Top 14 XV

[Big Ewis]

Going to take advantage of the break and make my xv. It's tasty because there are so many flavors to pick from...
This is regardless of present injury and based on either current form, or form prior to a recent injury (no long term injured):

1 Alexandre Menini
2 Ben Kayser
3 Carl Hayman
4 Juandré Kruger
5 Arnaud Mela
6 Antoine Burban
7 Steffon Armitage
8 Louis Picamoles
9 Rory Kockott
10 François Trinh-Duc
11 Ratini
12 Fofana
13 Lamerat
14 James O'Connor
15 Dulin


*Had difficulty picking the LH given there really isn't one brilliant LH prop right now, and the second row given there are so many options.

 

[tituslechmakus]

Going to take advantage of the break and make my xv. It's tasty because there are so many flavors to pick from...
This is regardless of present injury and based on either current form, or form prior to a recent injury (no long term injured):

1 Alexandre Menini
2 Ben Kayser
3 Carl Hayman
4 Juandré Kruger
5 Arnaud Mela
6 Antoine Burban
7 Steffon Armitage
8 Louis Picamoles
9 Rory Kockott
10 François Trinh-Duc
11 Ratini
12 Fofana
13 Lamerat
14 James O'Connor
15 Dulin


*Had difficulty picking the LH given there really isn't one brilliant LH prop right now, and the second row given there are so many options.

What ???? no Giteau ? He's probably the best player here !!!

I'd go for

1. Mas
2. Kayser
3. Hayman
4. Maestri
5. Botha
6. Dusautoir
7. Armitage
8. Picamoles
9. Tilous Borde
10. Giteau
11. Ratini
12. Fofana
13. Bastagros
14. Habana
15. Dulin

T'es encore bourré Ewis

 

[Big Ewis]

Giteau hasn't been as consistent as Trinh-Duc this year, and his goal kicking has been off to the point where Toulon have deferred the responsibility to mediocre kickers like Armitage or O'Connor.
And Mas on the LH side, and I'm the one who's drunk ?

Burban continues to be the most underrated flanker in the world, so that's no news. Maybe Tilous-Bordes for Kockott, yes, you're right...if I have FTD taking the goal kicks I don't need a kicker for my 9. Still picking Kockott, but either one honestly.

Bakkies Botha ?... Have you watched any of Brive at all this season, have you seen Mela lately ??

 

[Sapinou]

Well, mine would be something like that:

1.Domingo (for his tactical sense at 3 against 1)
2.Orioli
3.Muller
4.Kruger
5.Fa'aoso
6.S Armitage
7.Chalmers
8.Ollivon
9.Tillous Bordes
10.Wisnewski
11.J. O'Connor
12.Dumoulin
13.Rokocoko
14.Talebula
15.Spedding

 

[FrenchFan]

1 Alex Menini
2 Ben Kayser
3 Clement Ric
4 Yohann Maestri
5 Romain Taofefinua
6 Yannick Nyanga
7 Thierry Dusautoir
8 Louis Picamoles
9 Seb Bézy
10 Camille Lopez
11 Naikataci
12 Alex Dumoulin
13 Wes Fofana
14 Teddy Thomas
15 Scott Spedding

 

[Sapinou]

Guy won't like this, bloody "doublons"

 

[Big Ewis]

1 Alex Menini
2 Ben Kayser
3 Clement Ric
4 Yohann Maestri
5 Romain Taofefinua
6 Yannick Nyanga
7 Thierry Dusautoir
8 Louis Picamoles
9 Seb Bézy
10 Camille Lopez
11 Naikataci
12 Alex Dumoulin
13 Wes Fofana
14 Teddy Thomas
15 Scott Spedding

oh come on and an all-Toulousain backrow, what a coincidence !
And there isn't a single foreigner on your team, don't you think that's peculiar ?

 

[FrenchFan]

yeah but it's for a good cause and I put in a few toulousains so Guy'd be proud, had to restrain myself though not to appear too biased...

- - - Updated - - -

I think it shows how easy it is to pick an all French team. We're better at it than the Marccroupis gang...

 

[Big Ewis]

well tbf Toulouse do have one of the very best third rows in the world, considering their depth there. If they can put a bit more continuity in phase play and get Picamoles to offload again, we can see beautiful Toulousain Rugby but lately it's been disjointed. Probably the best France third row I've ever seen was on-form Dusau+Hari+Picamoles. That was just devastating, no other word. And perfectly balanced.

