Pick one guy per nation.

[iINDOMINUSxx]

actually going to make a change

NZ: Brodie Retallick
SA: Eben Etzebeth
Italy: Alberto De Marchi
Wales: Sam Warburton/maybe Halfpenny
Ireland: Jonathan Sexton
France: Wesley Fofana
Australia: Israel Folau
England: Danny Care
Fiji: Nemani Nadolo
Scotland: N/A
Argentina: Agustín Creevy






1.) Alberto De Marchi
2.) Agustín Creevy
3.) Geoff Cross
4.) Brodie Retallick
5.) Eben Etzebeth
6.) Kelly Brown
7.) Sam Warburton
8.) David Denton
9.) Danny Care
10.) Johnny Sexton
11.) Nemani Nadolo
12.) Wesley Fofana
13.) Alex Dunbar
14.) Tim Visser
15.) Israel Folau

 

[iINDOMINUSxx]

I dont see Argies and you copied my team: Retallick, Care, Sexton, Fofana...

it was what i can think off

 

[ruggabee]

I'm nowhere near his biggest fan but he'd start for any team in the world bar the All Blacks....

But he's not world class... He's solid and that's it. When it comes to kicking I'm confident unless it's under a high pressure situation. I don't get it. What has he done to have warranted the world class status? TBH I think a lot of the Irish players are overrated, starting with Kearney. We won the 6 Nations cos we played to a very systematic game plan under Schmidt. We were strong up front and had a solid backline. We don't actually have standouts that will start for any other side apart from Healy and SOB.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

But he's not world class... He's solid and that's it. When it comes to kicking I'm confident unless it's under a high pressure situation. I don't get it. What has he done to have warranted the world class status? TBH I think a lot of the Irish players are overrated, starting with Kearney. We won the 6 Nations cos we played to a very systematic game plan under Schmidt. We were strong up front and had a solid backline. We don't actually have standouts that will start for any other side apart from Healy and SOB.

That's ridiculous, he doesn't have a weak point to his game. He's the best defensive 10 in the world, he runs his back line as well as anyone, he's strong with ball in hand, has good vision. The weakest part of his game, I'd argue, is his tactical kicking and he's not exactly bad at that. Sexton is Ireland's most important player and that is with a very competent 10 trying to catch him, he's won a championship at every level bar the World Cup being a key player in his side. To say Sexton isn't world class, in my opinion, is saying that a fit Dan Carter is the only world class 10 in rugby. That's fine but you have ridiculous standards.

 

[ruggabee]

That's ridiculous, he doesn't have a weak point to his game. He's the best defensive 10 in the world, he runs his back line as well as anyone, he's strong with ball in hand, has good vision. The weakest part of his game, I'd argue, is his tactical kicking and he's not exactly bad at that. Sexton is Ireland's most important player and that is with a very competent 10 trying to catch him, he's won a championship at every level bar the World Cup being a key player in his side. To say Sexton isn't world class, in my opinion, is saying that a fit Dan Carter is the only world class 10 in rugby. That's fine but you have ridiculous standards.

Are you kidding me? I don't deny anything that Sexton has done in his career. But what has he done that makes him world class? A fit Dan Carter would set his own standard for a 1st five as he's done since 2005. Sexton may be irreplaceable for Ireland but not for the top nations of rugby.

Also I want to add he's won competitions in the NH because of his team, not just him. He's integral but he isn't as amazing as we think he is. Also so what if he's won medals up north? You want to test yourself against the best? Show it against the southern hemisphere. Ireland has been great at club rugby for ages but **** all has been produced against great sides. It's nice when we have a consolidated quality spread amongst 3 provinces but it really shows us up against the best. How can you question Carter? He was born a god. Sigh...

 

[FrenchFan]

From what I've seen of Sexton at Racing he requires a LOT of coaching. He has Daddy O'Gara looking after him from the sideline. And the 2 Laurent coaching him from A to Z. Showed very little ability on his part to play off the cuff. Unless he has a script.
To me a great player can tear down the script at one stage and make the difference by himself. Sexton is not in that league. Carter Fofana are.
He could develop that aspect but he'd need to stay in Top 14 and test himself further. They're going to wrap him in cotton wool in Ireland.

