Your Rugby World Cup Squad, YOU DECIDE!!

[Lonk41]

Hey all,

 

 

 

Well.. First off this is a topic about the rugby world cup only!!

 

Yes, Unbeaten_1 has created a topic like this, but this is different =P

 

 

 

The point on this topic is to choose 21 players outta any team in the world cup, and create 1 big Team (21 only!!)

 

 

 

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Who would you choose? Daniel Carter or Stephen Jones as out-side half, Douh howlett, or Shane Williams?

 

 

 

you Decide.

 

 

 

What Im trying to say, is pick your favouriter players from all teams and put them in 1 big team :D you think would be amazing

[arizark]

i would just keep the aussie squad we got now we are going to win heed my words

[raz]

i would just keep the aussie squad we got now we are going to win heed my words

 

 

 

No you won't

[RayOxide]

i would just keep the aussie squad we got now we are going to win heed my words

 

 

 

I'm not much of a rugby fan, nor am I a sports buff, but I don't think Australia will win. I hope we do though. :wink: I think it'll be the Nz All Blacks, or South Africa.

 

 

 

I recently have gotten into rugby, and I think I'd be good at it. I have a large build. (I'm fat :P ) and I think I am more athletic than most people my weight and age. :

[Bubsa]

Why 21? A match day squad is 22.

[Lonk41]

Why 21? A match day squad is 22.

 

 

 

Cause I said 21 Haha.

 

 

 

What Im trying to say, is pick your favouriter players from all teams and put them in 1 big team :D you think would be amazing

[Ginger_Warrior]

Hmm... time for a little bias here.

 

 

 

I'll go with Andy Farrell and Jason Robinson. Not that I've actually seen them play in this world cup, but Andy is a League legend. Fact. :D

 

 

 

As for Robinson? I'll leave others to work out the pattern in my choices. :lol:

[Bubsa]

Heh, well no worries :P I take you mean current players (RWC) as well. Here's mine then:

 

 

 

15: Juan Martin Hernandez (Argentina) - To be honest, this man would be as brilliant if I'd picked him at 10, but playing there takes away two of his most special talents: the drop kick and his counter attacking flair. Chris Latham and Francois Steyn get honorable mentions, but this man is without equal at the moment.

 

 

 

14: Doug Howlett (New Zealand) - A tough one, but only because of the abundance of class wingers at the moment. Dougie is closing in on the NZ record, and his superior defence over the cousins, Rokocoko and Siviva-va-voom, get the nod here. Two people can't escape without mention here, either. Jason Robinson and Christophe Dominici, on their day, were unplayable. Now a little heavier in the old legs, they might not last the finish, but are still mightily capable.

 

 

 

13: Brian O'Driscoll (Ireland) - His only real competition here was from Yannick Jauzion, but BOD offers so much more in contact and the breakout area. Whatever the game, whatever the situation, expect nothing less than 100% and a moment of magic from him.

 

 

 

12: Daniel Carter (New Zealand) - Contentious call, you might be thinking, but given my reasons, Carter is more suited to 12. As seen in the Tri Nations last year and on sporadic occassions before, Carter doesn't operate with complete confidence under poor ball or a sustained amount of pressure. When playing at 12, he gets this time and whenever he does in whatever position, Carter shows is incredible quality, talent and creativity. No slouch when it comes to defense, either. Still, you may see it a questionable call, but consider the logic when you see who is 10.

 

 

 

11. Bryan Habana (South Africa) - No contest. The fastest man in world rugby is not only a born winner, but a ferocious competitor and owns a brilliant rugby brain (Habana was first called up as an outside centre). The only man who could rival Habana for natural talent, and pace, would be Rupeni Caucaunibuca, but given the problems he suffers with his mentality, he'll never achieve greatness, certainly not to Habana's scale.

 

 

 

10. Stephen Larkham (Australia) - The man has done it all and barely got out of second game doing it. Larkham reads the game so well, its as if there's a blanket protecting him from the madness around him. A terrific operator with incredible tactical nous, Larkham can win a game at any time, from any position.

 

 

 

9. Fourie Du Preez (South Africa) - In many ways, Du Preez has all the same qualities as Larkham, which is incredible when you consider he plays in the pressure cooker of scrum half. A tall figure, like the great South African scrum half of old, Joost Van Der Weusthausen, Du Preez has a great turn of pace, brilliant service and an unrivalled tactical mind. His box kicking, at times, changes the game.