 

[Sapinou]

I totally agree, Harinordoquy was a ghost since the RWC 2011 final. He was too confortable in Biarritz, when I heard his move to Toulouse and his wages I said Guy lost his mine, my bad. And when You got Camarra, Maka, Galan, Nyanga on the bench behind, phew..

 

[FrenchFan]

well he's walked into a top class, well oiled backrow machine and with a coach who knows how to talk to les basques...

 

[Tony Manx]

I totally agree, Harinordoquy was a ghost since the RWC 2011 final. He was too confortable in Biarritz...

He has now a manager who is prepared to face up to him and he has lost the support of Traille and Yach who together seem to have run BO rather than the management. I am delighted they have all gone but also that, with the new challenge, Imanol is enjoying a late Autumn of his career ( cannot say the same for Traille)!!

As I have said many times before your arrival here............they were great servants of the club (when not away on International duty which is where their real interest was) who stayed for two or three seasons too long!!

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Well I've only seen about 2/3 of RM92's games and 1 for Toulon but while it's good to see all of Dulin, Thomas, Dumoulin and Kruger mentioned here I am a bit surprised Francois van der Merwe hasn't come up in anyone's XV. I'd almost have him over Kruger TBH. Honorable mentions to Machenaud and Le Roux as well from RM92 for me though I don't know whether it's the marked tempo differnce from Philips too Machenaud that makes MM look better than he really is compared to other Top14 9s?

 

[Big Ewis]

haha Phillips does suck but Machenaud is no doubt one of the top 9's in the country, and perhaps even a Tier 1 scrumhalf world wide as in he's part of the very best there is. I just don't take too much out of a few bad games for Saint-André, you look at how scrumhalves and flyhalves play for that guy and you get the picture pretty quickly. But Machenaud is committed, brings lots of speed and quickness, and big defense, a rarity for 9's anywhere. He's consistent in the rucks and doesn't shy away from things, knows how to get his forwards pumped. He's top class.
But Kockott is just one of those guys who "transcends" his position and is just a very good *Rugby player*, regardless of 9 or even backs overall. He's like Ben Smith, Kuridrani, Picamoles, Vermeulen, Hooper...just a really good Rugby individual. He just brings added value wherever he goes, and Tillous-Bordes is a high caliber player himself so either one but for me Kockott, as he just adds that 'special' touch.

F VdM is work and power, but Kruger brings lots of skills and intricacies to his position while not giving away tons of strength. He's not the carrier VdM is for e.g., but VdM isn't the lineout option, ball handler, passer, runner, athlete...etc...Kruger is. VdM can be the difference maker as he picks on two guys and still crushes the ball down for 5points, but Kruger's class is all over a match, in almost every category.
Not as spectacular as a huge VdM carry for someone for e.g. who watches Racing rarely, but if you pay close attention to him all those little tricks and pieces of skill and cleverness along with great mobility/athleticism make Kruger one of my two locks.


But then again, this raises the question of what lock specimen one prefers: if you want power and grunt, which is fine, it's not diminutive - or if you like your lock to have the hands and smarts +mobility/athleticism.

 

[FrenchFan]

Machenaud is an excellent scrum-half. He's raised his game this season and last season he was playing well. It's a mystery why he has been dropped by the national team. Same can be said about Doussain. Parra is the biggest absence of all.
I suspect Lorenzetti will get fairly soon fed up with the Welsh clowns parading at his club. Philipps and Roberts will follow Lydiate back home. I've yet to watch a decent game from either of them.

The more I look at that Top 14 XV which I actually picked with the best French players in the league in mind, now I think it would do the business for les Bleus.

 

[Big Ewis]

well Phillips has always been a very limited SH anyways. I thought like many before he was a very interesting specimen for a 9, I mean a 1m90/100kg+ guy who can insure ball movement from forwards to backs, and his physical density was apparent often in contact, a definite plus in modern Rugby...but lately he's been so bad he's made me forget why he was ever a story to begin with, maybe I should watch a couple of 2008-09-10 Wales games again...
He looks like he's on holiday when he plays. Casual run to the ruck, goes left, run, right, run left...even Galthié was making fun of him that one time over the mic'.
But when you see Phillips I believe the EOYT 2013, playing like shiit for Racing and then plays 2 very good games for country the following week, you quickly understand what's going on. Same for Sexton, and Rémy Jobberts is the worst example of that. Jobberts is actually good for country, he's coming off a really nice EOYT, got man of the match against the Blacks. Never seen a good game for Racing.

 

[FrenchFan]

agreed. Typical mercenaries.