Season in review: best player by position

[Tony Manx]

Do you have the locks, Ewis?

Oh go on BE.....we love you and your anlaysis really even if we are half asleep!

Edit: You might have waited until you were asked................!!!

 

[Big Ewis]

FLANKERS

- Antoine Burban (Paris): 26yo, poison in the rucks, a big tackler, and a powerful ball carrier, big workrate, never gives up on plays. Solid shoulders to lay responsibility on. Never had luck so far with health...

- Juan Smith (Toulon): 32yo, a resurrection Rugby wise. Boudjellal got him out of retirement. Good defender, very powerful, strong ball carrier, good at lineouts...precious for Toulon.

- Gerhard Vosloo (Clermont): 35yo, mega tackler, strong runner/carrier. Strange ASM actually got rid of him, as he's going to......to ??........TOULON of course.

- Antoine Battut (Racing): 30yo, excellent for lineouts, 3rd best counterer, big competition for his position in his club (Le Roux, Gerondeau, Lydiate, Lauret), and he's started all his matches.

- Yacouba Camara (Toulouse): 20yo, young as fk (well they don't put it this way in the article). Super athletic, crazy athletic in fact for a tall flanker. Already powerful but needs a tad more in this day and age, but already a good tackler.

Mentions to: Dominiko Waqaniburotu (Brive), Hugh Chalmers (Bordeaux), Jonathan Best (Grenoble), Yannick Nyanga (Toulouse), Alexandre Bias (Montpellier).

 

[Big Ewis]

Oh go on BE.....we love you and your anlaysis really even if we are half asleep!

Edit: You might have waited until you were asked................!!!

well I have absolutely no guarantee anybody reads them at all if I don't get replies !...

 

[iINDOMINUSxx]

aaaaalright, doin' this just for you Draggs !

LOCKS

- Juandre Kruger (Racing): second best lineout-counterer in the league. Excellent for Racing lineout. His power and workrate have made him a regular starter on a loaded team. And great recognition to be selected by the Baabaas (and World XV ? Forgot...). 28yo.

- Bakkies Botha (Toulon): at 34yo, the grunt, the taunting, the grueling battles in the ruck...no intro needed.

- Capo Ortega (Castres): at 33yo, the Uruguayan has just been a workhorse for his club. 73 minutes-per-game. Played all of the Castres playoff matches.

- Arnaud Mela (Brive): 34yo, discreet but gets a huge load done. 73 m.p.g.

- Alexandre Flanquart (Paris): just 24yo, this year was his true arrival in the Top 14 and world Rugby. 2m06 tall, a big bonus for lineouts and very good mobility for a lock. His partnership with Papé has been very beneficial for Paris.

Mentions to: Juandre Marais (Bordeaux), Jocelino Suta (Toulon), Thibault Lassalle (Oyonnax), Julien Ledevec (Brive) whom the France staff was interested in a month ago, François Van de Merwe (Racing).

Richie Gray ?

 

[Draggs]

Richie Gray ?

Lol...

Marais was never given a fair shot in Durban, his brother Peet is the same way, also France-bound.

Flanquart is a beanpole, tall and lanky. I haven't seen much of him at international level, but wonder if he might need to bulk up.

 

[Big Ewis]

Lol...

Marais was never given a fair shot in Durban, his brother Peet is the same way, also France-bound.

Flanquart is a beanpole, tall and lanky. I haven't seen much of him at international level, but wonder if he might need to bulk up.

a$shole !...he's not that bad.
And Flanquart's issue has always been power, esp in today's Rugby world, a forward just can't afford to be that "skinny". Interesting because wiki has him at just over 100kg, while many official sources (reliable ? not certain) have him at 117kg. Given that he's 2m06 and has bulked up already quite a bit the past few months, I'd say it's a possibility.

Here friends, let me get a current picture:












































Note: will make the no.8's soon.

 

[Mrs. Peter Quinn]

Richie Gray ?

LOl...?

 

[Cacambo]

View attachment 2989


Note: will make the no.8's soon.

Dieux du Stade is hilarious.

Thought it was pretty insane that the fan voting on RR has the top tighthead, hooker, loosehead, lock, flanker and 8th man as Toulon players. Chiocci, Burden, Haymans, Bakkis, Smith, Stefon. Kockott is beating Tillous-Borde by 1% thus far.

 

[Big Ewis]

oh that's right, random American guy whom I've never seen ! Many, many Toulonais there...
you can read ze French ??

NO.8

- Steffon Armitage (Toulon): started 21 of 25 games, 28yo, what more needs to be said ? The best fetcher in...the world ? Good ball in hand, good pace, huge workrate, good tackler...simply the ERC European Player of the Year. Although of course, not really a no.8 but played that jersey all year for an injured Chris Masoe.

