[2014 EOYT] SELECT XV's

[goodNumber10]

one thread to rule them all i think:

Guscotts: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/30269070

Not bad, not bad.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

What England could do with the Irish half backs...

 

[Every Time Ref]

Oh man, this could ruin my evening...we're supposed to be decorating the tree tonight, you might have just caused an irreparable argument chez Every Time Ref...

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

What England could do with the Irish half backs...

Ruin them?

 

[Big Ewis]

ok I don't mean to brag or anything but check out this magnificent post, the mathematical hotness.



Binary magic. Numeric orgasmic.

Okay you may now resume your boring common function again, quit staring at my sexy figure (get it, sexy 'figure')

As for my contribution to this topic, well uhm I don't like Guscott very much, he seems like a complexed aggressive sad little person to me every time.

 

[iINDOMINUSxx]

one thread to rule them all i think:

Guscotts: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/30269070






Not bad, not bad.

wow i was reading the article, Ross Ford had the best line-out success rate ?, haha who would thought possible, totally changes my views on him. Anyway agree with the majority off the squad but i would personally have Blair Cowan over Robshaw though i haven't seem much off Robshaw in the autumn tests, only because he has really shown his worth for the scotland team, has a great work rate and was strong in both attack and defence, I also would had added one off the Gray bothers into that (i think Jonny because he is young and only had 2 caps before the autumn tests and played very very well against Argentina) I wont change the back line as i agree with it but should give a mention to Tommy Seymour or even Liam Williams or Stuart Hogg as they all played well.

For the southern Hemisphere team yet again not much to change from that but i think Duane Vermeulen should be in there. Adriaan Strauss ? i would have went for Bismarck du Plessis, And i'm not sure if i would have Israel folau or Willie Le Roux even though i would favour folau. I didn't see alot from Aaron Smith but i would had have Nick Phipps over him though in my opinion. But agree with most off the team there.

 

[Every Time Ref]

OK, here we go. Southern hemisphere first:

1. Ayerza ARG
2. Creevy ARG
3. Franks NZ
4. Etsebeth SA
5. Retallick NZ
6. Kaino NZ
7. Hooper AUS
8. Vermeulen SA
9. Reinach SA
10. Sanchez ARG
11. Savea NZ
12. deViliers SA
13. Kuridrani AUS
14. AA Cooper AUS
15. B Smith NZ

Northern hemisphere:

1. Dickinson SCO
2. Best IRE
3. Wilson ENG
4. R Gray SCO
5. O'Connoll IRE
6. Dusatoir FRA
7. Warburton WAL
8. Morgan ENG
9. Murray IRE
10. Biggar WAL
11. Thomas FRA
12. Roberts WAL
13. ??????? ???
14. Bowe IRE
15. Spedding FRA

I'm afraid I simply cannot think of a thirteen, no-one played noticeably well there. Ireland are still sorting there centre partnership, France played three different players there in three games (one of whom is really a prop), Jonathan Davies looked very rusty (and I've never massively rated him even at his best), Barrit actually played pretty well but come on, Scotland ... actually I remember being impressed with Bennett against Argentina but I didn't see the Tonga match and was really drunk for the game against ABs so don't know what else he did. I do remember a fair amount of midfield tackling going down against NZ, so maybe he's my man ...

 

[Horacito]

Choosing Adrian Strauss over Creevy it's a very good proof of (mis)judgement. Only Bismarck du Plessis could be choosen ahead of Agus.

New Zealand's first row is a joke compared to the rest of the team, to pick Franks is also very funny and very indicative of the misjudgement of press and fans over the task of the props. Sometimes I feel only props should talk about other props.

 

[ENZED-88]

:

Choosing Adrian Strauss over Creevy it's a very good proof of (mis)judgement. Only Bismarck du Plessis could be choosen ahead of Agus.

New Zealand's first row is a joke compared to the rest of the team, to pick Franks is also very funny and very indicative of the misjudgement of press and fans over the task of the props. Sometimes I feel only props should talk about other props.

Depends what the rest of your team looks like. If they're ****house with ball in hand you would opt for a more set piece orientated team.some coaches with a good atacking/counter attacking team go for more mobile front row who can offload,pass instead of looking for contact( Dane Coles, famauina, slipper) it's 2014 bro an most teams are still playing old school props instead of upgrading to the 2014 versions. The days where front rowers are only good for pick n goes or one out runs are over teams are gonna have to change with the times or get left behind.

I agree with you on franks though brother, he is extremely overrated and has been for a couple years.

But hey man there's 15 players in a team if it was all about the front row England and Argentina would be ranked 1 and 2 but they're not, that team with a joke of a front row are.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

And the team starting that deadbeat Strauss at 2 are in 2nd so surely he isn't a total liability.

 

[ENZED-88]

And the team starting that deadbeat Strauss at 2 are in 2nd so surely he isn't a total liability.

Hope that's not aimed at me mister stormer Strauss is in my world xv

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Hope that's not aimed at me mister stormer Strauss is in my world xv

Of course not. If anything I thought my post was backing you up.

In general while I do rate Creevy very highly I feel dismissing people who have gone for Strauss is a bit unfair.

 

[inteNZity]

Choosing Adrian Strauss over Creevy it's a very good proof of (mis)judgement. Only Bismarck du Plessis could be choosen ahead of Agus.

