RWC Pool D World XV

[Melhor Time]

[h=2]Best players from Pool D in my view, are to follow. As stated with the three other pools, the selection is based only on players in each position. 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. Bare in mind that South Africa and Namibia both reserve the 6 and 7 positions to that used by the three other sides in the Pool - Wales, Fiji and Samoa. Namibia´s Jacques Burger was the countries outstanding player and played on both sides of the scrum. The best hooker on paper is certainly, without question, Bismarck du Plessis. However, with Smit starting three of the four games it is a complicated selection, but nonetheless nobody was better so I´ve gone with him. His start vs Samoa was, as I see it, good but not great by his standards. Another point is that Mike Phillips was very good vs South Africa but it took the Quarter Final match for him to step up again. In general Wales´ players were on good form throughout and have dominated my selection.

Pool C is the only one (from my choices) that gets players from all teams in the World XV.

15 Paul Williams (Samoa)
14 George North (Wales)
13 Jaque Fourie (South Africa)
12 Jamie Roberts (Wales)
11 Shane Williams (Wales)
10 Rhys Priestland (Wales)
9 Kahn Fotualii (Samoa)
7 Sam Warburton (Wales)
6 Jacques Burger (Namibia)
5 Victor Matfield (South Africa)
4 LukeCharteris (Wales)
3 Adam Jones (Wales)
2 Bismarck du Plessis (South Africa)
1 Gethin Jenkins (Wales)[/h]

 

[TRF_heineken]

hmmm Why is there only 14 players? oh yes... you left out no.8!!

Anyways, have to disagree with a number of these selections...

my obvious selection will be the no. 10 spot... How does Priestland get ahead of Morne Steyn? based on their individual performances, Morne played exceptionally well, He's still the player that has scored the most points during this World cup and yet the Boks are out... he's also the kicker with the best % ratio at goal. He also made a couple of line breaks and created some exceptional tries... so my question will be what was the criteria used to select Priestland ahead of Steyn.

Also I would have picked Francois Hougaard ahead of Fotualii... No other scrumhalf had as much an impact as Hougaard in any World Cup match, and please anyone who wants to disagree with me, by all means do... Even though he played a couple of games at wing, but even though he was on as wing on numerous times he took over as scrumhalf and shared that position with Fourie du Preez...

Lastly, Paul Williams shouldn't be there, Leigh Halfpenny should be there...

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Halfpenny didn't play fullback in the pools though - Paul Williams played well throughout and is deserving, imo

I agree with Priestland over Steyn, Steyn kicks well but is pants at getting his backs going etc. and running the ball, compared to Rhys

Jacques Burger played 7, not 6, as well....

 

[TRF_heineken]

Halfpenny didn't play fullback in the pools though - Paul Williams played well throughout and is deserving, imo

I agree with Priestland over Steyn, Steyn kicks well but is pants at getting his backs going etc. and running the ball, compared to Rhys

Jacques Burger played 7, not 6, as well....

So is this judging based only on pool games?? or all WC games.

2 of SA's games were close matches, and in both the Wales and the Samoa game, Steyn was better than the opposing fly-half...

vs Fiji and Namibia, Steyn did get his backline away with a lot af flair IMO... SA scored the most points in the tournament vs Namibia in a match, and to beat Fiji 48-3 was also no small feat... So once again, based on those performances, how was Priestland better than Steyn?

 

[TRF_Olyy]

it is only based on performances in the pool matches. Play-off´s games are not to be considered.

 

[Jer1cho]

15 Leigh Halfpenny (Wales)
14 George North (Wales)
13 Jaque Fourie (South Africa)
12 Jamie Roberts (Wales)
11 Francois Hougaard (South Africa)
10 Morne Steyn (South Africa)

9 Kahn Fotualii (Samoa)

8 George Stowers (Samoa)
7 Sam Warburton (Wales)
6 Schalk Burger (South Africa - regardless of whether or not he played 7, SA is swapped around anyway)
5 Victor Matfield (South Africa)
4 Danie Rossouw (South Africa)
3 Adam Jones (Wales)
2 Bismarck du Plessis (South Africa)
1 Gethin Jenkins (Wales)

 

[Melhor Time]

Sorry for missing the 8. My guy would be Faletau.

