greatest players not to get a test jersey

[Chief Pete]

Not saying he's the greatest ever but I think Petrus Du Plessis deserves an honourable mention, he was the starting tighthead for the Premiership & European champions for a few season's and was one of the best tighthead's in Europe at that time IMO...

 

[Immenso]

Everyone gets a cap these days. Loads of games, 8 subs, rotation. And from an NZ pov constant refresh as players leave for overseas club rugby rather than hanging around until their 30s.

The unlucky ones I have seen were from the amateur days. Most unlucky was Duane Monkley, the Waikato openside of the 1990s. He had Michael Jones and then Josh Kronfeld in his position and at other times selectors chose others when Jones was injured or unavailable.

Marty Brooke would be the next best NZ domestic player I saw go uncapped. Auckland lock of late 80s and early 90s, Zinzan and Robin's older brother. We chose some much worse but a few cm taller players instead, although they were just midweek all blacks anyway (Tregaskis etc)

 

[Immenso]

Everyone gets a cap these days. Loads of games, 8 subs, rotation. And from an NZ pov constant refresh as players leave for overseas club rugby rather than hanging around until their 30s.

The unlucky ones I have seen were from the amateur days. Most unlucky was Duane Monkley, the Waikato openside of the 1990s. He had Michael Jones and then Josh Kronfeld in his position and at other times selectors chose others when Jones was injured or unavailable.

Marty Brooke would be the next best NZ domestic player I saw go uncapped. Auckland lock of late 80s and early 90s, Zinzan and Robin's older brother. We chose some much worse but a few cm taller players instead, although they were just midweek all blacks anyway (Tregaskis etc)

 

[Leinster Fan]

I agree with the thrust of some if the posts here in that it's probably amateurs who were either the backup for a great player and didn't get on because of no sub's ala Warren Gatland (not saying he's the best ever, but he's a well known example of a player who never got a cap because he was second choice behind an all time legend) or a great player who didn't play for a fashionable club. Tadhg Furlong and Sean O'Brien probably wouldn't have ended up in the Ireland team 30 years ago because whoever was picking the team wasn't watching rugby in Longford or Carlow.

 

[smartcooky]

Robbie Fruean.... When he burst onto the scene he was destined to be a great All Black... was a whisker away from making the EOYT in 2010, just edged out by SBW...... never got the career he deserved due to heart complications.
Also James Lowe. His non-selection over the last couple years was criminal.

No-one could ever question Robbie's heart and desire to play or his absolute commitment to his team, and the following piece of action epitomises this. The Crusaders are 45-10 up against the Brumbies with less than 20 minutes to go, so game over really. Still, he wasn't going to let AAC get an easy runaway try



I had the privilege of being in the stands at Trafalgar Park to see this in person; it was much more impressive seeing it at the stadium than on TV.

 

[oggy57]

Can I put a word in for John Gray. He played hooker for Coventry late 60's - 73 and played for England in the 1973 World 7's which I suppose would now count as capped but didn't then. He was behind John Pullin in the pecking order but could do everything including goal kicking, eventually I suppose he got brassed off with not getting his chance and joined Wigan RL. Played for England and GB in pretty quick time before heading down to Australia where he played the rest of his rugby until injury finished him in about 1983. Just think a better Shalk Brits with a 70's pornstar moustache!