- Alex Tulou (Montypellier): Huge physique, this Samoan has been the battering ram MP has solicited often this year to get things going on attack. Scoring 7 tries himself this year, he's been an intrinsic part of a fantastic attacking display by Galthié's men.

- Fritz Lee (Clermont): monster tackler, huge carrier. He's been highly helpful to a team that loves to score tries, and on par with the demands.

- Sisaro Koyamaibole (Brive): have barely watched this team, with regret now (seeing so many Briviste in the top voted players...). 19 starts in 20 matches, 34yo, from Fiji, 1m93 and 120kg, apparently the stereotypical monster carrier from the Pac Islands, has been essential to Brive's survival in a league full of loaded clubs.

- Antonie Claassen (Castres): an elegant South African Frenchman. Good passer for a forward, but doesn't lack power. Good defender, and as all good Saffas, likes a good fight in the raacks.

Mentions to: Sergio Parisse (Stade français), Louis Picamoles (Toulouse), Matthew Clarkin (Bordeaux-Bègles) et Viliami Ma'afu (Oyonnax).
Source: http://www.rugbyrama.fr/rugby/top-1...ro-huit-du-championnat_sto4278519/story.shtml


I disagree with Claassen being in the Top 5. I think Picamoles deserves a place there, being on a team that played relatively like crap doesn't make you individually any worse. I agree with the Top 3.

 

[Cacambo]

oh that's right, random American guy whom I've never seen ! Many, many Toulonais there...
you can read ze French ??

- Alex Tulou (Montypellier): Huge physique, this Samoan has been the battering ram MP has solicited often this year to get things going on attack. Scoring 7 tries himself this year, he's been an intrinsic part of a fantastic attacking display by Galthié's men

Indeed, je peux lire ze French. Alas, my composition and oral communication skills leave a lot to be desired.

Does Alex Tolou's lone 7's cap for NZ lock him out from being French qualified? Find it odd that he apparently doesn't have any XVs caps. France could field a super 'French' backrow of Claassen, Le Roux, and Tolou. Though I suppose Chouly, Picamoles, Galan, ect have 8 covered well enough.

 

[Big Ewis]

so what's your story, one of these weird Americans who turned to other countries for inspiration and became a francophile ? Rugby, the french language...
Anyways, Chouly should appear somewhere in those lists. Maybe not as no.8 because Clermont start Lee but...

For Tolou, I think just one cap with any one country makes you ineligible permanently for another. Even if it's a Sevens game.

You follow the Top 14 a bit over there ?

 

[Cacambo]

so what's your story, one of these weird Americans who turned to other countries for inspiration and became a francophile ? Rugby, the french language...
Anyways, Chouly should appear somewhere in those lists. Maybe not as no.8 because Clermont start Lee but...

For Tolou, I think just one cap with any one country makes you ineligible permanently for another. Even if it's a Sevens game.

You follow the Top 14 a bit over there ?

I took French in middle school because the class went to France and Spain on a spring break trip, kept it up through HS and some of college. My sister was in Lyon for a little while so got to travel out there and visit her, ended up in the country for the '06 world cup which was pretty awesome, though I was in Florence for the final and saw some French fan get clubbed unconscious by a motorcycle helmet so I may have changed my allegiance for that night. Played rugby throughout university.

Thanks to the miracle of acrossthetasman, I've been following Super Rugby/Top 14/the competition formerly known as the Heineken Cup pretty closely since 06-ish.

Pretty shocked Chouly didn't even get an honorable mention for flanker or 8 as well.

So this isn't just an autobiography of a post, their top 5 9s--

1-Kockott
2-Heini Adams--I feel as though I missed out on something by not watching many Bordeaux matches...
3-Tillous-Borde
4-Pelissie-tailed off pretty hard? He was getting tons of love back in September-ish I think
5-Machenaud

 

[gaston le gaff]

Pelissie did not tail off as you put it, but was injured for a couple of months shoulders both, or he would have been on the list. will play for France soner than later!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Tony Manx]

Pelissie did not tail off as you put it, but was injured for a couple of months shoulders both, or he would have been on the list. will play for France soner than later!!!!!!!!!!!

Pelisse plays for? Ah yes.....Montpellier!!

As an aside. Please watch out for Lesgourges at Bordeaux next season.....he was by far the best player at BO last season (not saying a lot I know) but I have high hopes for this young man and I think he will become a class player in a better team.

 

[gaston le gaff]

So Tony will we be supporting a TOP 14 TEAM THIS SEASON or will you be updating us on the Pro D2 and i got my wishes La Rochelle up in the TOP 14 phoned Rassie and was told must visit so we are going!!!!!!!!!!!!!! seafood seafoood seafooood seafoooood!!!

