Comments on: Selecting the ‘real’ World Rugby XV of the decade

By: Ai Rui Sheng

Ai Rui Sheng — Fri, 27 May 2011 06:59:46 +0000

Dame Clivid prepared the worst Bleatingish and Oilyish Loins team in history. Incidently they were beaten by a team coached by the most successful coaching team in the history of rugby union; Lord Ted’s Troika.

By: Moaman

Moaman — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 18:58:00 +0000

Spiro-I haven’t time right now to scroll through and see if anyone else has addressed your assertion that”Woodward introduced tactics like the pass-kick ” which I dispute! I can recall one such pass kick setting up a try for BG Williams v Scotland(Eden Park,1975)that I am pretty sure Woodward had no part in.I would hate to see him get credit for that if my memory serves me correctly.

By: kovana

kovana — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 05:03:31 +0000

Gavin Henson as the best number 12… EVER.. lol.

By: WANNA BE AN AB

WANNA BE AN AB — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 04:30:10 +0000

Yep yep yep though his persona may come across as Headmasterly, as a Kiwi I do believe Graham Henrys stats speak volumes,, but for some reason I’ve always admired a totally unknown coach from across the ditch by the name of Rod McQueen…………..

By: Ufa

Ufa — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 22:22:24 +0000

O’Kefe

…Just a reminder it’s a worlds team of the decade not the Century….majority of your team played in the ’80s & ’90s

By: JB

JB — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 04:49:30 +0000

This is the funniest thing I’ve read on this website.
By a long way.

By: Jason

Jason — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 05:07:26 +0000

Are you having a lend?

By: Richie

Richie — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 04:47:01 +0000

I dont agree with your prop. Os du Randt would make Ben Robinson look amateur and Matty Bourke and Cullen were in the decade before this unfortunately.
Fourie Du Preez is way superior to Justin Marshall in all aspects of the game and seems to have a magnificent replacement in young hougaard!

I think Zavos has a great team, always room for debate though and I question the loose forwards. Schalk Burger must be included. His work rate is phenomenal.

I love Dan Carter’s rugby but I think Johnny Wilkinson could fill his shoes so either or. I would still go with Dan because it seems effortless with him.

The only position I’d battle to pick would be fullback as I believe they have been average this decade unlike the previous decade when you probably had some of the greatest to choose from namely Christian Cullen, Matty Bourke and the rolls royce Andre Joubert!!

By: Moaman

Moaman — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 23:20:39 +0000

WW! I’d like to shake your hand!( I was at that game in Wellington in 2003 and Jonny handled the fickle Caketin’s swirling wind with aplomb-it was a callow side and an inept display by the ABs) We fans do have very selective memories!!
ps Spiro-you say in your article that Woodward introduced the ‘kick-pass’? I seem to recall clearly …as far back as 1975(NZ v Scotland)BG Williams scoring in the corner from such a kick-pass.was that an anacronism or was Woody coaching NZ that day?

By: Front rower

Front rower — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 18:23:49 +0000

Hi guys My world xv team of all time is this..

1.Andrew Sheridan (Eng)
2.Anton Oliver(Nz)
3.Os du Randt(SA)
4.Brent Bockbain(wales)
5.Victor Matfield(SA)
6.Jerry Collins(Nz)
7.Richie Mccaw(Nz)
8.Pierre Spies(SA)
9. Fourie Du Preez(SA)
10.Jonny Wilkinson(Eng)
11.Bryan Habana(SA)
12.Gavin Henson(Wales)/Tana Umaga(Nz)
13.Brian O driscoll(Ire)
14Jason Robinson(Eng)/Lote Tiquiri(Aus)
15.John Lewsey(Eng)

Reserves:
16.Fabio Ongaro(Italy)
17.CJ van der Linde(SA)
18.Bakkies Botha(SA)
19.Schalk Burger(SA)
20.Piri Weepu(Nz)
21.Dan Carter(Nz)
22.Shane Williams(Wales)

By: JTM

JTM — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 04:48:18 +0000

It’s a team of the decade. Eales would be in my all time team but he only had two great seasons in this decade then retired, as opposed to Matfield performing consistently brilliantly for the past 8 years. I would go Woodcock over Robinson, he’s done the hard yards for years and was more dominant than Os at scrum time.