 

[TheSaffycen]

If I was Ranking Fly Halves I would say
1.Carter (If Fit) 2.Cruden 3.Cooper 4.Barrett
5.Sexton/Biggar both very similar, and if you had Biggar instead of Sexton I don't think the quality would drop at all. Also best defensive fly half is Carter then followed by Farrell.

 

[Groundhog]

Are you kidding me? I don't deny anything that Sexton has done in his career. But what has he done that makes him world class? A fit Dan Carter would set his own standard for a 1st five as he's done since 2005. Sexton may be irreplaceable for Ireland but not for the top nations of rugby.

Win many things. Play rugby in the manner that befits a world class player. Not really sure what else makes a player world class.
It's an opinion though I guess. I personally think Sexton is one of the most talented OH's in World rugby.

 

[ruggabee]

Win many things. Play rugby in the manner that befits a world class player. Not really sure what else makes a player world class.
It's an opinion though I guess. I personally think Sexton is one of the most talented OH's in World rugby.

He won many things up north. I have not seen a world class performance from him against the top nations that are down south. I agree he plays positively, but he has a limit to his ability. As joked beforehand, he does rely on the ol' loop a bit too much. One on one he isn't going to cause much trouble. I don't know. Like you said. It's an opinion. I just think he's a good player but as usual we hype players too much till we get a reality check down south. SOB and Healy have a chance but no one else from Ireland unfortunately.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Are you kidding me? I don't deny anything that Sexton has done in his career. But what has he done that makes him world class? A fit Dan Carter would set his own standard for a 1st five as he's done since 2005. Sexton may be irreplaceable for Ireland but not for the top nations of rugby.

Also I want to add he's won competitions in the NH because of his team, not just him. He's integral but he isn't as amazing as we think he is. Also so what if he's won medals up north? You want to test yourself against the best? Show it against the southern hemisphere. Ireland has been great at club rugby for ages but **** all has been produced against great sides. It's nice when we have a consolidated quality spread amongst 3 provinces but it really shows us up against the best. How can you question Carter? He was born a god. Sigh...

He's beaten South Africa and Australia playing key roles in both matches and was an integral part of an Ireland team that nearly beat the Blacks, unfortunately missing the winning kick, and out played Cruden in the process. And he's really come into his own in an Irish Jersey this year, so far he's won with both Irish teams he's played with, was one of the Lions most influential players and dragged Racing into the Top 14 semis with his place kicking. I don't understand what aspect of his game you think he's missing to be a world class player, he's the best defensive 10 in world rugby, he is (probably) the 10 with the most tries this calendar year, he can create tries and has great vision. I never said anything negative about Carter so I don't know where you're getting that one but you did remind me that Sexton has even put it up to Carter (2nd test, 2012) with a fatigued and understrength Irish side coached by an idiot so there ya go!

@Saffycen He's 1 for 1 against Cooper in terms of head to heads, Cooper even being in good form in 2011, and is so much more consistent it's ridiculous. As stated he's out-played Cruden (talking of overrated players....) and every time Sexton and Biggar have shared a pitch Biggar has looked out of his depth. (Biggar as good as Sexton really made me laugh)

 

[Big Ewis]

I think this is the era where Ireland have the most relevance in the world of Rugby, through the scope of players, individually. When I made this thread, I was thinking "ok we don't need Kearney, Dulin's good enough. Oh yeah, they've got SOB...oh wait, I think I want Healy more right now, yeah...oh and Sexton, he's def. one of the Top 3/Top 5 right now...and Stephen Ferris just retired recently, I'd have taken him also...Best is also a very good hooker...heck even Mike Ross may be a more stable commodity in the front row under the new rules..." - (I picked Healy).
And there's still Connor Murray, recognized as one of the best 9's, then there's a POM or an iconic Paul O'Connell. I'm not just merely name-dropping, those are worthy names to bring up. Jamie Heaslip, another big name, and D'Arcy but I don't rate him very very high, personally.

