2013 Rugby Championship ideal team

[Aspry]

According to Planet Rugby, this is the ideal XV of the tournament:


15- Israel Folau (Australia)
14- Ben Smith (New Zealand)
13- Conrad Smith (New Zealand)
12- Jean de Villiers (South Africa)
11- Julian Savea (New Zealand)
10- Beauden Barrett (New Zealand)
9- Aaron Smith (New Zealand)
8- Kieran Read (New Zealand)
7- Michael Hooper (Australia)
6- Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe (Argentina)
5- Brodie Retallick (New Zealand)
4- Eben Etzebeth (South Africa)
3- Juan Figallo (Argentina)
2- Adriaan Strauss (South Africa)
1- Marcos Ayerza (Argentina)

http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,16024_8962520,00.html

Good selection overall. Here goes my humble opinion:

- Tough decision on the Fullback. I think that Israel Dagg was a little slow comparing to other of his past performances, but still he did okay. Folau was the best Aussie player in the tournament, his got a great future.

-Personally I wouldn't include Barrett, he's obviously a skilled player and had two great matches against SA but I don't think thats enough for getting selected, Worth the mention though.

-Hooper is a great player and had a great tournament, but I would choose Leguizamon over him. I think the Puma was outstanding and unlike the Aussie he controled himself and almost didn't brainfarted in the whole competition. Hooper was yellow carded a couple of times by acting stupidly, something that can be understood due his age. Francois Louw also did well.

-I would put Messam ahead of Lobbe without any doubts.

-The hooker spot was obviously between Bismark and Strauss. Really tough decision on this one, it wouldn't be bad is Bismark was selected.

What are your thoughts? Would you make any changes?

 

[Colombia]

Retallick and Etsebeth are both No.4 locks.

Hooper is a great player and had a great tournament, but I would choose Leguizamon over him.

Leguizamon played No.8, it is really a choice between him and Read. At openside your choices are Matera, Louw, Hooper and Cane.

 

[Aspry]

Retallick and Etsebeth are both No.4 locks.


Leguizamon played No.8, it is really a choice between him and Read. At openside your choices are Matera, Louw, Hooper and Cane.

My mistake. I would choose Louw over Hooper then.

Feel sorry for Legui but when it comes to Read there's no contest.

 

[Hulk Hogan]

Get rid of Folau he's a joke.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

I would mostly agree with the selection. I think certain positions are nailed down; Read at 8, JdV at 12, Conrad Smith at 13 and in some places there are a number of players competing particularly in the backrow whereas at 10 or 15 for example no-one really set the world alight so Folau almost gets in by default on the back of his running with the ball being top drawer. I would also be tempted to pick players out of position like putting Ben Smith at 15 for example or to accommodate someone like Leguizamon or Vermeulen who were both outstanding but not as influential as Read.

Anyway, my 2 cents worth:

1 Woodcock, Mtawaria and Azerza all had their moments. Ayerza I thought finished strongest so I'm happy with that pick
2 Du Plessis for me ahead of Strauss
3 Figallo the choice TH IMO
4 Etzebeth and Retallick both deserve this spot equally IMO so I'm not bothered to make a choice
5 Whitelock pretty much has this spot nailed down
6 tough call between Lobbe and Messam, again I can't split the two but if I have to I'll go for Messam simply because I think he stepped up when it actually made a difference
7 Hooper as the pick of the Aussie forwards is fair
8 Read is in a class of his own, certain iRB player of the year IMO though we all know how hit and miss that award is
9 FdP for me ahead of Aaron Smith. I just think he is a better player even when not at his best and would pick him first even though he had less game
10 I am obviously going for Barrett here because he made a joke of us and IMO scored THE critical try for NZ in each of their wins over us.
11 tough pick between Habana and Savea who are tow very different wings but I'll go for Habana simply because he has more to him at this stage in my opinion and with my SA bias coming to the fore
12 JdV by a mile and a half
13 Conrad Smith by a mile
14 Ben Smith owns whatever jersey he pulls over his head it looks like
15 Folau simply because Dagg was quiet-ish even though accomplished and the rest simply don't have game.

 

[TRF_heineken]

My 15 Team would look like this:

15. Israel Dagg
14. Ben Smith
13. Conrad Smith
12. Jean De Villiers
11. Bryan Habana
10. Beauden Barrett (of all the fly halves that played, he made the biggest impact in the games)
9. Fourie Du Preez (he only played 3 games, one was for only 10 minutes, but his classy play was certainly noticeable)
8. Kieran Read
7. Liam Messam
6. Francois Louw
5. Brodie Retallick
4. Eben Etzebeth
3. Juan Figallo
2. Bismarck Du Plessis (he is the best hooker in World Rugby, and was unfairly robbed of 50 minutes play time)
1. Beast Mtawarira

 

[TRF Mr Fish]

My 15 Team would look like this:

15. Israel Dagg
14. Ben Smith
13. Conrad Smith
12. Jean De Villiers
11. Bryan Habana
10. Beauden Barrett (of all the fly halves that played, he made the biggest impact in the games)
9. Fourie Du Preez (he only played 3 games, one was for only 10 minutes, but his classy play was certainly noticeable)
8. Kieran Read
7. Liam Messam
6. Francois Louw
5. Brodie Retallick
4. Eben Etzebeth
3. Juan Figallo
2. Bismarck Du Plessis (he is the best hooker in World Rugby, and was unfairly robbed of 50 minutes play time)
1. Beast Mtawarira

du Preez was completely useless against the All Blacks.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

du Preez was completely useless against the All Blacks.