By: Dean Pantio

Dean Pantio — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 08:58:02 +0000

Nice, only six differences in areas where a case can be made for most of them.

By: Dean Pantio

Dean Pantio — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 08:56:40 +0000

As good as Jauzion is, I’m sure he’s been capped less than Traille and plays better (imo) at centre, not second five-eighth. In fact, one of the better centre pairings for France I’ve watched was Traille wearing 12 and Jauzion 13 at Christchurch in 2003.

By: Sam Taulelei

Sam Taulelei — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 02:23:56 +0000

It looks like we are very similar in our selections of a team of the decade. This is my post from last year

http://www.theroar.com.au/2009/12/17/international-rugby-team-of-the-decade/

By: Colin N

Colin N — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 02:14:33 +0000

Damien Traille? He’s a fine player, but Yannick Jauzion has been the main inside-centre for France over the past decade.

By: Mungehead

Mungehead — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 00:49:34 +0000

I absolutely concur. IMO that IS the team of the decade.

By: T Bone Al

T Bone Al — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 11:28:23 +0000

I agree Lionel. Caucau’s ability to turn a match gets him in the side. Other players will be selected for different reasons but Caucau gets the nod for game breaking ability. Hey if he doesn’t turn up move Robinson or whoever off the bench to start. Mark Ella consistently makes the best ever team lists having played a limited number of tests. When someone is clearly more talented than his peers you pick him. Moreover if you have the best coach in the world then they should be able to manage someone as volatile as Caucau. He was the best player in the super 12 in 2003 (won a title), the best player in French rugby in 05/06 and the most dynamic player at the RWC in 2003. If you have any doubts YouTube “Rupeni Caucau”, sit back and enjoy!

By: Jerry

Jerry — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 08:20:55 +0000

Fair enough, but I say an International Team of the Decade should be based on international performances. Caucau was spectacular at times in S12 and Top14, but he’s an asterisk at test level.

By: T Bone Al

T Bone Al — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 08:18:18 +0000

They didn’t, they played against him at Super rugby level, I can recall one game where he scored two tries against the Brumbies. In that game Gregan, Roff and co missed him clean. The point is he made world class defenders look second rate at both international and provincial level. He played over 100 games of top tier rugby in the decade so he qualifies for the team.

By: His Bobness

His Bobness — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 08:12:37 +0000

I would have a centres combination of Umaga and Mortlock rather than O’Driscoll and Mortlock. Umaga was a terrific defender, a great leader and a talismanic player – particularly in the 2005 Lions tour. Hard to leave him out of a best-of-the-decade team. De Villiers would also be pushing for contention at inside centre.

Mils Muiliana has been the most consistent, classiest fullback of the decade. Latham had his moments, but not enough of them in my opinion. And the wings should be Habana and Howlett – Williams is over-rated.

I agree with the proposition that there were few standout number 8s this past decade. If I had to pick one it would be Toutai Kefu, but I fear he retired too early in the decade to qualify. The second row is easy – Matfield and Johnson, while my front row would be Hayman, Smit and Woodcock.

I never saw enough of Richard Hill to make a judgement, but I thought Jerry Collins was a frightenly good 6 for a little while there, admittedly not long enough probably to put him in a best of the decade team. No arguments over Du Preez at 9 and Carter at 10. Coach should be Henry, surely. He was the most successful coach of the decade. Woodward was a twit.

1. Woodcock
2. Smit
3. Hayman
4. Matfield
5. Johnson
6. Hill
7. McCaw
8. Kefu
9. Du Preez
10. Carter
11. Habana
12. Umaga
13. Mortlock
14. Howlett
15. Muliaiana

Reserves: Thompson, Leonard, Jack, Collins, Marshall, Wilkinson, Latham

By: Jerry

Jerry — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 08:08:00 +0000

Well, it’s all a personal choice, but when discussing these types of teams I tend to look for consistent performance over a few years. I’d tend to go for a guy who performs at a high standard for a number of seasons over a guy who has one good one and 2 or 3 ordinary ones.

Caucau, due to his reticence to commit to Fiji, poor on field discipline and refusal to turn up to training, has only played a grand total of 7 test matches in his entire career. And that’s simply not enough for a team of the decade in my view.

