Top XV of the Noughties (2001 - 2010)

[TRF_Olyy]

I.....I think someone just insulted Jason Robinson.....
Someone get me my Ass-Kicking hat!

 

[Teh Mite]

He does have half a point mind - Robinson once got run over by a small dog.


Robinson once got run over by John Rudd!

 

[nickdnz]

Smith v McCaw is a personal thing, Richie is a great leader and an inspirational captain but for pure aggressiveness and individual brilliance you can't go past George. Carter is clinical, Larkham magical. As an Australian I honestly have no idea why everybody rates O'Driscoll so highly, I have never seen him make an impact in a test match - though admittedly I'm unaware of his club form. Montgomery was error-riddled his entire career, and Robinson frail in defense. Cullen was an absolute genius I'll admit but for mine, Latham was the perfect fullback.

You have to be Australian to have Smith, Larkham and Latham ahead of McCaw, Carter and Cullen. I think fair play on Mortlock ahead of O'Driscoll. Different players, both very good centres and captains in often struggling teams. The evil wizard wins the personality award though.

 

[King_D'Arcy]

As an Australian I honestly have no idea why everybody rates O'Driscoll so highly, I have never seen him make an impact in a test match

 

[Feicarsinn]

You forgot this one:



Admittedly, alot of that comes from the brilliance of our Tommy and Rob, but still. No impact my arse.

 

[King_D'Arcy]

You forgot this one:



Admittedly, alot of that comes from the brilliance of our Tommy and Rob, but still. No impact my arse.

Oh yeah! Cheers! God, he's had so much impact against Australia that it's easy to forget a moment or two...

 

[Teh Mite]

Erm.... Pwnd?

 

[coonor]

OUCH!!!!!

Seriously though O'driscoll probably has the biggest impact in the biggest games for Ireland.

 

[Dizzy]

Smith v McCaw is a personal thing, Richie is a great leader and an inspirational captain but for pure aggressiveness and individual brilliance you can't go past George. Carter is clinical, Larkham magical. As an Australian I honestly have no idea why everybody rates O'Driscoll so highly, I have never seen him make an impact in a test match - though admittedly I'm unaware of his club form. Montgomery was error-riddled his entire career, and Robinson frail in defense. Cullen was an absolute genius I'll admit but for mine, Latham was the perfect fullback.

And as a New Zealander, I must agree with you. I mean, i've never seen why he has been rated so highly, probably because I never watch the 6Nations. But of all the games I've seen him play against NZ, he has never had an impact.
Club form is another thing, because we all know test level is a whole different story.

 

[King_D'Arcy]

And as a New Zealander, I must agree with you. I mean, i've never seen why he has been rated so highly, probably because I never watch the 6Nations. But of all the games I've seen him play against NZ, he has never had an impact.
Club form is another thing, because we all know test level is a whole different story.

 

[Feicarsinn]

And as a New Zealander, I must agree with you. I mean, i've never seen why he has been rated so highly, probably because I never watch the 6Nations. But of all the games I've seen him play against NZ, he has never had an impact.
Club form is another thing, because we all know test level is a whole different story.

That's like saying 'I don't watch him, so he must be crap.' Also, from the last time our two teams met:

 

[TRF_Cymro]

Laughable that some people don't rate BOD, absolute joke.

 

[King_D'Arcy]

Well... to be fair... he's never made an impact in a game. Much like Jonah Lomu or Dan carter, BOD just never found his feet in rugby

 

[TIG]

Alright lads obviously BOD being a northern hemisphere fad is a sore point with you lot, I'll give you that he's a good centre, for mine though I'd still have a Mortlock, an Umaga or a Conrad Smith ahead of him. And touching on the Carter/Larkham issue this is from another forum but just about sums up my ideas on the matter.

