An international rugby team of the decade

Sorry Sam .... I assumed (something I should remember never to do) that you lived in NZ .... okey dokey, Melbourne is closer but I'm on the Sunshine Coast, not in Sydney ..... next time I'm in Melbourne then.

True, but we got in first and our selections generated more discussion (ha, ha)

Interesting to see the decades lineup from Daniel Gilhooly on stuff.co.nz 15. Mils Muliaina NZ. Mentions, Latham, Robinson, Montgomery 14. Doug Howlett NZ. Mentions, Paulse 13. Brian O'Driscoll IRE. Mentions, Umaga, Mortlock, Fourie, Greenwood 12. Yannick Jauzion FRA. Mentions, de Villiers, Mauger 11. Bryan Habana RSA. Mentions S Williams, Tuqiri, Rococoko 10. Dan Carter NZ. Mentions Wilkinson, Larkham, Giteau, Michalak, Hernandez 9. Fourie du Preez RSA. Mentions Gregan, Stringer, Dawson, Marshall, Kelleher 8. Lawrence Dallaglio ENG. Mentions Parisse, So'oialo, Harinordoquy, Taylor 7. Richie McCaw NZ. Mentions Smith, Burger, Waugh, Magne, M Williams 6. Juan Smith RSA. Mentions Collins, Elsom, Hill 5. Victor Matfield RSA. Mentions O'Connell,Williams, Vickerman 4. Martin Johnson ENG. Mentions Pelous, Botha, Jack, Sharpe 3. Carl Hayman NZ. Mentions Vickery, Peter deVilliers, Jones, Castrogiovanni, Sommerville 2. John Smit RSA. Mentions Mealamu, Thompson, Ibanez 1. Tony Woodcok NZ. Mentions Marconnet, Roncero, Sheridan, Jenkins, du Randt NZ 6 RSA 5 ENG 2 IRE 1 FRA 1 All in all a pretty close reflection to the Roar crew's choices

Well, I don't think Mils is a great attacking fullback, but he's been a consummate pro in the first full decade of professionalism. He certainly outclassed Latham and Montgomery on a regular basis. I think he deserves a nod for the number of Test caps he won this year, considering NZ puts their backs out to pasture long before any other country does.

Couldn't find anywhere else to put this tidbit of info around the selection process for IRB player of the Year according to one of the judges, Ireland's Paul Wallace. There was no round-table discussion amongst the judges. The way it works is that each of the judges is responsible for every Test match that takes place in their jurisdiction. After every Test in Ireland this year, Wallace texted the names of the best three players on the pitch, regardless of nationality. Each nomination is worth a point, and at the end of November, someone in the IRB added up all the points. The same thing happened in every other test team jurisdiction with a judge representative. It's understood that McCaw pipped O’Driscoll by a solitary point. “It’s not as though the nine of us sat around and considered the politics of it all,” says Wallace. “In fact, the system was devised to take politics out of it. But it’s a flawed system, obviously, and I’ve made my views known to the IRB. For what it’s worth, I would have chosen Brian, followed by Fourie du Preez.”

Wow - great team, really intresting discussion prompt Sam. Here's one thing for you to consider. I love the first 5/second 5 model over the flyhalf and 2 centres model. So how about a 10/12 of Larkham and Carter? They could really set a backline alight. De Villiers is a tremendous player, but I don't think he's in the same league as Carter and Larkham. And I would have Pichot feeding them the ball, his service behind that pack would be impeccable.

I love your stuff Sam but I think you're off base on Matfield. No doubt a great lineout exponent but locks have to do more than that. I don't want to say negative things about him, but I don't think it's as clear cut as you have made it out to be that he will be remembered as the best lock ever. (And a lot of kiwis I know still say Michael Jones was the best... but I'm staying out of that one.) I would have Eales and Matfield. I loved Johnson's leadership, but it's not required in this team! And you can have Eales as your backup kicker if you don't have Matty Burker... I would have picked JC over Burger. Collins would be the last guy I would to come across on a rugby field. But I think the French are perhaps under-represented here. Magne or Harinordiquy, perhaps?

'On Os – I think he was a better scrummager than given credit but his effectiveness diminished into more of a securing prop rather and attacking loosehead' I completely agree, Rusty. It's not as if Du Randt was a notorious technical infringer like Van der Linde or Baxter. I saw him have an awful time against Julian White, but I also noted that Hayman never got the better of Du Randt. We all know that styles make scrums and to criticise Du Randt's scrummaging is a tad melodramatic. One only has to consider the 2007 WC SF versus Argentina: Roncero threw Van der Linde around like a rag doll whereas Du Randt and Scelzo just appeared to be leaning on each other. Du Randt didn't move an inch backwards. It's highly debatable whether SA would have won the WC without him.

