in the world ATG team.
     
    Hurricane, Oct 3, 2013
    #13

  14. Fiery GR Smith

    Cullen didn't have to kick goals to score points in test matches. He just scored tries. Nearly 50 of them. Much of Don Clarke's kicking prowess has been embellished over time as well. The 72 metre goal for example gets longer as time passes.
     
    Fiery, Oct 3, 2013
    #14

  15. Fiery GR Smith

    There have been much better AB centres than Smith tbh. Bruce Robertson for example.
     
    Fiery, Oct 3, 2013
    #15

  16. Fiery GR Smith

    lol at Percy Montgomery making a SA team.
     
    Last edited: Oct 3, 2013
    Fiery, Oct 3, 2013
    #16

  17. Hurricane JD Hurricane

    Yeah I had trouble picking an outside centre
    joe stanley
    Pokere
    Smith
    Robertson
    Bunce?

    Robertson is who most of the historians talk about. But he was before my time and his legend never reached my attention.

    Certainly smith is the best tackler of the lot. And may be the best tackler ever in a black jersey. But you need some attacking finesse and he is ordinary in that department. robertson was supposedly awesome.

    Stanley was the best passer and distributer I have seen.

    And Pokere had the best abilities to beat men one on by just coasting pass them with sensational head fakes.

    So each of them had an all star element.

    I don't think someone yet has brought it all to a position that requires you to be a star at attack and defence.
     
    Hurricane, Oct 3, 2013
    #17

  18. Fiery GR Smith

    Johnny Smith who played just after the war was pretty awesome by all accounts.
     
    Fiery, Oct 3, 2013
    #18

  19. Fiery GR Smith

    There are a few other names in your team I disagree with Hurricane. Maurice Brownlie would make my team ahead of Ian Jones. Gary Whetton and Andy Haden also have better claims imo. Steve Pokere should be nowhere near an AT side either. As brilliant as he was on attack he was a very small fragile player who struggled to even make the All Blacks side of his time. Dan Carter is also an infinitely better player than Grant Fox ever was. I think even Fox himself would admit that. Fox made a career out of kicking and passing. I would rate Mehrtens ahead of Fox. Many people like myself will also laugh at Richard Loe being picked ahead of Ken Gray. If you want an enforcer than Kevin Skinner would be a better option too. Not quite as filthy but a true enforcer with boxing skills.
     
    Last edited: Oct 3, 2013
    Fiery, Oct 3, 2013
    #19

  20. Hurricane JD Hurricane

    Who was the better kicker out of fox and dc
     
    Hurricane, Oct 3, 2013
    #20
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