RWC Pool A World XV

[Melhor Time]

Best players from Pool A, in my view, are listed below. The criteria is simple - nobody can be put out of position and it is only based on performances in the pool matches. Play-off´s games are not to be considered. Nor is game time in a different position. Hence no place for and Dusautoir, despite wearing 6 played in the openside flanker position.

15 Israel Dagg (New Zealand)
14 Vincent Clerc (France)
13 DTH van der Merwe (Canada)
12 Ma´a Nonu (New Zealand)
11 Richard Kahui (New Zealand)
10 Dan Carter (New Zealand)
9 Dimitri Yachvilli (France)
8 Aaron Carpenter (Canada)
7 Richie McCaw (New Zealand)
6 Julien Bonnaire (France)
5 Lionel Nallet (France)
4 Jebb Sinclair (Canada)
3 Nicolas Mas (France)
2 Kevin Mealamu (New Zealand)
1 Soane Tongauiha (Tonga)

 

[TRF_Olyy]

The criteria is simple - nobody can be put out of position

Why have you put Bonnaire at 6 then? He's a 7

Put Kleeburger in his place - he was quality

 

[Melhor Time]

Why have you put Bonnaire at 6 then? He's a 7

Put Kleeburger in his place - he was quality

Kleeberger was considered and missed out to Bonnaire who wears 7 but plays 6 with Dusautoir playing 7 but in the 6 shirt.

 

[elgringoborracho]

the all blacks team might be enough..

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

Kleeberger was considered and missed out to Bonnaire who wears 7 but plays 6 with Dusautoir playing 7 but in the 6 shirt.

Not really... In South Africa, the flankers are that way, in France the flankers are assigned a side of the scrum, nog necessarily openside and blindside.

 

[markshaw]

9.Piri

 

[Darwin]

Hard to argue with most of those selections - the only ones I would really disagree with are the loose-forwards:

The obvious omission is Jerome Kaino at 6 - he played every minute for the AB's and was close to man of the match in every game (I think he won the official Man of Match award vs Canada too). I don't think any 6 in the tournament has performed close to as well as Kaino did in the pool stages (Kaino has also stood out during the playoffs, but that isn't even taken into account). I certainly wouldn't pick McCaw at 7 either - he was very quiet during the pool stage - his only standout match of the tournament so far was in the semi-final versus Australia. The standout 7 for me was Japan's Michael Leitch (Japan's best player along with Arlidge in my opinion), though there could be a good argument for Canada's O'Toole.

 

[james5000]

Hard to argue with most of those selections - the only ones I would really disagree with are the loose-forwards:

The obvious omission is Jerome Kaino at 6 - he played every minute for the AB's and was close to man of the match in every game (I think he won the official Man of Match award vs Canada too). I don't think any 6 in the tournament has performed close to as well as Kaino did in the pool stages (Kaino has also stood out during the playoffs, but that isn't even taken into account). I certainly wouldn't pick McCaw at 7 either - he was very quiet during the pool stage - his only standout match of the tournament so far was in the semi-final versus Australia. The standout 7 for me was Japan's Michael Leitch (Japan's best player along with Arlidge in my opinion), though there could be a good argument for Canada's O'Toole.

Agree with all of this, I would add Shota Horie and take out Mealamu. If anything Mealamu was riding shot gun to Hore in the pool stages.

Ohh and Franks for Mas

 

[Darwin]

Agree with all of this, I would add Shota Horie and take out Mealamu. If anything Mealamu was riding shot gun to Hore in the pool stages.

Ohh and Franks for Mas

Yeah I'd probably agree with those two changes too. I'd forgot about Horie, he was outstanding for Japan.

 

[LittleGuy]

I would put Arlidge in at #10.

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

Arlidge ahead of the great Colin Slade?

 

[Melhor Time]

I would put Arlidge in at #10.

He was outstanding vs France and strong vs Canada but not so vs Tonga. Japan should have defeated Tonga but Arlidge was off his game. The big Tongan´s targetted him and his performance fell. His goalkicking was also down by some distance in this match. Had he played well, Japan would have won the match. So, I haven´t not gone for him.

Markshaw

Piri Weepu at 9. No, not on form in the pool. He was nowhere near being where he is now after the QF and SF matches. No place for him sorry. Not in my team anyway. A certain Canadian Cult hero was just as good as him in the Pool phase.

 

[IKALETAHI]

Sonny Bill and Nonu dominated during pool stages SBW and Nonu dominated everyone. So I would have them, wasnt it SBW who bumped of DTH only to have him leave inj afterwards.

Moa outplayed yachvili in the Tonga vs France game and was sharp throughout. Where is FRANKS? gets around the field like a flanker (stats show he is first to more breakdowns then any other ALL BLACK and still out scrums everyone) Jane and Hufanga showed to be better wingers then anything France have.

 

[Canucks]

Ikelathi, I agree with most of what you said.

Nonu and SBW did dominate. I do think the criteria is strictly at the 13 position and in this pool it does come down to DTH and SBW.

I personally think SBW could be one the absolute best players in the world if given enough playing time, his offloads are amazing and he reads open play like no one else. I think the only knock against is that he plays on the ABs. He gets an all-star team around him and really no one wants to see an all AB XV in this thread.

I think DTH is a more well rounded player but SBW is a class above DTH (if that makes any sense.) DTH is fast, can kick, great defensively, can give hits with and without the ball, and hugely important to Canada. Both can break down defense but DTH with speed and power, SBW with power and world class offloading.

I think the way people look at it is that Canada wouldn't beat Tonga without DTH, whereas NZ would beat Tonga without SBW. Would SBW be as good on Canada? How would DTH look playing for Kiwis?
As well, DTH got hurt in France game and I really felt he shouldn't have even played vs the ABs. I believe he reinjured himself doing the behind the back while flying out of bounds offload when he landed face first in a moment of glory
Ahahhaha that's actually pretty funny, SBW doesn't get hurt doing offloads.

I don't think Moa should beat out Yachvili, but Morath deserves some consideration as he was steady throughout the tournament. Made all the necessary kicks and was a calming influence on Tonga who are normally a bit over the edge. Another player missing was Zona Taumololo(despite the trash talking.) Scored a try vs ABs, played great vs France, definately outplayed Tonga'huia who looked a bit out of place on Tonga. Tonga'huia needs a team that thrives in open play (ie Northampton Saints.)

 

[M Two One]

Imanol Harinordoquy, Thierry Dusautoir and Adam Kleeberger are three players I'd have in my selection.

 

[Heath Taylor]

that guy Onazawa from Japan should be at number 11,also the hooker should be Pat Riordan for canada and number 6-Jerome Kaino + number 9-Morgan Parra


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[Heath Taylor]

Aside from that that's a top notch starting 15


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