15. Latham 14. Williams 13. BOD 12. Lima 11. Habana 10. Carter 9. Pichot 8. Kefu 7. McCaw (hardest call leaving Smith out he performed outstandingly for entire decade against the best) 6. Hill 5. Pelous 4. Matfield 3. Hayman 2. Wood 1. Os Du Randt I had to include Lima, he and keith wood were the two players that I got the most joy watching play rugby.(besides Latho).

I preferred Uncle Fester - complete doppelganger. :)

I think O'Driscoll's physical build helps. Funnily enough I never recall Umaga tackling and then pilfering ball, nor do I ever recall reading any analysis of him doing that, Katzilla. I just can't remember him ever doing that, whereas everytime I watch 'Driscoll he attempts a steal on basically every tackle. He has a very low centre of gravity. Umaga, Barry and Herbert didn't.

Omar Hasan and Mauricio Reggiardo were pretty tasty props, Sam.

He is undoubtedly a phenomenal athlete but I do not think the current SA brand of rugby suits him. Further, he is relatively new to the position (isn't he?). A very underrated pair of number 8s, are, in my opinion, Anthony Foley and Martin Corry. Problematically, the decade has offered countless good players, many of which I can't recall.

The Latham debate is interesting - Eddie Jones really worked overtime on him to curb his attacking flair in the international scene – to the point where he’d perfer a lump like Rogers over him ... it was a real shame he could easily have been far more similar to a Campese if he was allowed to reproduce what he did for Qld ... sure their would have been a few more mistakes but perhaps there may have been some really memorable moments …

Latham's an interesting case. Nick Farr-Jones once said people were so focused on anything wrong David Campese did that they too easily forgot how many records he was breaking each and every game. Latham's a bit like that. He's been criticised for becomming more conservative as his career went on. People claim he went missing in the big games. Others felt he wasn't doing enough in attack etc. While all this was being said about Latham he raced up the try-scoring records list. 40 tries from 78 Tests suggests he's doing something right, especially for a guy who supposedly just "kicked up and unders back to the opposition". I will admit though, despite that good tally of tries, only two of them are against New Zealand, whom he played 14 times. I can accept it when people say he didn't play his best against New Zealand. Then again, I think all Wallaby supporters would kill to have a fullback like Latham playing for the Wallabies right now. Ashley-Cooper has had a really good year, but he can't compare to Latham's kicking game. How many games have Australia lost because of poor kicking? I'd go as far to say Australia would have won a few of their last seven games against New Zealand if they had Chris Latham. I think Latham's the best choice for fullback in this list.

Tana can't touch O'Driscoll in terms of pure centre play. You talk about Tana having a bit of Mortlock and O'Driscoll in him, yet Tana's distribution skills were never as good as Mortlock's or O'Driscoll's. Tana, to his credit, changed his skill set when he lost a bit of pace and was moved to centre. But that's another thing Tana didn't have, O'Driscoll's pace. Tana couldn't dream of scoring some of the individual tries O'Driscoll did in the early 2000s. Tana's hands could be horrendous ala v South Africa in 2003 where the Saffies scored two tries as a direct result of his mistakes. Tana's greatest attribute as a centre was his defence. Later on his captaincy was pretty vital to New Zealand becomming they force they were to become. In terms of pure centre play O'Driscoll has it over Tana. Speed, vision, balance, ball skills, runs great angles etc. Even this year when O'Driscoll didn't show a lot of these qualities with Ireland, he was Mr Johnny on the spot in all the games. He was the best player of the 6N, and he did it through leadership and stepping-up.

Yeah I liked watching Brits play, Dmitri Szarzevski was another hooker in a similar mould.

Hmm thats quite good - Lobbe especially and I will take Woodman on the virtue of the most electrifying eyebrows to grace a face! Pity Roncero plays on the loose head side or he would also be a good pick. Think I will stick with Brits though as Woods was a far better player but Brits will make a break. step 2 players and sprint the lenghth of the field!

Rusty how about these guys? 4. Ignacius Fernando Lobbe 3. Trevor Woodman 2. Keith Wood

Mattamkill Only if they were in a head to head competition. But they played in different midfield positions in their career although interestingly both started their careers on the wing before moving in closer. Tana has played a few games at 12 when Conrad Smith emerged on the scene but in any world or best team selection he would always be a contender for the centre position and nowhere else. If you read Katzilla's comments above he makes a compelling case for Tana's inclusion. I'm assuming you're referring to John Smit as the best hooker?