Olyy - J Burger played both 6 and 7.

15 Paul Williams (Samoa)
14 George North (Wales)
13 Jaque Fourie (South Africa)
12 Jamie Roberts (Wales)
11 Shane Williams (Wales)
10 Rhys Priestland (Wales)
9 Kahn Fotualii (Samoa)
8 Toby Faletau (Wales)
7 Sam Warburton (Wales)
6 Jacques Burger (Namibia)
5 Victor Matfield (South Africa)
4 LukeCharteris (Wales)
3 Adam Jones (Wales)
2 Bismarck du Plessis (South Africa)
1 Gethin Jenkins (Wales)

 

[Melhor Time]

So is this judging based only on pool games?? or all WC games.

2 of SA's games were close matches, and in both the Wales and the Samoa game, Steyn was better than the opposing fly-half...

vs Fiji and Namibia, Steyn did get his backline away with a lot af flair IMO... SA scored the most points in the tournament vs Namibia in a match, and to beat Fiji 48-3 was also no small feat... So once again, based on those performances, how was Priestland better than Steyn?

Morné Steyn did nothing in the World Cup. A great goal kicker, best going around but no large runs or passes to put others through. His defence was slow, again. His game vs Fiji is not so important and was certainly inferior to that of Preistlands vs the same team. Priestland, in contrast, has been the best 10 aside from Dan Carter in the World Cup. He has been very effective and smart. Doing the flyhalves job well. Fiji should be really embarrased. Namibia competed well for large parts of the match vs them.

 

[M Two One]

Jacques Burger started every match in the RWC at 7.

 

[Melhor Time]

Jacques Burger started every match in the RWC at 7.

That being the case he´d have to be replaced. He was wearing 7 at the game i went to (Namibia vs Wales). I thought he was 6 in a different game. Sorry about that. Schalk Burger was fatastic.

 

[dullonien]

So is this judging based only on pool games?? or all WC games.

2 of SA's games were close matches, and in both the Wales and the Samoa game, Steyn was better than the opposing fly-half...

vs Fiji and Namibia, Steyn did get his backline away with a lot af flair IMO... SA scored the most points in the tournament vs Namibia in a match, and to beat Fiji 48-3 was also no small feat... So once again, based on those performances, how was Priestland better than Steyn?

How was Steyn better than Priestland in the SA v Wales match? By getting knocked out of the way by Roberts every 5 mins? Priestland was excellent in that match, with his only mistake being the missed drop-goal. Fine it was an important miss in the end, but his performance for the other 79mins was top drawer. I'd say that Priestland was second only behind Carter in the world cup at 10.

I'd probably have Houghhard in ahead of Shane Williams on the left wong, because he played there more than at scrum half, and Shane, despite scoring the winning try v Samoa didn't have a great WC.

 

[TRF_heineken]

Morné Steyn did nothing in the World Cup. A great goal kicker, best going around but no large runs or passes to put others through

So your criteria is based on large passes to put others through??? Seriously??

His game vs Fiji is not so important and was certainly inferior to that of Preistlands vs the same team. Priestland, in contrast, has been the best 10 aside from Dan Carter in the World Cup.

I can name a few runs he made vs Fiji and Namibia, one vs Fiji he nearly scored, was tackled in front of the goal line and offloaded to Francois Steyn then got recycled back and Beast scored under the posts...

The game vs Wales, neither of them stood out, both kicked a few goals miss, both did their best on defence, BUT Priestland was less effective in execution than Steyn... Steyn was more composed and did what he had to do, at times Priestland didn't know what to do with the bloody ball and he also had a horrible drop goal attempt... The Samoa/Springboks game was a humdinger, and there i think credit must be given to Steyn, he did tremendously well to cover his channel against some big guys...

Also Samoa used 2 different fly halves against the Boks and Wales... Once again, I just want to know where Priestland overshadowed Steyn in the group matches?

How was Steyn better than Priestland in the SA v Wales match? By getting knocked out of the way by Roberts every 5 mins? Priestland was excellent in that match, with his only mistake being the missed drop-goal. Fine it was an important miss in the end, but his performance for the other 79mins was top drawer. I'd say that Priestland was second only behind Carter in the world cup at 10.