About flyhalves in the world right now, I've said it before but it's a position that requires so many different things nowadays (defense, tactical kicking, kicking from tee, passes, attacking), it's hard to find the one guy who does it all well AND has a little bit of that magic, that little extra that helps you pick the one player for sure.

Sexton "does everything" but lacks the little extra that an on-form Michalak still brings, or Cruden or FTD. Cruden has some magic and does many things well, but then he's too small and that's necessarily a flaw, and his kicking at the posts looks a little meh (wtvr the stats % say). Plus he drinks, (that little fkr...).
FTD probably just suffers from no international spotlight right now, nothing else; and the Coopers or Michalaks (milkshakes) are inconsistency Supreme, well Cooper looked very good last time we saw him.

The other popular 10's: Plisson very good but too young/too perfectible, Owen Farrell very solid and underrated but too one-dimensional, Foley is really good but he's not incredible, Pollard we need to see much more, Dan Carter always injured or playing another position lately, Beauden Barrett very good prospect but not the best in the world, Nicolas Sanchez very good in everything really but again not THE best, Morné Steyn nahh...there's also Giteau (whom everybody sees as a center) is clearly one of the best in the Top 14, therefor in Europe, and in the world..but THE best ? Jonny's gone...

So see, it's really not clear-cut and I do think without being reductive that Sexton benefits from striving in an era that is a little bit soft with its flyhalves. There isn't a resounding answer to the question really..like if I say OS flanker, everybody's thinking MICHAEL HOOPER !! An SOB comes to mind too, Alberts...

 

[Croket66]

A XV from Top15 IRB teams with 1 player from each country :

1. Marcos Ayerza (Argentina) 2. Ole Avei (Samoa) 3. Adam Jones (Wales)
4. Eben Etzebeth (South Africa) 5. Richie Gray (Scotland)
6. Nili Latu (Tonga) 8. Sergio Parisse (Italy) 7. Mamuka Gorgodze (Georgia)
9. Fumiaki Tanaka (Japan) 10. Jonathan Sexton (Ireland)
11. Nemani Nadolo (Fiji) 12.Wesley Fofana (France) 13. Manu Tuilagi (England) 14. Ben Smith (New Zealand)
15. Israel Folau (Australia)
​

 

[Big Ewis]

^ very nice Crocketsixtysix ! You could've made another thread for this exclusively, excellent concept, and well realized too. Would like to make one, but I know NOTHING about Japan right now, and less and less about Tonga..
but it would be really awesome to make such a team, and have them play against..............aliens.....from Mars ?

 

[TRF_Olyy]

That's ridiculous, he doesn't have a weak point to his game. He's the best defensive 10 in the world

Farrell.

 

[Jaguares]

If I was Ranking Fly Halves I would say
1.Carter (If Fit) 2.Cruden 3.Cooper 4.Barrett
5.Sexton/Biggar both very similar, and if you had Biggar instead of Sexton I don't think the quality would drop at all. Also best defensive fly half is Carter then followed by Farrell.

Quade Cooper > Aaron Cruden

 

[Big Ewis]

Farrell.

yeah I'd say Owen Farrell. He may lack a few things, and may be quite sterile in terms of imagination, but he's big and strong and very, very committed and physical and also good technically. One of the rare 10's to reach into those rucks. Seen him get TO ball against Toulouse in the H Cup Pool last year, left an impression on me. Very good kid, good mentality, not a pretty boy 10 who stays away from contact.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

yeah I'd say Owen Farrell. He may lack a few things, and may be quite sterile in terms of imagination, but he's big and strong and very, very committed and physical and also good technically. One of the rare 10's to reach into those rucks. Seen him get TO ball against Toulouse in the H Cup Pool last year, left an impression on me. Very good kid, good mentality, not a pretty boy 10 who stays away from contact.

He's come quite some way, people used to criticise his mentality (childish etc) but he seems to be maturing. Don't think the fact that some think he looks like he could be a Nazi officer if you stuck him in a uniform will change though. However I've seen how Ford plays and whilst he isn't as physical as Farrell, he seems to be much better in attack.