 

 

 

 

 

1. Os du Rant (South Africa) - Big Os, who once upon a time retired to tend to his potato farm, gets in for me. He sees to have got better with age and holds off a challenge from Tony Woodcock due to his bullocking runs in the loose.

 

 

2. Raphael Ibanez (France) - Rafa has a superb all round game, a leader on the field, a sound operator at both scrum and lineout and countless energy in the loose, even at 34. Mealamu might be the most devastating hooker in the open field, but his set pieces are very ordinary - which could still cost NZ the RWC. Ledesma of Argentina is also a fabulous player, but doesn't quite have the legs of the French skipper.

 

 

 

3. Carl Hayman (New Zealand) - Nearly a no contest. Hayman has been consistently the best prop over the last 2 years. Period. The only man who could get close to him in the future would be Marco Castrogiovanni of Italy, should he manage to stay fit.

 

 

 

4. Victor Matfield (South Africa) - Chris Jack used to reign supreme not so long ago, but his recent indifferent form and Matfield's emergence as the player with the mould of Martin Johnson secure his place. Quick in the loose, hard in the scrum, Victor is king of the lineout to boot.

 

 

 

5. Jerome Thion (France) - Thion has come from nowhere to become the first fixture in the French second row, taking that claim from record holder Fabien Pelous. Thion acts almost like another back row in the loose, but his incredible in the scrum as well.

 

 

 

6. Shalk Burger (South Africa) - Jerry Collins might have something to say about this, but for me, Burger is the better man. Having come back so impressively from a career-threatening neck injury, Burger has gone on to show why he was voted player of the year in 2005, with his formidable defence and lung bursting support play.

 

 

 

7. Richie McCaw (New Zealand) - Now this really was a no contest. McCaw has taken the credentials and requirements of an openside flanker to a level never matched before. Not only is he the complete player around the park, he also has the heart of a lion.

 

 

 

8. Jason White (Scotland) - Probably the hardest choice of all, given the lack of real stand out number 8s playing in world rugby today. It's a shame Pierre Spies was injured for SA, as he could have used the cup to prove he is that man. I've been impressed as well with Bonnaire of France, particularly as another line-out option. Parisse of Italy has his fan's as well, but for sheer commitment, bone crunching defense, leadership and, essentially, ball carrying skills, White has this in abundance.

 

 

 

 

 

Subs:

 

16. Ledesma

 

17. Castrogiovanni

 

18. Chabal (A terrific player at both lock and 8, but sometimes lacks the discipline and work rate required when his team needs him most)

 

19. Spies

 

20. Gitteau (As an option for back-up scrum-half, as he performed in Australia's recent tour, Gitteau has so much quality it's near impossible to omit him as an option, however, consistency still eludes him and perhaps physicality, but I'm sure, with age, these will come.)

 

21. Wilkinson (For a man to execute a game plan and get you the vital points to win a close game, there can be no other.)

 

22. Steyn.

 

 

 

 

 

Phew. Well, what do you think? :)

[mrmyk]

Some positions I don't know too well (in particular the forwards) so I'll give a rough estimate.

 

 

 

Prop: (The NZ one, can't remember his name :P)

 

Hooker: Rees (Wales)

 

Prop: du Randt (South Africa)

 

Lock: O'Connell (Ireland)

 

Lock: Chabal (France)

 

Flanker: McCaw (NZ)

 

No. 8: Burger (South Africa)

 

Flanker: Elsom (Aussies)

 

 

 

Scrum half: Du Preez (South Africa)

 

Flyhalf: Wilkinson (England)

 

Wing: Habana (South Africa)

 

Inside centre: Carter (NZ)

 

Outside centre: O'Driscoll (Ireland)

 

Wing: Horgan (Ireland)

 

Full back: Robinson (England)

 

 

 

Bias I know towards the home nations probably in some positions :

[Bubsa]

Finished my list, edited my post above ^_^

[Lonk41]

Bubsa - I have never seen such an amazing Post haha.. It looks like a thread. I do agree with the Daniel Carter situation. Amazing team there :D

 

 

 

Unbeaten - I like your aswell :D Nice use of the top teams there :D