 

[Big Ewis]

Pelisse plays for? Ah yes.....Montpellier!!

As an aside. Please watch out for Lesgourges at Bordeaux next season.....he was by far the best player at BO last season (not saying a lot I know) but I have high hopes for this young man and I think he will become a class player in a better team.

so I've read, many times. The guy must be pretty darn good for ppl to notice someone in Biarritz this year.
And yeah Tony, so what now for you and Bloody Opeless ? Why don't you just pick another Top 14 side for the year ? You can always lament your dearest loss intimately on the side, you know.

Cacambo, alright cool stuff. Yes, acrosstehtazzzman is a miracle indeed...and I agree with you, I wish I could start my season all over again and follow more Bordeaux, and a bit more Brive too this year. I liked Bordeaux a lot in 2012-2013 with Lopez at 10, but sorta forgot about em this year.
My wish is to see Parra with Pélissié on the bench for France, as good as the others are. And Doussain lost a TON of points for that game in Cardiff in the 6N:

PEOPLE, what a guy dropped in a national team in sheer crisis and mayhem and all that good stuff is one thing; and his consistent play for club is a totally other thing.
And finally, ffs, I hope they don't select Kockott...

 

[Big Ewis]

Here's an interesting one:
FLYHALVES

1 - Jonny Wilkinson (Toulon): excellent from the boot (in-game or penalty) and great decision making. Drop goals. Good on defense too (but not like before). Finishes the year retiring after another H Cup, and his first ever Brennus. Hard not to pick him at 1.

2 - François Trinh-Duc (Montypellier): good everywhere now. Ppl used to criticize his kicking game, his defense, being too inconsistent, not kicking for goals. He does all that now, and one of the best at all of them. And that which he's always had, a willingness to keep the ball in play, be unpredictable, play with surprise and improv, and a taste for attacking the line, he's doing better than ever. Still young (27yo) he's played the most of any FH in the league (since PSA won't pick him !): 1959minutes in 25matches. That's 400 more than Wilko, for e.g.; to testify of just how important he's been to MP's game, and attacking form this year...(largely considered the most aesthetically pleasing in the Top 14).

3 - Benjamin Urdapilleta (Oyonnax): responsible for 52% of his club's points, the 28yo Argentinian has been very good in controlling pace and likes to run with the ball.

4 - Pierre Bernard (Bordeaux): with Camille Lopez gone, he's seized his chance. Second best scorer from the boot, he's averaged 12 points per game. At 25yo, the future is bright for him.

5 - Jules Plisson (Paris): as it's been well repeated, he's kept Springboks starting 10 Morné Steyn on the bench basically the whole season. Especially before his awry adventure in the 6N, he was basically on top of the world and everything was working for him. And he's just 22. He still needs to improve on a number of aspects, but he likes to attack the line, and that's what we love in France and his future looks pretty bright.

Mentions to: Luke McAlister (Toulouse), Brock James (Clermont), Jonathan Sexton (Racing), Rémi Tales (Castres).


Interesting because Michalak, the guy who played last week in Australia, would be the FOURTH best FH (at best) in France according to this ranking. It's interesting too how we all keep saying France doesn't produce flyhalves and we've got 3 in the Top 5 that really deserve to be there, amongst a plethora of foreigners in this league.

 

[gaston le gaff]

only one choice here Wilko has won enough this season, so FTD is KING!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Big Ewis]

only one choice here Wilko has won enough this season, so FTD is KING!!!!!!!!!!!!

aahhh, not yet I'm afraid. I do believe there is a very possible debate as to who was the better player this year. But out of respect and love for a nice big Hollywood ending, I'm giving it to Wilko, and it's not like he doesn't deserve it.
Next year, all clear. Ghost is clear for FTD.

* I'd like to mention about French flyhalves that this list doesn't even include Camille Lopez, who was supposed to be the very future of France for the 10 jersey and most definitely would've made the Top 5. And there's always Wisniewski from Racing who hasn't seen a lot of playing time this year in a loaded group with notably Sexton.

So again, not that it is a complex at all to me or that I'm trying to prove anything, sincerely, but seeing how much France gets criticized for its no.10 situation, I think it's well worth emphasizing. I mean, who the fk has this kind of depth for quality 10's IN THE WORLD ??

 

[Tony Manx]

And there's always Wisniewski from Racing who hasn't seen a lot of playing time this year.....

For many good reasons!!!!

Perlease do not mention him in the same comment as FTD, Wilco and Sexton.......he is way, way below them in class and in everything that a 10 does!!!

Goodness....he is so bad there was a rumour he was coming to us!!!!!