TRF's Team of the 6 Nations 2012 - Backs Nominations

[mikefoot1]

9. Phillips
10. Farrell
11. North
12. Fofana
13. Davies
14. Cuthbert
15. Halfpenny

 

[Saintjay]

9. Dickson
10. Farrell
11. North
12. Fofana
13. Tuilagi
14. Bowe
15. Halfpenny

 

[lynam1104]

9. Dickson
10. Farrell
11. North
12. Fofana
13. Tuilagi
14. Bowe
15. Kearny

 

[cyRil]

9. Yachvili
10. Farrell
11. North
12. Fofana
13. Davies
14. Halfpenny
15. Kearney

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

9. Dickson
10. Farrell
11. North
12. Fofana
13. Davies
14. Bowe
15. Kearney

 

[psychic duck]

9. Mike Blair
10. Owen Farrell
11. Julien Malzieu
12. Wesley Fofana
13. Manu Tuilagi
14. Tommy Bowe
15. Rob Kearney

 

[dullonien]

9. Mike Blair
10. Owen Farrell
11. Julien Malzieu
12. Wesley Fofana
13. Manu Tuilagi
14. Tommy Bowe
15. Rob Kearney

Traitor, off with his head

 

[doniem]

9. Mike Philips
10. Owen Farrell
11. George North
12. Wesley Fofana
13. Manu Tuilagi
14. Tommy Bowe
15. Rob Kearney

 

[munster4life]

9. Dickson
10. Farrell
11. North
12. Fofana
13. Davies
14. Bowe
15. Kearney

 

[michaelbolton]

9. Dickson
10. Farrell
11. Cuthbert
12. Fofana
13. Tuilagi
14. Bowe
15. Halfpenny


ps i think north is better than cuthbert just he had a quiet 6n
​

 

[Big Ewis]

Kearney totally gets the 15 doesn't he ?! Halfpenny keeps coming up in this thread..

 

[cyRil]

Kearney totally gets the 15 doesn't he ?! Halfpenny keeps coming up in this thread..

Could be something to do with the fact that he's brilliant.

 

[lucky number 7]

9. Dickson
10.Farrell
11.North
12.Fofana
13.Jon Davies
14.Bowe
15.Kearney

 

[Eirian]

Kearney totally gets the 15 doesn't he ?! Halfpenny keeps coming up in this thread..

Kearney's defence, catching excluded, has been abysmal this six nations. His (warning, imflammatory remark) fear of making the tackle is responsible for several tries Ireland leaked this six nations, some of them key. Fofana, Davies and North for example. His attack has been good, but it has not made up for these mistakes. No tries. One assist. A good run doesn't make up for a leaked try, although one looks much better on TV, a good run is more memorable than a decent tackle.

Halfpenny on the other hand has played a complete six nations. Outscored Kearney in tries. Been immense kicking for goal, safest kicker Wales has seen for a while. And also he has put in an epic defensive performance. Watch Strettle's failed attempt at a try. At time = 80:20 he's defending around the ruck at one side of the pitch, the ball is flung wide, at 80:26 he's on the other side of the pitch making what was ultimately a Grand Slam saving tackle. Simply awesome. Catching high balls does not = try saving tackles and tries.

Conclusion: Kearney has done the pretty stuff better, Halfpenny has done the important stuff better.

 

[welshglory]

No Welsh bias there then...

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Kearney's defence, catching excluded, has been abysmal this six nations. His (warning, imflammatory remark) fear of making the tackle is responsible for several tries Ireland leaked this six nations, some of them key. Fofana, Davies and North for example. His attack has been good, but it has not made up for these mistakes. No tries. One assist. A good run doesn't make up for a leaked try, although one looks much better on TV, a good run is more memorable than a decent tackle.

Halfpenny on the other hand has played a complete six nations. Outscored Kearney in tries. Been immense kicking for goal, safest kicker Wales has seen for a while. And also he has put in an epic defensive performance. Watch Strettle's failed attempt at a try. At time = 80:20 he's defending around the ruck at one side of the pitch, the ball is flung wide, at 80:26 he's on the other side of the pitch making what was ultimately a Grand Slam saving tackle. Simply awesome. Catching high balls does not = try saving tackles and tries.

Conclusion: Kearney has done the pretty stuff better, Halfpenny has done the important stuff better.

How could Kearney possibly have made the tackles on Fofana and Davies, Davies had about 4 meters on him when he entered the 22 and Davies isn't exactly slow, Fofana scored because Earls messed up a kick and it's very hard to tackle a faster man than you when you are trailing him and he's reached his top speed. As for the Gray try, it was against Scotland every player is going to have a lapse in concentration over the space of five matches and Kearney did it in Ireland's most convincing win. Also, try scoring isn't everything Kearney's takes set up a huge amount of ireland's tries and penalties and he was incredibly solid in defence too.

Conclusion: Halfpenny was Wales' best Kearney was the best.

(I think that last line was the cheesyest think I've ever written)

 

[big ginger 8]

Kearney's defence, catching excluded, has been abysmal this six nations. His (warning, imflammatory remark) fear of making the tackle is responsible for several tries Ireland leaked this six nations, some of them key. Fofana, Davies and North for example. His attack has been good, but it has not made up for these mistakes. No tries. One assist. A good run doesn't make up for a leaked try, although one looks much better on TV, a good run is more memorable than a decent tackle.

Halfpenny on the other hand has played a complete six nations. Outscored Kearney in tries. Been immense kicking for goal, safest kicker Wales has seen for a while. And also he has put in an epic defensive performance. Watch Strettle's failed attempt at a try. At time = 80:20 he's defending around the ruck at one side of the pitch, the ball is flung wide, at 80:26 he's on the other side of the pitch making what was ultimately a Grand Slam saving tackle. Simply awesome. Catching high balls does not = try saving tackles and tries.

Conclusion: Kearney has done the pretty stuff better, Halfpenny has done the important stuff better.

No.

 

[King_D'Arcy]

9. Phillips
10. Farrell
11. North
12. Fofana
13. Tuilagi
14. Bowe
15. Kearney

 

[dullonien]

I personally see the Kearney v Halfpenny battle as follows.

Kearney better in the air.
About equal in running ability this 6 nations.
Halfpenny better at everything else.

Halfpenny's only weakness this 6 nations has been that he's failed to catch a couple of high balls. Now this is a big part of a fullback's role, so shouldn't be brushed under the table, but overall I'd say Halfpenny edges it. But then Welsh fans are always gonna choose Halfpenny, and Irish fans Kearney. Fans from other nations seem to be slit, so it seems both players have been quite equal.

 

[welshglory]

Kearney's got a much better kicking game out of hand as well