Naiyaravoro: From wasting at Wests to winning with Wallabies

Birds, do you know how many times the Boks "just lost" to the All Blacks in 2010, (SA-NZ 1-1 in 2011) 2012, 2013 and the NZ game in 2014? Then the Boks "just won" in SA in 2014 with a massive performance and Lambie's monster effort in the last few minutes. The point is that more often than not the ABs found way to "just win" regardless of how close it was, whether in the last few minutes or a bounce of the ball going the right way. And they were the better team in those encounters: they won. Of course England could beat the Boks if they meet in the RWC. But I disagree with you and think that the Boks have the edge over them mentally, plus the edge with current and past form which is also reflected in the IRB rankings. You've seen how Wales struggles against SH opponents because of the "mental block", they just can't win (or very seldom win) yet perform against NH sides. Over these past 9 years I think the Boks have held that same mental edge over England, like they're not going to lose, which means it will take an extra special effort and huge performance from England to break that and beat the Boks. But no of course it's not a foregone conclusion. England can do it! But I'd rather be in our position! :-)

Crap - i didn't know he was only 23 - he's scary!

Sorry Nerval. Got to agree with Spanners Karmichael Hunt - When he plays and impresses lets see. "Led his team to the European Cup Final" - Was he the captain? If he plays for the Wallabies then it must have been written in his contract "Timana Tahu was brilliant almost instantly" - I must have missed those games. Average at the best and an absolute turnstile in "that" test match Andy Farrell - good honest player but not outstanding Mark Glasnier played for Stade Francais. Always said a good team can make player look good. Would have only shone if played for the Waratahs but Wallaby colours? There are a lot of league players that have turned to playing rugby but haven't necessarily risen to the heights of some of the other converts. It also has a lot to do with the team of whom they have played with. What Folau been the same success if he played for say the Rebels?

He was a success though. Generally the big name recruits have been failures. They've been successful international performers and have not been able to come across and be successful for the Wallabies when given opportunity. E.g. Tahu and Vuna. Ironically some of the less successful league players like Schifcoske and Chambers have been very successful in comparison to their NRL success.

i'd guess lots but would have to check (and realistically arent going to). maybe i'll change it to wingers?

and schifcoske played 4 matches for australia A in rugby compared to 2 games for qld in league so he did more in union. so often people labelling these leaguies as failure in rugby somehow neglect to mention what they were achieving in league as comparison

23 tries in 15 games is pretty prolific.

No it wasn't a bad decision. It took Nadolo from 2006-2013 to turn his potential into any sort of real form. It took 5 years after he last was with an Australian team. You cannot wait forever for a player to develop. Is it an error when Nadolo even admitted it took bouncing around to something like 5 or more teams for him to pull his finger out and knuckle down?

Timana Tahu was another who never really did anything when he went to Super Rugby. He went back to league very quickly.

SBW aside most would end up in the front row doing hit ups, bench, back on, more hit ups such a waste.

So you saying that Glasgow shouldn't have been allowed to sign Nakawara and Matawalu which gave them an opportunity to play professionally in a top division? Utter nonsense. Kolpak carries more weight in places like France and there are more teams there that contract their players if you include the Federale leagues.

They can't compete to retain the players that built their reputations there. DTH, Matawalu's values have gone way in comparison to when Glasgow signed them. They've also got to keep Finn Russell, Stuart Hogg (was off contract recently), Josh Strauss, Nakawara and Johnny Gray.

Not Bothered, Tomkins won more caps in union after one full season than he did league caps in his previous career. He no more failed than any other England player failed v NZ, Australia, South Africa. No please, and no thank you.

Spanners, Sam Burgess is at this moment in the USA training with the preliminary World Cup squad - all this in his first (shortened) season. Karmichael Hunt? He's barely played at all for reasons we know only too well. I do know he was outstanding in France after joining mid-season and led his team to the Eurpoean Cup final. I think he'll play for the Wallabies next year. Timana Tahu was brilliant almost instantly. His reputation was tarnished after one high profile loss v South Africa. This team sport was very quick to lambast one player above all. There was a Test match in Brisbane not long before that the Wallabies won by 49-0! I wonder if the Springboks' rugby league converts were responsible? Farrell was a prop in his last year in rugby league. He's over 30. Transfers to rugby union and has a bad car accident which leaves him off the field for another calendar year and ends up playing in the centres for England. Gasnier was leading the try-scoring charts in the French Top 14 for most of his short stint playing on the wing at Stade Francais. He had offers to play Super Rugby but decided to return to rugby league. I can't be certain, but I reckon he'd have shone in the former and won Wallaby caps. Ultimately, what posters wilfully fail to take into consideration is this: In rugby union alone, how many times have we now seen established players - some of them famous internationals - move to a new club to play under a new coach and struggle? Ma'a Nonu is a classic example. It's not because he's an ex-leaguie (although I believe Nonu actually did also play League growing up) but because sometimes, for myriad reasons, your face doesn't fit. It happens.

For mine, a successful code switch would have to mean that the player achieves at the same or above the standard that he enjoyed in the previous code. Take Israel Folau, one of the best League players of his generation, now one of the best Union players of his generation. Not bad effort. Brad Thorn and SBW absolutely smashed it in both codes. You would say Sailor, Tuqiri and Rogers were there abouts. Schifcofske, Andy Farrell, Karmichael Hunt, Timana Tahu, Mark Gasnier and Sam Burgess probably not. Although Sam has only just started his Union career and I wouldn't be surprised if he goes ok in a year or so.

Nearly, Gilbert Ball. This is what I'm saying - and if I may, I'll use your own words with a couple of mine tacked on to the end: "1 of leagues best players couldn’t get more than 1 start in one of the worst rugby teams because of the manifest ineptitude of a coach who long, long ago should have wondered off to pastures new..."

No he wasn't, Bakkies. At that level, Andy Robinson was the one out of his depth.

Not denying the record, NB, or having a go at Charging Rhino. Simply saying that there are a lot of Bok fans who I think are reading too much into it when projecting forward to any potential meeting at the RWC. I remember England fans talking similar nonsense in 2005 about how England had beaten the Boks 7 straight and, therefore, they were going to win the next one. You need to look more deeply at the recent matches; the changes in personnel; where each team is in their development, etc. If you do that I think you come to the conclusion that a RWC 2015 match at Twickenham would be a 50-50 between the sides; regardless of what has happened over the last decade. The current England players either haven't played the Boks or experienced a draw and two very close losses - there's no psychological issue whatsoever.

You always hear stupid numbers thrown around for rugby players 100m times. I'd wager that about 99% of the time it's hand measured times which are hugely unreliable anyway. But yeah, Jonah wasn't a 10.2 runner, I'm not even sure he would've been a 10.7 runner.

I dont think 'earn' is right with some.