One could just as well say Aaron Smith was completely useless against the Bokke. Those were pressure games and the scrummies go more and more to their core roles where FdP owns Smith I'm sorry to say.

 

[TRF Mr Fish]

One could just as well say Aaron Smith was completely useless against the Bokke. Those were pressure games and the scrummies go more and more to their core roles where FdP owns Smith I'm sorry to say.

Maybe Smith was useless against the Boks, but I'd hardly imagine that du Preez's one good game warrants being selected in the tournament team... Heck, Nic White had one great game from some people's points of view, but you don't see him being selected.

 

[yarmolinsky]

What a mysterious and enigmatic team SA is... Bismark owns ABs, Fourie owns ABs, everyone on the roster seems to own ABs. It's just one tiny detail - they lose every game with impressive persistence. But boy, don't they own 'em all?!

 

[Gena_ZA]

Initial post - not bad, I might consider Messam, Habana and Bismark, rest is spot on
Fourie vs. Aaron - can't decide

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

What a mysterious and enigmatic team SA is... Bismark owns ABs, Fourie owns ABs, everyone on the roster seems to own ABs. It's just one tiny detail - they lose every game with impressive persistence. But boy, don't they own 'em all?!

Bismarck and FdP are better than their NZ counterparts. I don't think that is a bizarre statement to make. But that is only 2 players whereas I think NZ has the clearly better players in more positions on top of a greater team dynamic and more settled squad. The fact that I state that 1 player is superior to his direct opposition IMO is hardly similar to your sarcastic statement.

Maybe Smith was useless against the Boks, but I'd hardly imagine that du Preez's one good game warrants being selected in the tournament team... Heck, Nic White had one great game from some people's points of view, but you don't see him being selected.

Well, you say FdP only had 1 good game while I'd say he was immense in 2 and in fine distributing form the 3rd if not as complete a performance. Maybe we just want different things from our 9's so no need to discount my and Heineken's selection of him without any actual basis.

 

[rgman]

don´t forget HANSEN, coach matters.

 

[Superalexmarket]

From de Pumas, I do only pick Ayerza (and Matera in the bench). Lobbe made a lot of stupid decisions. We lost in Perth by his fault.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

don´t forget HANSEN, coach matters.

True. I think HM is as capable as Hansen (though each have different strengths and Hansen is probably surrounded by better assistants) but Hansen does have the benefit of continuity ITO players and systems/game plan while HM pretty much has had to start from scratch after SA rugby has basically had four years of stagnation WRT development. But that is getting off topic.

From de Pumas, I do only pick Ayerza (and Matera in the bench). Lobbe made a lot of stupid decisions. We lost in Perth by his fault.

No Figallo? I would put his name down right after Read, Ben Smith and Jean de Villiers' as a 'must have'.

 

[TRF_heineken]

True. I think HM is as capable as Hansen (though each have different strengths and Hansen is probably surrounded by better assistants) but Hansen does have the benefit of continuity ITO players and systems/game plan while HM pretty much has had to start from scratch after SA rugby has basically had four years of stagnation WRT development. But that is getting off topic.

Hansen got a winning formula, of which he was a part of under Graham Henry's reign... he just went to make it better...

HM had to start from scratch as PDV left him with fokol!

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Hansen got a winning formula, of which he was a part of under Graham Henry's reign... he just went to make it better...

HM had to start from scratch as PDV left him with fokol!

Yep. Contunuity counts for a lot and that is another area where the Kiwi's have the drop on us. The ironic thing is Peter de Villiers was in the exact same boat as Hansen but instead of developing and adding depth he went with (or rather allowed the senior players to go on their own with) narrowing the focus to as one dimensional a 'style' as SA had ever had.

I can't see it change anytime soon as we have a set-up in SA where the Franchises are nothing other than the main provinces each retaining their individual way and then there is the political situation with PdV's appointment the cherry on the cake and the new (official this time) race quota's another bag full of BS we are gonna pay for in the long term.

 

[lynam1104]

I'd go with

15. Folau
14. Smith
13. Smith
12. JDV
11. Habana
10. Barret (was excellent off the bench in both Bok matches which were in truth the only contested ones for the AB's)
9. Smith
8. Read
7. Hooper
6. Lobbe
5. Whitelock (can't believe people have looked over him and gone for Retalick)
4. Etzebeth
3. Figallo
2. Du Plessis
1. Ayerza

 

[Big Ewis]

the Planet Rugby XV looks spot on..maybe Habana at 11 though.

 

[Aspry]

For me the positions in the squad that doesn't allows any discussions are:

14- Ben Smith
13- Conrad Smith
12- Jean De Villers
8- Kieran Read
3- Juan Figallo