New Zealand's first row is a joke compared to the rest of the team, to pick Franks is also very funny and very indicative of the misjudgement of press and fans over the task of the props. Sometimes I feel only props should talk about other props.

Franks and all the NZ props may not be the greatest scrummagers in the world, or the best at the rolling maul or any other area of task of a prop but they are able to do them well enough to get by whilst also contributing to the NZ game plan of playing fast and wide whilst defending as a straight line and doing so for 80+ minutes. Franks is particularly good at this. NZ wins games by wearing down the opposition, it is often the opposition props that slow down first. the Aussie props are also very good at defending and playing wide and fast but are unable to do the props basic tasks well enough which allows opposition teams to exploit this to their advantage. this may be why Owen Franks could be considered the best prop in the world.

 

[ENZED-88]

Of course not. If anything I thought my post was backing you up.

In general while I do rate Creevy very highly I feel dismissing people who have gone for Strauss is a bit unfair.

Yea sorry man one to many bongs. If you asked me this time last year I would have picked Bismarck but for some reason he lost form, pretty unfair SA having the no1 and no2 hookers, might have to send one of them to NZ change his name, have him sign with the Blues and prep for the World Cup ( Strauss would look good in Black)

- - - Updated - - -

Franks and all the NZ props may not be the greatest scrummagers in the world, or the best at the rolling maul or any other area of task of a prop but they are able to do them well enough to get by whilst also contributing to the NZ game plan of playing fast and wide whilst defending as a straight line and doing so for 80+ minutes. Franks is particularly good at this. NZ wins games by wearing down the opposition, it is often the opposition props that slow down first. the Aussie props are also very good at defending and playing wide and fast but are unable to do the props basic tasks well enough which allows opposition teams to exploit this to their advantage. this may be why Owen Franks could be considered the best prop in the world.

Come on bro whats franks missed tackles stat? Every second tackle he falls off. It's frustrating watching famauina as I feel that Jersey could be his if he didn't supplement all his training with KFC.

 

[nickdnz]

Faumuina isn't half the scrummager Owen Franks is.

NH tour Owen Franks was tackling at 85% - Faumuina was at 79%...

During SR O Franks was tackling at 88% compared to Faumuina's 86%.

 

[inteNZity]

Come on bro whats franks missed tackles stat? Every second tackle he falls off. It's frustrating watching famauina as I feel that Jersey could be his if he didn't supplement all his training with KFC.[/QUOTE]

to miss a tackle you have to be where the ball carrier is, and then miss him... the prop standing on half way as Barrett runs over the try line to score will not be credited with a missed tackle even if the gap Barrett ran through was the channel that prop was supposed to be tackling in. Owen may miss tackles in traffic of a player running angles but he fills the hole so the next player gets them, that's called a defence.

 

[Horacito]

People keep saying Bismarck has lost shape, but in one single movement he took two defenders and gave Jean de Villiers and SA the victory over NZ. He is, no doubt, top of the notch: amazing sense of attack, great physique, supreme scrumming, world class at the line and good defender.

The problem is Strauss is a world class player with huge ambition, and he makes worth the time on the field, but that's just Mayer giving him the minutes he deserves as a player before the WC, not a recognition to be better than Bismarck.

The problem with Creevy is he's international career is too recent, but he has more skills, he's strong as Bismarck and has an offload almost as good as Kieran Reed, amazing scrum and good defense.

And it's simply the fact that his end of the year is better than Adrian and Bismarck. Here some of his best skills:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dw-86RYNeSY

 

[Big Ewis]

to summarize: the best thing about Creevy and Bismarck is they're flankers who also insure hooker skills. Again to make this short, Creevy's workrate this entire int'l season is what has made him the best in the world, that and the fact Bismarck hasn't had the best form consistently.

About NZ and their front row, it's cultural:
they haven't had a dominant front row since Hayman left them. But unlike France who until recently had the best scrum in the world, that front row is made up of guys who can offload and have velvet skill whilst holding up ok in the scrum, and it's working out, so far. NZ's second unit is a problem: when's the last time before 2014 NZ conceded a *penalty try* while being 8 vs 8 ???...(2009 in Italy it should've happened, though).
In a perfect world, NZ should be fielding Carl Hayman with Owen Franks off the bench, but the world Rugby chessboard has changed and players go overseas and lead epic careers elsewhere now too and the NZRU won't pick those anymore.

I do know for a fact though that although "no scrum no win" is wrong today (as just one e.g. I mention one word: 'Wallabies') - the scrum in itself can be the difference maker in having a higher or lower score after 80min than your opponent. It's not like NZ have a choice (well actually, maybe should've picked Hayman all those years...), but hopefully for them this doesn't come and bite them in the butt at the RWC in a KO game.

 

[nickdnz]

Actually in 2009 it certainly should not have happened - Italy should have been penalized for boring in consistency. The horrific refereeing performance from Stuart Dickinson was one of the reasons he was only ever allowed two more international rugby matches again - and was rightly criticized by O'Brien for simply not enforcing any rules and incorrectly yellow carding Neemia Tialata.

 

[Big Ewis]

Would you say Italy had some ascendency in the scrum in that match or no, not at all ?