A wrote a response to a post yesterday of how ridiculous it would be to combine Australia, New Zealand and South Africa into one rugby team.
This exercise would be to roughly match the population sizes of the whole UK and Ireland in one (i.e. the Lions) or France.
I argued that winning rugby games has got nothing to do with the country’s population size, but rather the 15 players on the field.
(Well in South Africa’s case, referees seem to enjoy reducing them to 14 players more often than not but that’s another discussion for a different topic altogether.)
While this is an idea that I highly doubt will ever come to fruition, I decided to make a team of who I would pick in 2013 if this were ever to happen and I was coach.
I’ve tried to stick to picking players who were in form in the 2013 Rugby Championship and the first couple games of these three sides this November.
However some picks have gone on reputation too.
I hate to admit it as a Springbok fan, but I included Richie McCaw, a man who we all love to hate. Except Kiwis.
The man is a very good rugby player so I have to look past all of the times when we, and many other opposition teams have felt that he played far to close to the offside line and often labelling him a “cheat”.
Many have felt he’s had leeway with the refs and has been such an annoyance at the breakdown and played in the grey area more often than not.
And while doing it he has copped quite a few “clean outs” or “big hits”, or what All Blacks fans may perceive as “cheap shots” to their “Captain Fantastic”.
But through it all he has been a soldier and has endured since 2002, he’s a very good player and would be my captain too.
And his win/loss record speaks volumes. So in all honesty, I’d rather have him in my team than not. Is there anyone out there who wouldn’t?
My team of All Blacks, Wallabies and Springboks:
1 – Tony Woodcock
2 – Bismark Du Plessis
3 – Owen Franks
4 – Eben Ebzebeth
5 – Sam Whitelock
6 – Francois Louw (openside flanker role, i.e. the South African numbering system)
7 – Richie McCaw. Captain (as he’s gotten older he’s less of a fetcher and more of a New Zealand number six role)
8 – Kieran Reed
9 – Fourie Du Preez
10 – Dan Carter
11 – Bryan Habana
12 – Jean De Villiers (vice captain)
13 – Conrad Smith/ Adam Ashley Cooper
14 – Ben Smith
15 – Israel Dagg
16 – Stephen Moore
17 – Beast Mtawarira
18 – Charlie Faumuina/ Jannie Du Plessis (A fully fit Jannie that is, not the crocked Jannie)
19 – Brodie Retallick on current form, otherwise James Horwill is my man.
20 – Liam Messam
21 – Aaron Smith on current form, otherwise Will Genia is my man.
22 – Quade Cooper
23 – Adam Ashley Cooper (if not starting – the man can cover the centres, wing and Fullback)
Wallaby fans please don’t feel that I have alienated your players on purpose.
There are quite a few in there. This is simply my choice on who I believe the best players in 2013 from these three countries are.
In 2000/01 it would’ve been weighted in Australia’s favour with less Springboks.
This year it has to be weighted in New Zealand’s favour with quite a few Springboks too.
Do you guys out there agree with my selections? Who would you replace in my team? Which selections would you ridicule?
pick & go..!!
Guest
1. Beast Mtwarira 2. Bismarck duPlessis 3. Owen Franks 4. Eben Etzebeth 5. Sam Whitelock 6. Wycliff Palu 7. Richie McCaw (C) 8. Keiran Read 9. Aaron Smith 10. Aaron Cruden 11. Julian Savea 12. Jean de Villiers 13. Conrad Smith 14. Ben Smith 15. Israel Folau. 16. Adriaan Strauss 17. Tony Woodcock 18. Jannie Du Plessis 19. Brodie Retallick 20. Frans Louw 21. Fourie Du Preez 22. Frans Steyn 23. Wille LeRaux
Seb Vettel
Guest
That was not a list of top performers that is for sure.
moaman
Guest
You mention the total metres accrued but not the average.Only one team has a JGITF policy ;-) How many 'possessions',team tactics so many variables.....
richard
Guest
biltong,can we play this team v the poms on the weekend?
IvanN
Roar Guru
french girls...
IvanN
Roar Guru
So now the next logical step is, how to pick a World Team to play against a soon to be found colony from mars best player from each position in the world ? Now that would start one helluva argument on this thread.
DC-NZ
Guest
hahah, some people are not picking the Black Bus.....unbelievable, he is the best winger in the world right now.
Riccardo
Guest
Edit: Retallick for Romano - his work rate is phenominal. Sorry, I thought you had him running out onto Ellis Park anyway :)
Riccardo
Guest
The run on team is unbeatable Biltong. I'm not so sure about the bench though: Woody Strauss Faumuina's game has really come on and he's strong as an ox. Romano is a better ball carrier than Horwill and the tall timber's already on the paddock for the set-piece. McCaw's skillset verges on 6 and may be a more versatile replacement. Genia may be a revelation behind a dominant pack. Carter Piutau is in scintillating form and can play centre at a pinch.
Jerry
Guest
Du Preez didn't play in the Eden Park match did he?
ph1lstar
Guest
Sorry Aaron Smith, Best halfback in test rugby, and he outplayed your Du Preez in both games but that's my kiwi opnion
mace 22
Guest
Yeah that was a PDV moment. JDV for VC.
messa
Guest
a poll.... yes the masses are the reliable source of intelligence..... because they're not at all based or stupid... hmmm these stats are pretty overwhelming... its not like he's just making mor e metres he's making double the amount!!! cmon people grow a brain
messa
Guest
so how come he only scored 3 tries in the RC?
Harry Jones
Expert
Eben Etzebeth was immense, and did what he did WITHOUT a Whitelock. Instead he had either lightweight ruck inspector Kruger or full metal jacket Flip. Got to give it to Eben. An Eben-Whitelock combo would be perfect. Retaillick is disqualified because he got run over by Morne Steyn at Ellis Park; and a few other times, too.
WaltSaffa
Guest
Where this sort of exercise falls down is in the choice of loose forwards, because that's typically where a coach will show his hand in terms of the type of game he wants to play. The AB loosies may be technically better, and be faster, but a Bok coach would often include the collision impact of an Alberts. I guess that may also impact the choice of inside centre.
Folau is a great ball carrier. but he still needs to learn a few things. In defence he labours, his positional play isn't always great, at times he reads the game wrong when he draws defenders and doesn't offload. Habana is a great finisher, very good defender, reads play well, and positonally very good. Maybe in another two season folau can be called better than Habana, but right now, there is no doubt between the two.
strums
Guest
1) Beast 2) Biz 3) du Pessis 4) Eben 5) Brodie 6) Louw 7) McCaw 8) Read 9) du Preez 10) Carter 11) Habana 12) de Villiers 13) Smith 14) B.Smith 15) Dagg 16) Struass 17) Jannie Dup 18) Faumuina 19) Botha 20) Hooper 21) A.Smith 22) Leroux 23) Cooper
Rugby Tragic
Guest
ben, you are correct, however, in my view Dagg does have a weakness himself ... that being last man in defence as a tackler. I think he is OK but not great in that department.
Rugby Tragic
Guest
messa, stats only tell ha;f the story.... comparing the state of Habana and Folau, you are suggesting that Folau is the better player .... if there were to be a poll on that, there would be only one winner and that would not be Folau.