Larkham is the greatest attacking flyhalf that worldhas ever seen. Sure Carter's the complete collection but he just doesn't have the attacking flare which Larkham did. The ability that Larkham could find a gap, stroll through it and allow support to follow through was just an amazing feat.
The good thing too about Larkham is he didn't have the attitude that everyone else had. He wouldn't react to the media attention, and he kept a cool head. I'll never forget Larkham's prescence in the Wallabies team, he pretty much achieved everything in rugby except a Lions trophy because of negative play.
His elusiveness had him marked by the inside centre of the opposition as well as the fly half. This allowed Larkham to have his inside centre used as a first five. Which was the fantastic thing about Larkham, he exploited his opposition.

 

[nickdnz]

Alright lads obviously BOD being a northern hemisphere fad is a sore point with you lot, I'll give you that he's a good centre, for mine though I'd still have a Mortlock, an Umaga or a Conrad Smith ahead of him. And touching on the Carter/Larkham issue this is from another forum but just about sums up my ideas on the matter.

Larkham is the greatest attacking flyhalf that worldhas ever seen. Sure Carter's the complete collection but he just doesn't have the attacking flare which Larkham did. The ability that Larkham could find a gap, stroll through it and allow support to follow through was just an amazing feat.
The good thing too about Larkham is he didn't have the attitude that everyone else had. He wouldn't react to the media attention, and he kept a cool head. I'll never forget Larkham's prescence in the Wallabies team, he pretty much achieved everything in rugby except a Lions trophy because of negative play.
His elusiveness had him marked by the inside centre of the opposition as well as the fly half. This allowed Larkham to have his inside centre used as a first five. Which was the fantastic thing about Larkham, he exploited his opposition.

Larkham was good, but I'd say Carter was and is the best attacking fly half (Greater than Carlos Spencer, which is usually regarded as the best).







He's scored more test tries than any other fly half at 29, and Stephen Larkham played 23 more tests than him. He was good, but I'd say Carter is better at attacking rugby than any other fly half, and you can see that with how well New Zealand does with and without him.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

In that try vs England is that Anthony Allen at 12?
If so, I can see why some people don't want him in the England setup, that "tackle" was worse than the one Strettle tried to put on Gear over the summer
If anything Allen helped him score by pushing him out of the way :lol:

 

[TIG]

Larkham was good, but I'd say Carter was and is the best attacking fly half (Greater than Carlos Spencer, which is usually regarded as the best).

He's scored more test tries than any other fly half at 29, and Stephen Larkham played 23 more tests than him. He was good, but I'd say Carter is better at attacking rugby than any other fly half, and you can see that with how well New Zealand does with and without him.

]

I guess it's all opinion really but I'd take Larkham over Carter any day of the week. Provided there's a goalkicker in the team of course He used to disappear before the defensive line and re-appear five metres behind it with a support player running through. Could read the opposition like no-one else and always knew how to find a gap. Carter is all class, but Larkham was the greatest.

 

[FlukeArtist]

You're a dreamer TIG

 

[Peat]

In that try vs England is that Anthony Allen at 12?
If so, I can see why some people don't want him in the England setup, that "tackle" was worse than the one Strettle tried to put on Gear over the summer
If anything Allen helped him score by pushing him out of the way :lol:

Shame on you sir. Holding opinions on players based on what happened to them 4 years ago when they were pitched over their heads into a struggling team as a wet behind the ears pup is both not cool and, bluntly, slightly stupid.

edit: O'Driscoll's excellence really should not be in doubt. I wish I could find a good video of the tackle that sealed the Ireland win over South Africa in 2010.

 

[BigJoe78]

Phil Vickery (Eng)
Keith Wood (Ire)
Carl Hayman (NZ)
Martin Johnson (Eng)
Victor Matfield (RSA)
Serge Betsen (Fra)
Richie McCaw (NZ)
Laurence Dallgio (Eng)
George Gregan (Aus)
Daniel Carter (NZ)
Bryan Habana (RSA)
Tana Umaga(NZ)
Brian O'Driscoll (Ire)
Jonah Lomu(NZ)
Jason Robinson (Eng)