A slightly different - and controversial - Super Rugby best XV

Roar Guru

18th June, 2015

1643 Reads

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The Waratahs have brought Will Skelton back into this week's side. (AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts)

44bottles

Roar Guru

18th June, 2015

1643 Reads

Last year, I wrote an article about how Super Rugby is a very political competition. It takes a lot to please everyone.

So I put forth a completely hypothetical situation, in which all members of The Roar were potential selectors for a “Super Rugby Team of the Year.” It sounds like a big deal, though the responses were not as expected.

For reference, my team of the year last year was this.

1. James Slipper
2. Bismark Du Plessis
3. Kieran Longbottom
4. Brodie Retallick
5. Victor Matfield
6. Boom Prinsloo
7. Michael Hooper
8. Jerome Kaino
9. Faf De Klerk
10. Beauden Barrett
11. Nemani Nadolo
12. Damian De Allende
13. Malakai Fekitoa
14. Henry Speight
15. Jason Woodward

For those of us who watched Super Rugby, this is most certainly not the best team in the tournament. I mean, surely Jason Woodward was not better than Israel Folau, Ben Smith or Willie Le Roux?

If you look at the make up of the team, however, it becomes clearer. There is exactly one player from each Super Rugby team in this XV. 15 players from 15 different teams. A way to please everyone.

Even if it’s not the strongest team in the end, it’s a lot of fun.

This year, I haven’t been able to watch as much Super Rugby as I did last year, but going off all the matches I have seen – and the match reports and views of other Roarers in the comments – this is the team I have selected for this year:

1. Tendai Mtawarira (SHA)
2. Hika Elliot (CHI)
3. Greg Holmes (RED)
4. Lopeti Timani (REB)
5. Will Skelton (WAR)
6. Akira Ioane (BLU)
7. Jaco Kriel (LIO)
8. Boom Prinsloo (CHE)
9. Ryan Louwrens (FOR)
10. James Marshall (HUR)
11. Nemani Nadolo (CRU)
12. Damian De Allende (STO)
13. Tevita Kuridrani (BRU)
14. Waisake Naholo (HIG)
15. Jesse Kriel (BUL)

I think many of this task harder than you think. You often can not just put your favourite / the best players in. Often that player will be playing a position where there is lots of depth across the tournament.

Personally, I started at the bottom of the ladder, filling the team as I went up, then changed it up a bit once I saw how the overall team looked. Teams in the Top 6 can be used as fillers, as they often have quality players in most positions. Then, use them to fill that spot on your team that your just not sure about.

If you want to ignore the blurb at the beginning, this is just a fun/challenging exercise trying to fit 15 players from 15 teams into one XV.

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