Rugby union is the greatest game on earth. The subtleties and majesty of the game are undeniable and the intricate conundrum of its complex laws and their intricate designs are imponderable to say the least.
Yes, rugby union is a complex game that is very hard to understand and yet we sit with our families in the face of our televisions, engulfed in the carnage and grace that is this great sport.
But what makes it so special? Could it be because it combines the hundred kilogram human beings smashing into one another along with the mind boggling tactical ingenuity of actual warfare?
Or maybe it could be because it allows the attributions of kicking the oval, passing the pill or just inflicting physical domination on one another? It could be a lot of things.
For example maybe rugby is just awesome for Biltongbek because the best time for eating biltong and drinking an ice cold beer is when the Boks play the Blacks? Or because Harry Jones gets in touch with his inner frat boy poet when Duane Vermeulen does unbelievable things?
It could be that Brett McKay just finds inner peace when watching rugby. Scout Master General Diggercane watches rugby with his son just to keep the little rascal busy. Maybe Spiro Zavos watches rugby because then and only then can he really communicate with us best.
But the true reason rugby is the best sport in the world is because of our unique players from all around the world. Yes, George North the giant winger. Owen Farrell the perenial punching bag. Bismarck the destroyer. Kurtley Beale the great entertainer on and off the field. Oh let’s just be honest. Rugby union has Richie McCaw. Case closed.
Only us Roarers understand this. Only Kia Kaha and Armand van Zyl. The larvae.
We love our rugby union players. Why? Because rugby is a complicated game that demands certain and all aspects from our players. Some players kick a rugby ball through a basketball hoop just because they can.
Some players can pass the ball perfectly on target regardless if there is a tornado hurling in the middle. Some players can side-step the living soberness out of you and certain players perform the ‘Maori Sidestep’ like dancing the tango.
Some players, those select few, can do almost all of those. Here comes the problem.
As rugby fans it is in our nature, it is ingrained into our DNA to compare players and subsequently claim them to be the honourable ‘Best in the world’. This can become problematic in the sense of come hell or high water we usually pick players from our own countries.
For my own health and safety I write this as a simple question and not a direct statement. What makes a player the best in the world?
Are we looking for a player who is most influential in a game? Or are we looking for a player with an all-round skill set? A player that scores tons of tries? Perhaps a player that creates tons of tries? I sit here knowing full well that we cannot draw a complete conclusion. But, heck, let’s humor the thought.
I find faults with all those topics. The player who is most influential in a team may look spiffy but what if that team restricts this player from playing an influential game? If a team is conservative then how could you tell? For all we know that player could be a superstar shackled by tactics.
A player with a complete skill set sounds the best but again that does not necessarily mean that he would be a game breaker.
A player who scores tons of tries is a favourite but scoring alone does not necessarily make you the best. Catching a ball and dotting down is easy when the game was broken by someone else.
A creator of tries again sounds favourable but the same things make it problematic. Playing for a team that relies on the wow moments will free you from your restrictions. But those who do not?
I will now attempt to make an example. The best I can think of is the juicy examination of Julian Savea versus Bryan Habana.
So let’s take a gander. Savea, the Kiwi golden boy is obviously the better ball carrier. But Habana is faster than he is and infinitely more agile. Both of them have killer chip kicks (see 2013 Ellis Park Test for Habana and 2014 Ellis Park Test for Savea), and both have good tactical kicking. Both are excellent defenders. Can Savea win turnover penalties like Habana can?
Experience gives Habana the luxury of being far more open minded in reading certain situations, but if Savea gains experience? Different ball game.
Surely you will point at Savea’s try scoring records which are fantastic. But again how much more does he get the ball than Habana considering the teams they play for? How many of those tries have Savea created for instance? Shoving a player out of the way and scoring might make you the best finisher, but a better all round player? Ditto for Habs.
How can you possibly choose?
What about Brodie Retallick versus Eben Etzebeth?
Strangely when examining their stats you’d see they were pretty even this year. Yet Retallick is recognised and not Etzebeth.
Skill set versus skill set, Retallick is by far the better passer and offloader as he is marginally the better lineout forward. He is also by far better with exposing open space. But Etzebeth is infinitely more powerful (refer back to 2012 when he destroyed Bismarck du Plessis and not to mention the fact that he does 75kg bicep curls).
Etzebeth is much faster than Retallick as was seen last year, the man can outran wingers (refer to Ellis Park 2013 against Ben Smith and against the Rebels for Habana’s try.) Steve Hansen himself called Etzebeth a freak of nature.
How do you choose who is better?
Duane Vermeulen versus Kieran Read.
Read is obviously much faster and agile. Read possesses a pass and an offload that Vermeulen can only dream of. Lineout expeditions are about equal. Vermeulen is a far better ball carrier and dominating tackler. His breakdown work is also better.
How to choose?
My fellow Roarers those are but only a few examples that I didn’t even go into detail. The question for the week is “How do we choose who is the best in the world?” Can we come to some sort of standard?
Personally I refrain myself from conducting World XV surveys for exactly this reason. For me it is impossible to tell who is better than who. I would much rather apply a horses for courses mentality.
For example if a SANZAR team were to play the Lions on a wet pitch I would certainly have Duane Vermeulen at 8 any day of the week. But on a dry pitch then between him and Read things get tricky.
Please feel free to explore the subject, because I for one remain at a loss.
USrugger
Guest
Jeez! Relax... just making discussion points... Let's keep this conversation in the spirit of Heaven's Game...
Digby
Roar Guru
Nonsense mate, your writing is excellent.
Armand van Zyl
Roar Guru
Yes hallowed Scoutmaster General :) I am not worthy...