By: Lionel

Lionel — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 07:56:09 +0000

You can bring disciplinary records into it, but the reality is you would never line up Williams against Caucau if you had the choice. Even if he was sent off after 10 minutes, he would have put two tries past Williams by that stage and shattered his confidence so much that you wouldn’t hear his name for the rest of the game – we all know Williams is a confidence player only. He won’t provide any spark to a losing side – both Habana and Caucau can do this against the run of play from anywhere on the field.

By: Jerry

Jerry — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 07:38:48 +0000

And by the way – when did Gregan and Rathbone play Caucau at international level?

By: Jerry

Jerry — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 07:29:55 +0000

Yeah, but the reality is that if you don’t turn up to training you don’t play and I’m sure Caucau was fairly easily contained in all those matches Fiji played while he was sitting on his arse in France/Fiji instead of on the pitch.

By: T Bone Al

T Bone Al — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 07:16:23 +0000

Theoretically speaking a world class team like France should be able to tackle an ill disciplined, lazy islander, but they couldn’t. In theory world class players like Gregan, Roth, Rathbone should be able to tackle some one who doesn’t turn up to training but they couldn’t. In theory people in this forum should know what they are talking about.

By: Jerry

Jerry — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 06:42:28 +0000

You could include Caucau given it’s only a theoretical team and he could theoretically get off his fat arse and bother to turn up for training.

By: Dean Pantio

Dean Pantio — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 06:39:42 +0000

~~Howard~~ Howlett. Stupid auto-correct, only caught the first one.

By: Fragglerocker

Fragglerocker — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 05:51:44 +0000

I didn’t even think about Rupeni, but now that I have, I’d put him above Jason Robinson and Williams.

By: Dean Pantio

Dean Pantio — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 02:31:00 +0000

Carl Hayman and John Smit pick themselves. Gethin Jenkins must have been included as part of some UN type committee approach. Os du Randt just wins over Woodcock. So the front row is du Randt, Smit and Hayman.

I can’t argue against Rugby World magazine’s second row of Martin Johnson and Victor Matfield.

As per Spiro: “The backrow of Sergio Parisse, Richie McCaw and Richard Hill remains.” There have been some contenders at blindside, but Hill’s continual high performance in this position ranks above the others.

Fourie du Preez as scrum half. A better, more accurate and complete scrum half has not been seen for many years.

Surely no player can be seriously considered against Carter. Since his demolition of the B&I Lions in 2005, his speed, strength and side-step, combined with his ability to find time and space for himself or his team mates, let alone his goal kicking, makes him first five-eighth.

Jean de Villiers or Damien Traille at second five-eighth. Either or. I won’t argue.

BoD doesn’t make the team. No player dominated Mortlock. His consistent excellence summed up by his power, impact and attitude makes him centre.

“Rugby World’s magazine back three consists of Mils Muliaina, Jason Robinson and Shane Williams.” The dwarf Shane Williams is removed. Bryan Habana is an automatic pick, along with Doug Howard. Mils Muliaina remains, beating Chris Latham who although went through a marvellous purple patch also had his game suffer from too many clangers. A fit Christian Cullen would be first pick, but knee injury and two clowns in charge of the All Blacks effectively ended his career.

So my World Rugby XV is: Os du Randt, John Smit, Carl Hayman. Martin Johnson, Victor Matfield, Richie McCaw, Richard Hill, Sergio Parisse, Fourie du Preez, Daniel Carter, Bryan Habana, Jean de Villiers or Damien Traille, Stirling Mortlock, Doug Howlett, Mils Muliaina.

It’s a team that would destroy their opposition.

Captain is John Smit.

Coach is Graham Henry.

By: Lionel

Lionel — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 22:49:50 +0000

I agree with T Bone Al. Hard to argue against Caucau and Habana being the wingers of the decade whether looking at individual skills or team contributions – both have also proven their unique skills at world cup level against strong competition – who can forget Caucau’s tries against France? Whilst Williams is an excellent and skillful player, he has been shown up time and time again when up against strong opposite wingers. Spiro should admit he overlooked Caucau here and amend the team to retain credibility.