Best 15 of the tournament?

[Kiwiwomble]

I have to be honest here, I thought Nonu had a really quiet tournement, he was marked out of games. he wouldn't make my XV

Didn't have bad one though, he ran hard well but didn't break the line. the last few years our main attack came through the midfield (either dan breaking and feeding nonu or nonu breaking and feeding smith to distribute) during the world cup we didn't see alot of that and tended to look wide or for dagg coming into the line

 

[Dizzy]

Not entirely true, Nonu broke the line on numerous occassions during pool play, but that's pool play. And he's a menace for the defense as he has that draw factor for players where they KNOW they HAVE to make the tackle. But he is my 12 not only because he is good on attack but because he's a more COMPLETE player than any 12 we've seen in the tournament. Yes sure Jamie Roberts deserves mention as he was one of my favourite players during the tournament, BUT although he was great at busting through/into defense lines, that's ALL he had and his talent of breaking the line went missing in his final 2 games. Nonu had the distributing ability, he had the support play you needed, the defensive awareness, positioning and even had a fair kick on him in a couple of games [most notably the kick vs France in the Final]

Just because he wasn't AS dangerous on attack AS usual doesn't mean he has gotten worse at all. It could mean that the defense has just gotten better and they've targetted him as a threat. So Nonu is the only logical selection for me.

 

[Kiwiwomble]

Not entirely true, Nonu broke the line on numerous occassions during pool play, but that's pool play. And he's a menace for the defense as he has that draw factor for players where they KNOW they HAVE to make the tackle. But he is my 12 not only because he is good on attack but because he's a more COMPLETE player than any 12 we've seen in the tournament. Yes sure Jamie Roberts deserves mention as he was one of my favourite players during the tournament, BUT although he was great at busting through/into defense lines, that's ALL he had and his talent of breaking the line went missing in his final 2 games. Nonu had the distributing ability, he had the support play you needed, the defensive awareness, positioning and even had a fair kick on him in a couple of games [most notably the kick vs France in the Final]

Just because he wasn't AS dangerous on attack AS usual doesn't mean he has gotten worse at all. It could mean that the defense has just gotten better and they've targetted him as a threat. So Nonu is the only logical selection for me.

I never said he had gotten worse...in fact, i said he had been marked out of games (drawing alot of tacklers)

 

[Dizzy]

Sorry when you said "marked out of games" I interpreted that as in he was taken out of games continuously.

 

[scarlets-fan]

Wales lost 3 games in the tournament, how were they one of the best 2 sides? lol.

Even in his limited playing time, Bismark should be number 2, and I really think Schalk Burger should replace Kaino.

As someone else pointed out we only lost those games on kicks, and in the SA and France games we were the better team. Also we were the second highest points scorers in the pool stages after New Zealand.

Bismark shouldn't be in the tournament 15, he is probably the best hooker in the world but didn't get his chance at this tournament. I would probably pick Burger over Kaino cos Burger's much more destructive.

 

[Kiwiwomble]

Sorry when you said "marked out of games" I interpreted that as in he was taken out of games continuously.

its just hard to light the world on fire when you are attracting all the attention, i think the same could be said for smith and probably for the same reasons. both played well but couldn't do everything they wanted to as were marked men

 

[Dizzy]

True and I agree with you there as Smith really was absent this tournament. But Nonu didn't. His game is more complete than any other no.12 IMO, and he is there defensively, his support play is great and he just has a high work rate all round which is why I have picked him in mine

 

[j'nuh]

Woodcock
Mealamu
Mas
O'Connell/Russouw
Thorn
Kaino
Warburton (pretty much contended for man of the match in every game he played except against France) or Pocock (put in the performance of the tournament, and if you count the red card against Warburton too much, then he's next in line)
Harinordoquy
No-one deserves this.
Priestland (or Steyn)
Clerc
Roberts (it could have gone either way with him and Nonu)
Fourie (or Tuilagi - I don't know, it wasn't a particularly inspired tournament for 13s)
North
Dagg

I'm finding it hard to select NZ wingers. When France rushed their defense fast enough to cut the service to NZ's wingers, they became anonymous. The best wingers will go looking for work when this happens, and even though I've heard Jane had a great game against Aus, that's enough to put me off his selection.