I'm trying to understand how the criteria works... if a team is picked as the best XV of pool D then it's about man to man picks... If Roberts was fly half, then by all means i would have agreed that Steyn had the bad end of the stick... If SA played the same gameplay as Wales did in that match, and Francois Steyn was at 12, would we ask this exact same question about Priestland??

All I want is clarification on how the selection process was done by Melhor Time... if there was stats, then please share them. If it was purely out of personal opinion, then just say so, I wouldn't have a problem with that... Just trying to understand how these lists was picked, that's all...

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

So your criteria is based on large passes to put others through??? Seriously??




I can name a few runs he made vs Fiji and Namibia, one vs Fiji he nearly scored, was tackled in front of the goal line and offloaded to Francois Steyn then got recycled back and Beast scored under the posts...

The game vs Wales, neither of them stood out, both kicked a few goals miss, both did their best on defence, BUT Priestland was less effective in execution than Steyn... Steyn was more composed and did what he had to do, at times Priestland didn't know what to do with the bloody ball and he also had a horrible drop goal attempt... The Samoa/Springboks game was a humdinger, and there i think credit must be given to Steyn, he did tremendously well to cover his channel against some big guys...

Also Samoa used 2 different fly halves against the Boks and Wales... Once again, I just want to know where Priestland overshadowed Steyn in the group matches?

I remember that one... I still suspect Jaque Fourie in disguise doing that though

 

[dullonien]

I'm trying to understand how the criteria works... if a team is picked as the best XV of pool D then it's about man to man picks... If Roberts was fly half, then by all means i would have agreed that Steyn had the bad end of the stick... If SA played the same gameplay as Wales did in that match, and Francois Steyn was at 12, would we ask this exact same question about Priestland??

All I want is clarification on how the selection process was done by Melhor Time... if there was stats, then please share them. If it was purely out of personal opinion, then just say so, I wouldn't have a problem with that... Just trying to understand how these lists was picked, that's all...

Fair enough. Pretty sure this is all just personal oppinion. Still think Priestland had a better WC than Steyn

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

Priestland has been 1 of the revelations of the RWC, easy as that.

 

[TRF_heineken]

Fair enough. Pretty sure this is all just personal oppinion. Still think Priestland had a better WC than Steyn

Priestland has been 1 of the revelations of the RWC, easy as that.

Lol, Thanx, and I agree, Priestland really had a good tournament, and really made the Welsh 10-shirt his own...
But in my opinion Morne Steyn also had a good tournament, his kicking boot was one of the main reasons we beaten Wales and stayed in contention vs Australia. he has tremendous BMT and I have a lot of respect for him...

 

[UilamOsa]

Where's Tasesa Lavea?

He was easily Wales best player against Samoa.

 

[Siva Tau]

15 Lambie (SA)
14 Namibian winger cant remember his name - was very good
13 Jones(Wales)
12 Jamie Roberts (Wales)
11 Shane Williams (Wales)
10 Tusi Pisi (Samoa) - classiest 10 aside from Carter & Cooper
9 Mike Phillips(Wales)
8 George Stowers (Samoa)
7 Sam Warburton (Wales)
6 Schalk Burger (SA) - he was 7 but imo effectively a 6
5 Victor Matfield (South Africa)
4 LukeCharteris (Wales)
3 Adam Jones (Wales)
2 Bismarck du Plessis (South Africa)
1 Steenkamp(SA)

 

[dullonien]

That looks pretty good Siva Tau. Do you mean Davies at 13, because we haven't got a centre with a surname of Jones (I know, hard to believe)? If so, I don't think I agree with you. Davies' best game came against Ireland in the quarters, but that doesn't count here. Scott Williams had a great game v Namibia, but overall I'd say Fourie was the best outside centre of the pool, even if he wasn't quite as good as we know he can be.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Shame there's no room for Fuimaono-Sapolu, he had a great game vs SA and in his appearances off of the bench
Did he come on at 13 at any point? Or did Roberts play 13 at any point? That way we could accommodate both in the squad