NZ Rugby Almanack selections pit the best against the best
Roar Guru By sheek, 17 Apr 2009 The Crowd is a Roar Guru
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The NZ Rugby Almanack recently selected its best All Blacks 22 and best Opposition 22 from the period 1984-2008.
The teams are as follows:
All Blacks:
15-C.Cullen, 14-J.Kirwan, 13-F.Bunce, 12-W.Taylor, 11-J.Wilson, 10-D.Carter, 9-J.Marshall, 8-W.Shelford, 7-R.McCaw, 6-M.Jones, 5-I.Jones, 4-G.Whetton, 3-O.Brown, 2-S.Fitzpatrick, 1-C.Hayman. Bench: 22-D.Howlett, 21-A.Merhtens, 20-G.Bachop, 19-Z.Brooke, 18-A.Williams, 17-S.McDowell, 16-A.Dalton.Opposition:
15-M.Burke(AUS), 14-P.Saint-Andre(FRA), 13-P.Sella(FRA), 12-T.Horan(AUS), 11-D.Campese(AUS), 10-J.Davies(WAL), 9-N.Farr-Jones(AUS), 8-T.Kefu(AUS), 7-L.Cabannes(FRA), 6-S.Poidevin(AUS), 5-J.Eales(AUS), 4-M.Andrews(SAF), 3-J.Leonard(ENG), 2-P.Kearns(AUS), 1-T.Rodriguez(AUS). Bench: 22-A.Slack(AUS), 21-S.Larkham(AUS), 20-G.Gregan(AUS), 19-?????, 18-M.Johnson(ENG), 17-O.du Randt(SAF), 16-J.Smit(SAF).
I actually like both selections, with my disagreements being rather minor.
There’s no Jonah Lomu, but how could you argue with Kirwan and Wilson, both of whom had a greater work rate?
Some might prefer Walter Little to Taylor, but I’m happy with the latter.
In the forwards, there’s nothing wrong at all with Buck, but Zinzan Brooke would have to be the most outrageously skilled and gifted eightman to play the game.
But he could also blow hot and cold.
With the Opposition team, the omission of both Danie Gerber and Hugo Porta in the backs is a surprise. But Kiwis didn’t see much of either during the period in question.
I don’t have any problems with Mark Ella missing out to Davies, simply because Ella’s last year coincided with the first year of this period.
So he was only seen in 1984, and one year perhaps is insufficient to warrant selection.
I’m also happy with the forwards, although I’m inclined to think Leonard is a tad overrated. Johnson was perhaps unlucky to miss the starting XV, while Keith Wood was also worthy of selection.
But by and all, I think the NZ Rugby Almanack has done a good job (although the Saffies might disagree).
What do other Roarers think?
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April 17th 2009 @ 10:47am
Hoy said | April 17th 2009 @ 10:47am | Report comment
How does Juan Smith (I assume that is him on the bench) get a run over others? He is very recent, and I don’t think has made that great a mark yet. If they were feeling guilty of not having enough Saffas, they could have picked a heap of good hard flankers better than him I think. Burger is arguably better, Teichman could play flanker, Venter, Kruger… They are all of the same mould really.
April 17th 2009 @ 11:00am
Knives Out said | April 17th 2009 @ 11:00am | Report comment
Hoy, it’s John Smit. The hooker/ part-time prop.
April 17th 2009 @ 11:07am
Hoy said | April 17th 2009 @ 11:07am | Report comment
I see. (Cough cough). Ha.
April 17th 2009 @ 11:48am
Jerry said | April 17th 2009 @ 11:48am | Report comment
Sheek – while Wilson was more skilled and had a better all round and defensive game than Kirwan, I just couldn’t go past how much Kirwan dominated the 87 World Cup and subsequent years. I don’t think I could leave out a guy who was player of the tournament in the only WC that NZ has won.
April 17th 2009 @ 11:54am
ohtani's jacket said | April 17th 2009 @ 11:54am | Report comment
It was Mike Cron who fixed the NZ scrum.
I thought the Almanack did a weak job. You’ve gotta make the hard choices — i.e. Kirwan vs. Wilson, tighthead etc. and the World XV reads like “players who were on teams that beat New Zealand between 1984 and 2008.”
April 17th 2009 @ 12:15pm
sheek said | April 17th 2009 @ 12:15pm | Report comment
OJ,
I don’t recall Jon Davies playing on a winning team against the ABs. And why shouldn’t the opposition team include players who enjoyed success against the ABs? Afterall, more often than not, the ABs are the benchmark.
Play in a winning team against them, even once, & you’re entitled to some bragging rights.
However, agree on reflection, the Almanack dodged some tough selection issues, especially with the ABs.
Jerry,
Hear what you say. Toss a coin, & I would be happy with either Kirwan or Wilson.
April 17th 2009 @ 12:15pm
True Tah said | April 17th 2009 @ 12:15pm | Report comment
Jerry
the issue with the 87 WC was that, without South Africa participating, NZ were without any decent opposition.
I would have had Jonah in the side, not only was he player of the tournment in 1995, but strewth he would have been bloody close in 1999 as well, certainly in the team of the tournament. Whilst the semi final will be remembered for France winning, for mine, its memorable because of Jonah’s first try, when he literally scattered the French defence like a bowling ball, he would have had to beat at least 4 blokes to score that try.
Seems strange there are so few South Africans in the opposition side, but by and large those blokes picked seemed to lift against the All Blacks – who can forget Saint-Andre setting up the “try from the end of the world” back in 1994!!
April 17th 2009 @ 12:22pm
True Tah said | April 17th 2009 @ 12:22pm | Report comment
I also like seeing the Hitman in the centres for the ABs, growing up he was the sort of player you wanted to see, Whilst he was relatively old, he would have to have been my pick of all time in the centres, and didnt mind showing young tyros a thing or too, like when he punched out Kefu in Super Rugby.
In Martin Johnson’s biography, he recalls playing against Auckland B with Frank Bunce in the side, and he couldn’t believe that a player of his calibre was in the B side!
April 17th 2009 @ 12:44pm
Brett McKay said | April 17th 2009 @ 12:44pm | Report comment
Sheek, disagreements over selections aside, what I think is that there isn’t a stadium in the world big enough to hold the crowd that would want to watch those teams play…
My recollection of Jonathan Davies is basically limited to his stint for Canterbury (of the League variety) in the early 90s, but can you imagine him putting Tim Horan through a gap?!? Likewise Taylor and Bunce running off Carter. McCaw and Jones coming in for the clean-out….
April 17th 2009 @ 12:59pm
sheek said | April 17th 2009 @ 12:59pm | Report comment
TT,
Frank Bunce was a truly awesome player. Both Tim Horan & Jason Little were more naturally gifted players than Bunce. However, Bunce who was older & wiser in the ways of the world, absolutely terrified Horan & Little with his physicality, in the period 1991-95.
it was also a good educational lesson for the younger guns, who realised pretty quickly that talent alone wasn’t enough, to get by. They toughened up mentally, which made them both become even better players.