Armand van Zyl
Roar Guru
I'm from South Africa, rugby is definitely the best sport I would ever see.
Debz
Guest
Dagg???? Are you joking??? He might have a big boot but that's it. I'd pick Ben Smith over him any day and I'm sure the Bokke would too. I reckon if the other two RC teams could pick one player each from the AB's, the Bokke would pick Ben Smith for their wing, and the Wallabies would pick Retallick.
Aidan Loveridge
Roar Pro
Clever is pretty hardworking but i reckon some beast like Samu Manoa should be the face because everybody loves big hits :)
Michael gardener
Guest
Yes they entitled to be called the best but even their standard is second rate , doesn't say much for the rest.
Firstxv
Guest
"yes it’s the greatest game for followers and players of the game but not necessarily a great game for those who don’t follow it". Well well...what possible game, sport or past time on the earth ever played doesn't then fall under that category...what a redundant statement.
Wal
Roar Guru
Nice article Armand Any best of team generally has to have more clauses written into it than the Kyoto Protocol Time Frame, Best over the last year, last week, career Fekitoa v C.Smith v Kirudrani Core positional duties vs. extras Read v Vermulin v Higginbotham Basic skill deficiencies vs freakish abilities. Dagg V LeRoux v Folau Leadership Qualities McCaw v Hooper Set Piece and Open play Bizmark v Coles Defence and attack Nonu v Toomua v Devilliers Effort v Ability Beale v Foley Australia are starting to learn that even the most freakish athlete can be a liability if their weaknesses are exploitable. Beale, Copper (although he fixed his) Folau all have weaknesses that opposition have been able to exploit over the last few years and at test level these weaknesses can't afford to be carried by the rest of the team when they have their own core duties to get 100% right. The greatest secret to Rugby is about team Balance, unlock that and you are well on your way. The Current AB's squad might have many players in the top 15 in the world right now but the true secret to the success is the playing "pods" compliment each other Savea, Dagg, Smith all have very different strengths and combined make a formidable trio McCaw, Read, Kaino once again different skill sets and on this years form none might make a World 15. This is the whole reason Fekitoa is picked ahead of the much "safer" Crotty . They already have the "safe" Conrad Smith
Stevo TP
Guest
It does depend a little on which country you consider, Michael, but I suspect you correctly identify one of the games' cultural weaknesses. This may not be such a problem as the corruption of professionalism and particularly the money that results with it. Already the Rugby Unions display monumental greed with their continual expansion of the seasons and competitions that draw in teams unready for the exposure. Already the bureaucratisation of national administration that has contributed to the pile of wreckage evident in Australia. Already the corruption and B***shit that corporate sponsors bring with them, and now, with the selective viewing and showing of game incidents on the stadium screens they want to influence the game outcome. There are a number of nooses emerging that threaten the game - most are concerned with corporate structures and of course the dear old money. Just imagine ending up with an image like NRL.
Michael
Guest
Armand writes " Rugby is the greatest game on earth " yes it's the greatest game for followers and players of the game but not necessarily a great game for those who don't follow it. Yes there are skills on display in Rugby, but other football codes display many skills also and in most cases more often because they are much faster. Arrogance the greatest enemy of Rugby , constant statements such as "the game played in heaven" or " the greatest game on earth" Yes this constant arrogance I've had it drummed into me since going to a private school in the 50s (when I played Rugby) until today, things have't changed. Rugby in Australia , to survive must change its ideology which is a belief that they are a class above other football codes especially Rugby league, the facts speak for themselves , which code has the largest following and finances. Rugby is no longer a statist symbol " oh yes my boy goes to grammar we have a BMw and our boy plays Rugby" . This nonsense still plagues Rugby. Arrogance is a rope around Rugby's neck.
Birdy
Guest
Yes Armand I agree with you. Another leagie to watch is SAm Burgess who just left for Bath and hopefully turn out for England in the next World Cup . Even though I'm an Aussie my second team will be England just to watch big Sam go. This guy is a fierce competitor and his enthusiasm engulfed all around him. I think he will be the best league convert so far,well worth watching!
American Dave
Guest
Hi Carlos. Not sure why you are sorry? My comment has no dedicated view on Clever's playing ability, only his current status as the "face" of the Eagles, in response to balotelli's view that Macaw (or other non-try scoring players) could not be packaged to market the game in the US, which I do not believe to be the case.
Fog
Guest
When Willie plays well against NZ and does something like this against a top team -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeHBcQEv5vg - we will take him seriously.
Fog
Guest
Ah, guys. That attitude explains the differential success rate between the teams does it not?
Kia Kaha
Roar Guru
I prefer the more indigenous huhu grub then. ;)
Digby
Roar Guru
Scoutmaster General :D 'Beauty is in the eye of the beholder' as they say.
Kia Kaha
Roar Guru
Touché HiKa. And where Fekitoa seems light years behind Smith even though physically he is a far greater specimen. The one name that does't seem to have come up from NZ is Ben Smith. That guy, like Conrad Smith, seems hardly physically imposing and yet there he is time and time again beating players. Personally I'd like to see a player like Le Roux and someone with wheels like Habana or Hendricks in the ABs just to see how they look in the open spaces. I love playing the Springbok forwards but I wouldn't want to give up any of ours because they have different goals in mind. Doesn't mean that I love coming up against them because they are such formidable players.
Carlos the Argie in the USA
Guest
Sorry, Dave. But Clever is a very mediocre player enamored of his body building physique. His attitude also sucks.
HiKa
Roar Rookie
Conrad Smith is interesting. For pure physical talent, Kuridrani's recent play against the SBs and ABs has been brilliant, but Conrad Smith's talent is really between his ears. That seems to be where the WBs have a deficit against the very best teams.