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Stephen Jones GOAT XV

Kiwiwomble

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https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby...-greatest-team-of-rugby-players-ive-ever-seen

forget the NZ commentary for a second

15: Chris Latham (Australia), 14 Gerald Davies (Wales), 13 Jeremy Guscott (England), 12 Frank Bunce (New Zealand), 11 David Campese (Australia), 10 Juan Martin Hernandez, 9 Gareth Edwards, 8 Sergio Parisse (Italy), 7 Sam Warburton (Wales), 6 Dan Lydiate (Wales), 5 Patricio Albacete (Argentina), 4 Simon Shaw (England), 3 Olo Brown (New Zealand), 2 Mario Ledesma (Argentina), 1 Garry Pagel (South Africa).

...an interesting list, no "professional" all blacks make his list? no one from the back to back world champs?

only two English (former world champs) two Aussies (former world champs) one south african (former world champs) and yet seven from Wales/Argentina

one comment i did like was Warburton was picked in spite of not having as long a career as some of his peers but Lomu was dropped specifically because he didn't have the longevity of this peers

he really is an interesting man.....
 
Well this is Stephen Jones, so can't really expect much else. He seems so desperate for attention he is willing to stick his neck out by comparing players from different generations which is nigh on impossible considering how the game has changed.
 
It takes a great talent for trolling to name a greatest XV and only have one player who regularly comes up in conversations as to who the best ever is.
 
I don't think Stephen Jones even watches rugby.

it does technically say "that I've seen" so maybe that explains why he's picked olo brown and bunce....he hasn't actually watched the All Blacks since the mid 90's!
 
No. 7 Sam Warburton? Really?

All respect to Sam, but I can think of four obvious choices who would rank head and shoulders above him in the GOAT stakes - Richie McCaw, George Smith, Andre Venter and Michael Jones.
 
I'm torn between whether or not this is so bad it's amazing, or just straight up awful...

Like, Dan Lydiate?! Really?!

As for Warbs - while I believe he should be considered as one of the greats, but ahead of the likes of McCaw and Michael Jones? Nah.

I'm fairly sure Stephen Jones is now just fixated on trolling as many people as possible before he dies.
 
At the end of the day it's his opinion. Whether it's worth anything is another matter entirely.
 
Dan ******* Lydiate?! SIMON SHAW?!?!

I actually almost admire the man for his guts publishing this crap

(Bang on re: Guscott though...)
 
15. Rob Kearney 14. Denis Hickie 13. Philippe Sella 12. Yannick Jauzion 11. Doug Howlett 10. Ian Madigan 9. George Gregan 8. Kieran Reid 7. Serge Betsen 6. Jerome Kaino 5. Willie John Macbride 4. Buck Shelford 3. Owen Franks 2. Keith Wood 1. Garry Pagel

Here's my answer to it - my all time XV of a few legitimate if left field shouts, my two favourite players who were good but nowhere near best in the world, and the rest are just guys who are in the conversation but ultimately lose a 'best of their generation' argument... As well as Garry Pagel, whoever the ****?! I notably left out all the Welsh because I have to wind up the country I "hate" the most, a la Stephen and Ireland. I also included the third greatest recent All Black in Read while provocatively leaving out Carter and McCaw out and my country of choice after my own that received extra attention was France rather than Argentina.

A deec 13 rather than the obvious GOAT Ringrose too.

Like neither of these staring XV's would be in the top 2 heading to next year's RWC imo.
 
I'm waiting for the Walesonline piece about the stuff NZ piece on the Stephen Jones article.

It would be the holy trinity of crap rugby journalism.

also
1. Woodman, 2. Thompson, 3. Vickery
4. Johnson, 5. Kay
6. Hill, 7. Back, 8. Loz
9. Dawson, 10. Wilko
12. Tindall, 13. Greenwood
11. Cohen, 14. Robbo, 15. Lewsey
 
1. Cian Healy 2. Bernard Jackman 3. Stan Wright
4. Leo Cullen 5. Mal O'Kelly
6. Rocky Elsom 8. Jamie Heaslip 7. Shane Jennings

9. Chris Whittaker 10. Johnny Sexton
12. Gordon D'Arcy 13. Brian O'Driscoll
11. Luke Fitzgerald 15. Isa Nacewa 14. Shane Horgon
 
Stephen Jones is just being perverse, as usual. His selections tend to favour players who have played mostly in northern hemisphere comps, and he also tends to overrate these players -- such as Pat Lam and Isa Nacewa, both of whom were good players but nowhere near as good as Jones made them out to be.
He also likes to make really left-field choices, as if to show off an eclectic taste for players others may not be aware of. His best XV for the 1999 RWC, for example, included Fijians Satala and Katalau, who, while very good, were probably not as good as the obvious picks.
The one I really take exception to in this latest selection is Chris Latham: great to watch in winning teams, but pretty hopeless when you need someone to win a tough match. A flat-track bully, in other words.
He should just be honest and call it his "favourite players XV".
I've read the ST article, and he does make good arguments for his choices though. That's how he has survived for so long. When he is on form he is a good writer, better than most.
 
Stephen Jones is just being perverse, as usual. His selections tend to favour players who have played mostly in northern hemisphere comps, and he also tends to overrate these players -- such as Pat Lam and Isa Nacewa, both of whom were good players but nowhere near as good as Jones made them out to be.
He also likes to make really left-field choices, as if to show off an eclectic taste for players others may not be aware of. His best XV for the 1999 RWC, for example, included Fijians Satala and Katalau, who, while very good, were probably not as good as the obvious picks.

Stephen Jones is just a sad old fool who lost his relevance back when the game went professional. His "wind-up-the-kiwis" articles stem from the days when a troll was an ugly, mythical creature that lived under bridges, scaring children and eating billy goats. His routine is old and predictable, and the only kiwis who bite are the ones who have yet to hear of him. He's a man in desperate need of new material.... and a life.
 

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