 

[William18]

I don't know how Dan Carter would make this. He played like two games? His selection in anyone's team or squad is ludicrous. The same thing can be said for McCaw. He's a great player but he only played well in the semi and the final and in the latter game he was outplayed by Dusatoir.

 

[Jer1cho]

As someone else pointed out we only lost those games on kicks, and in the SA and France games we were the better team. Also we were the second highest points scorers in the pool stages after New Zealand.

We were far better than Australia, and didn't even lose on kicks, yet Australia finished third. Redundant statement. You were not the second best team at the tournament. Yes, Wales played some good rugby, but fact is, still lost to Australia, France, and South Africa.

 

[Aristodemus]

Beale
North
Tuilagi
Nonu
Kahui
Carter
Genia
Parisse
Pocock
Kaino
Matlock
Horwill
Mas
Du Plessis
Steenkamp

Edit: Oh and Wales were not the second best team at the tournament.

 

[j'nuh]

Parisse? Really? He's a brilliant player, but he didn't have an amazing tournament by his standards, and there were a lot of other big performances at 8 (Harinordoquy, Faletau, Read, Stowers...)

And Wales really were the second best team of the tournament, provided that they had Warburton play the full 80. I'd then be tempted to say South Africa were the next best...

 

[scarlets-fan]

We were far better than Australia, and didn't even lose on kicks, yet Australia finished third. Redundant statement. You were not the second best team at the tournament. Yes, Wales played some good rugby, but fact is, still lost to Australia, France, and South Africa.

No against Aus you didn't lose on kicks, you lost on tries. I don't think losing 3 games by a collective of 5 points is a redundant statement, it reflects the performances we put in. Which throughout the tournament were better than France's and I think better than Australia's. Might be subjective but from reading this forum I saw it was a shared opinion that Wales were the second best team.

 

[j'nuh]

^ Agree with this. You can't say results alone decide how good a team are. Otherwise Tonga are better than France, Canada are better than Tonga, and France are better than Canada (OMG PARADOX). Also, who is the second best team? France and Wales lost 3 times. Aus lost twice. England only lost once. You'd have a hard time convincing me that England are currently the second best team in the world because they only lost once though...

 

[scarlets-fan]

Exactly, Wales beat Ireland, Ireland beat Australia, Australia beat Wales. Also Ireland, England and South Africa won all their pool games but none made it to the semi's.

 

[Rhyer]

I still wouldn't say Wales is that great, maybe the Six Nations can prove me wrong but I think they'd bunk it like they usually do, they aren't a great side and the hype around them is really ******* me off now.

 

[big ginger 8]

1. Healy
2. Tincu
3. Mas
4. Thorn
5. O'Connell
6. Ferris
7. Warburton
8. Faletau
9. Foto'luai
10. Priestland
11. North
12. Roberts
13. (out of patriotism) O'Driscoll
14. O'Connor
15. Dagg

 

[JW.]

1. Jenkins (Not sure how someone can put Healy over Jenkins
2. Tincu
3. Franks
4. Thorn
5. Charteris
6. Kaino
7. Warburton
8. Haronordique?
9. Foto'luai
10. Carter (even if he only played a couple, he was still by far the best.)
11. North
12. Roberts
13. Tuilagi/Smith.
14. Clerc
15. Dagg

 

[big ginger 8]

1. Jenkins (Not sure how someone can put Healy over Jenkins

Is that meant to be dig at me? Easy look at my profie pic and signature obviously I am slightly biased towards him and overall he did have a brilliant tournament. Aso I preferred his kick to Jenkins'

 

[scarlets-fan]

I still wouldn't say Wales is that great, maybe the Six Nations can prove me wrong but I think they'd bunk it like they usually do, they aren't a great side and the hype around them is really ******* me off now.

I think the six nations will be the best test for this side, because you can't afford to lose a single game if you want to win it. Which is what wales lacked in the world cup, getting the W when it counts.

I can understand how the hype would **** everyone off because wales as a nation is mad about rugby, so when we've got something to cheer about, we wont let it go! haha Where else would you get 61,000 people watching the game on a screen at 8:30 on a saturday morning.