The 2003 Team

[Jockstap]

I was over on 606 and saw a post comparing the 2003 England team to their current crop so thought I'd do the same here.

1 Reggie Corrigan - Cian Healy(Marcus Horan) - 2009 wins here if Healy, 2003 if Horan
2 Keith Wood - Jerry Flannery - 2003
3 John Hayes - John Hayes - hmm
4 Malcolm O'Kelly - Donncha O'Callaghan - another tough one but I'll say 2003
5 Paul O'Connell - Paul O'Connell - O'Connell's better now 2009
6 Simon Easterby - Stephen Ferris - 2009
7 Keith Gleeson - David Wallace - 2009
8 Victor Costello - Jamie Heaslip - 2009
9 Peter Stringer - Tomas O'Leary - 2009
10 Ronan O'Gara - For fun we'll say Sexton - 2003
11 John Kelly - Luke Fitzgerald - 2009
12 Kevin Maggs - Gordon D'Arcy - 2009
13 Brian O'Driscoll - Brian O'Driscoll - 2009
14 Shane Horgan - Tommy Bowe - 2009
15 Girvan Dempsey - Rob Kearney - 2009

So that's my opinion, complete opposite to the England Squad where nearly every player is better in 2003. What ya reckon?

 

[dullonien]

I'd say 2003 wins at looshead, as Healy hasn't been tested at international level, in a few years maybe he'll be ahead.

Things are close at blindside, as Easterby was very good back then, however Ferris is a class act: I'd say it was about equal.

The same can be said at scrum half. Stringer has been a great servant for Ireland, he's been consitently good, wheras O'Leary has only just begun his international carrer. Stringer probably just edges it imo.

It's also debatable if D'Arcy should get the nod over Maggs, especially as D'Arcy is only just getting back to form. If D'Arcy plays in the AI's, and performs like his old self, then maybe yes, but otherwise Maggs all the way imo.

On the wing, between Horgan and Bowe, I think Bowe aswell. But Horgan was a great player.

So imo it would be:

01 Reggie Corrigan
02 Keith Wood
03 John Hayes
04 Malcolm O'Kelly
05 Paul O'Connell
06 Simon Easterby/Stephen Ferris
07 David Wallace
08 Jamie Heaslip

09 Peter Stringer
10 Ronan O'Gara
11 Luke Fitzgerald
12 Kevin Maggs
13 Brian O'Driscoll
14 Tommy Bowe
15 Rob Kearney

 

[An Tarbh]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Jockstrap @ Oct 7 2009, 07:49 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

I was over on 606 and saw a post comparing the 2003 England team to their current crop so thought I'd do the same here.

1 Reggie Corrigan - Cian Healy(Marcus Horan) - 2009 wins here if Healy, 2003 if Horan
2 Keith Wood - Jerry Flannery - 2003
3 John Hayes - John Hayes - hmm
4 Malcolm O'Kelly - Donncha O'Callaghan - another tough one but I'll say 2003
5 Paul O'Connell - Paul O'Connell - O'Connell's better now 2009
6 Simon Easterby - Stephen Ferris - 2009
7 Keith Gleeson - David Wallace - 2009
8 Victor Costello - Jamie Heaslip - 2009
9 Peter Stringer - Tomas O'Leary - 2009
10 Ronan O'Gara - For fun we'll say Sexton - 2003
11 John Kelly - Luke Fitzgerald - 2009
12 Kevin Maggs - Gordon D'Arcy - 2009
13 Brian O'Driscoll - Brian O'Driscoll - 2009
14 Shane Horgan - Tommy Bowe - 2009
15 Girvan Dempsey - Rob Kearney - 2009

So that's my opinion, complete opposite to the England Squad where nearly every player is better in 2003. What ya reckon?[/b]

Cullen was in the side for most of 2003, think O'Connell may have only been round for the world cup. Murphy was fullback more often than not. Costello and Quinlan were at openside with Victor there more often than not. Humphreys started all the games in 2003 until halfway through the world cup and John Kelly probably played a couple of games, Hickie and Horgan were the mainstay on the wings. Anyway as far as comparisons go I'd have something along these lines.

15. Kearney
14. Bowe
13. BOD - 2009 version
12. Maggs - would be D'Arcy had we been comparing 2004 though
11. Hickie - Fitzgerald not yet complete player but will be.
10. Humphries - no explanation needed
9. O'Leary
1. Horan - Reggie's a legend but Horan offers more around the park.
2. Wood
3. Hayes - 2009, streets ahead of his 2003 version.
4. O'Kelly
5. O'Connell
6. Ferris
7. Gleeson
8. Heaslip