 

[TheSaffycen]

@Saffycen He's 1 for 1 against Cooper in terms of head to heads, Cooper even being in good form in 2011, and is so much more consistent it's ridiculous. As stated he's out-played Cruden (talking of overrated players....) and every time Sexton and Biggar have shared a pitch Biggar has looked out of his depth. (Biggar as good as Sexton really made me laugh)

Did he out play Cruden ? For the first 30 minutes maybe but after that Cruden put in a great kick for Savea's try and won them the game. I don't think you can out play someone and choke to lose your team the game, if the other fly half had the off the biggest kicks ever on the intl stage and took it. Also how many times have Biggar and Sexton took too the pitch on evenly matched teams ? This 6 nations the Welsh pack made it nigh on impossible for a 10 to play well, because the irish pack was too good. Ospreys were a joke, and Racing were also but to say Sexton dragged them through ? It was the whole team finally getting together and starting to play well. Could I say Farrell is better because his record against Ireland ? Has he ever lost to Sexton ?

 

[Big Ewis]

He's come quite some way, people used to criticise his mentality (childish etc) but he seems to be maturing. Don't think the fact that some think he looks like he could be a Nazi officer if you stuck him in a uniform will change though. However I've seen how Ford plays and whilst he isn't as physical as Farrell, he seems to be much better in attack.

welcome to the forum.
Yes he looks like a good Germanic kid, couldn't be anything else but Ingles. But I judge not ppl by their hair, although it is well tempting. Have you ever heard the band Within Temptation ? They're awful...just...god awful...
I think the people of the planet have been very quick with judging the young Prince of English number 10ness. When he started playing for England, he was really really young. He still is, but only really young (one "really" has expired since). Ppl don't realize this but he was 14 years old when he first started playing for England. So can you really blame him for being a white supremacist ?
That's what I tell ppl (the people of the planet): they don't realize how yuuung he was and England were damn good in 2012 given how young they were as a whole. It took testicles to try out a pubescent Adolf Hitler as flyhalf, a very important position in Rugby Unionjack. And he may've had a few temperament issues, which I probably at the time felt condescending towards while drinking beers in bottles - never cans - but boy oh boy did the boy come from a long way. Ppl don't realize this but he was really very...well that's been said, but he's still super young, and ppl think he's a warlord veteran who's won 85 caps and sheize.

I like this child, and while I do feel insecure about the fact that he would kick my bottom whilst being such a youngling, I am enjoying watching him grow into a mansome manly chum.

 

[Peat]

Sexton is an outstanding fly-half who has been talismanic to most of his teams and has done close to everything reasonably expected of him.

Unfortunately, his record of clutch kicks is spotty, and his individual running and ball carrying is insufficiently strong for people to look at him as a player who wins games single handed, which means he won't be regarded as World Class. That's probably fair in my book, but then I ascribe to the standard that says a fit Dan Carter is the only World Class fly-half in the world today.

He is quite easily the best fly-half from the NH. I think people might forget just how much of a non-competition the Lions jersey was for Sexton and things haven't changed that much in a year. Biggar's own national coach preferred to play Stuart Hogg at 10 ahead of him for a Lions tour. I am not sure I'd put Farrell as a better defender than Sexton to be honest, I prefer Sexton's more reliable and consistent approach preferable to Farrell's "Kill or Miss" moments, nevermind as an attacker. FTD has struggled to consistently show it internationally (not entirely his fault...). It's difficult to compare him to NZ fly-halves as they enjoy far easier lives but he's certainly worth mentioning in the same breath. However, I believe Ewis is right to say this is an indifferent era for fly-halves.

But, I trust England's ability to produce a fly-half at Sexton's level more than I trust England's ability to produce a scum-half at Murray's, who I think is World Class if he keeps this up, not to mention you'd get more mileage out of stealing him due to him being younger.

Lets be honest though, the guy I really want from the Irish set up is Schmidt.