XV of your lifetime (makes your age obvious lol)

[Scotland/Toulouse Fan]

I started watching rugby at 07 World Cup. My team below
15. Ben Smith
14. Julian Savea
13. Ma'a Nonu
12. Matt Giteau (Including his time at Toulon, just a maverick)
11. Bryan Habana
10. Dan Carter
9. Aaron Smith (Close call with him Du Preez, Phillips)
8. Kieran Read
7. Richie McCaw
6. Thierry Dusautoir
5. Sam Whitelock
4. Paul O'Connell
3. Tendai Mtawarira
2. Bismarck du Plessis
1. Gethin Jenkins

23. Israel Folau (Yes, controversial. But he was electric)
22. Brian O'Driscoll (De Villiers and Fourie are close tho)
21. Fourie du Preez
20. Sergio Parisse
19. Victor Matfield
18. Tadhg Furlong
17. Owen Franks
16. Kevin Mealamu

Post yours below

 

[Kiwiwomble]

I started watching rugby at 07 World Cup. My team below
15. Ben Smith
14. Julian Savea
13. Ma'a Nonu
12. Matt Giteau (Including his time at Toulon, just a maverick)
11. Bryan Habana
10. Dan Carter
9. Aaron Smith (Close call with him Du Preez, Phillips)
8. Kieran Read
7. Thierry Dusautoir
6. Richie McCaw
5. Sam Whitelock
4. Paul O'Connell
3. Tendai Mtawarira
2. Bismarck du Plessis
1. Gethin Jenkins

23. Israel Folau (Yes, controversial. But he was electric)
22. Brian O'Driscoll (De Villiers and Fourie are close tho)
21. Fourie du Preez
20. Sergio Parisse
19. Victor Matfield
18. Tadhg Furlong
17. Owen Franks
16. Kevin Mealamu

Post yours below

have you mixed up 6 and 7 or are you from SA?

 

[Scotland/Toulouse Fan]

have you mixed up 6 and 7 or are you from SA?

Yeah I guess I did. I'll edit it. I never played in the scrum so I get mixed up with 1/3 and 6/7.

 

[Bada-Bing!]

Greatest XV collection

Check out our series on the best players by position and their superb contributions during the past 25 years of professionalism in rugby.

www.planetrugby.com

Will go with Planet Rugby's on this one in the Pro era. Maybe Nonu in the centres instead of Horan. But close one. Kaino is my ideal 6 but can't really argue with Hilly and there are enough ABs in the team.

 

[Scotland/Toulouse Fan]

Greatest XV collection

Check out our series on the best players by position and their superb contributions during the past 25 years of professionalism in rugby.

www.planetrugby.com

Will go with Planet Rugby's on this one in the Pro era. Maybe Nonu in the centres instead of Horan. But close one. Kaino is my ideal 6 but can't really argue with Hilly and there are enough ABs in the team.

Yeah that's fair. But I started watching rugby at 2007 world cup so I never watched that England side of Johnson, Hill, Robinson, Dallaglio or Van Der Westhuizen, Lomu, cullen, wood. So my team looks far different.

 

[RedruthRFC]

Greatest XV collection

Check out our series on the best players by position and their superb contributions during the past 25 years of professionalism in rugby.

www.planetrugby.com

Will go with Planet Rugby's on this one in the Pro era. Maybe Nonu in the centres instead of Horan. But close one. Kaino is my ideal 6 but can't really argue with Hilly and there are enough ABs in the team.

That's just about the best ever best ever team I've seen! I'd swap an ox for a beast in the front row and number 8 is a super close call, but that near as damn it nails it for me.

I go back between five and ten years before the professional era. From that era, I'd settle the number 8 debate by sticking Zinzan in at 8. The only other change I'd make would be to swap Dannie Gerber in at 8. Although he was playing after I started watching rugby, I don't remember seeing him play live, but having gone back and watched old videos and read what his contempories say about him, I think he's the right choice, which is a big call as I'm a massive Tim Horan fan - he managed to be the best 12 in the world across the professional and amateur eras and managed to come back from a serious injury. The only other standout player who comes to mind from the years just before professionalism is Ian Jones. I've seen a lot of these kinds of picking him at 6 to accommodate both him and McCaw, but I would see it as underestimating how good Richard Hill was to give his spot to someone who was primarily an openside.

 

[Scotland/Toulouse Fan]

That's just about the best ever best ever team I've seen! I'd swap an ox for a beast in the front row and number 8 is a super close call, but that near as damn it nails it for me.

I go back between five and ten years before the professional era. From that era, I'd settle the number 8 debate by sticking Zinzan in at 8. The only other change I'd make would be to swap Dannie Gerber in at 8. Although he was playing after I started watching rugby, I don't remember seeing him play live, but having gone back and watched old videos and read what his contempories say about him, I think he's the right choice, which is a big call as I'm a massive Tim Horan fan - he managed to be the best 12 in the world across the professional and amateur eras and managed to come back from a serious injury. The only other standout player who comes to mind from the years just before professionalism is Ian Jones. I've seen a lot of these kinds of picking him at 6 to accommodate both him and McCaw, but I would see it as underestimating how good Richard Hill was to give his spot to someone who was primarily an openside.

So what's your 1-15? haha

Also, wasn't Danie Gerber a centre. If we're going to that era Naas Botha would be close.

 

[Bada-Bing!]

Ian Jones. I've seen a lot of these kinds of picking him at 6 to accommodate both him and McCaw, but I would see it as underestimating how good Richard Hill was to give his spot to someone who was primarily an openside.

I take it you meant Michael Iceman Jones. Never got to see him play unfortunately apart fromYoutube clips.

 

[RedruthRFC]

I take it you meant Michael Iceman Jones. Never got to see him play unfortunately apart fromYoutube clips.

Yes I did, I can't imagine Ian Jones there, although if he was South African, maybe he'd have ended up playing with a 7 on his back! My glimpses of MICHAEL Jones were few and far between, as for that matter were anything not shown on Rugby Special.

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

I'm going from late amateur era with a pack based around early 90s / 03 Eng. This is my favourite players XV not necessarily the "best" although it would take some beating.

1. Jason Leonard. Hard working, rock solid and good enough to cover at TH. Would never be seen at FH, which is a bonus. And post match isotonic drinks would be banned.

2. Brian Moore. One of my favourite all time players who punched well above his weight. Would wind up his team mates, the French, the Scots, the crowds, the ref and himself. Oh and he actually knew how to hook.

3. Jeff Probyn. Not exactly an all round game. Not big, but a technically brilliant scrummager who would wind up the opposition and irritated David Sole so much the he cut off his shirt sleeve to cope with his binding.

In the locks it's enforcer and enforcer.

4. Wade Dooley. 6' 9" of nastiness. Of his time, but what's not to like?

5. Martin Johnson. 6' 7" of World Cup winning nastiness. What's not to like?

So with a front 5 that won't take any prisoners we can be a bit more cultured in the back row.

6. Richard Hill. Pure class and everyone knew it.

7. Michael Jones. Immense and has to be to keep out McCaw.

8. Zinzan Brooke. Had a full box of tricks and as I'm not picking Jonny at 10 the drop goals need to come from somewhere.

9. Difficult one, but I'm going for the tough little nut that was Garry Armstrong.. The silkier Nick Farr-Jones is a close runner up.

10. Thomas Castaignede. Small, cheeky and when on song unplayable.

11. Rory Underwood. Not the full box of tricks but as quick as they come and a deadly finisher. 49 Eng tries in an era when the ball, allegedly, never got to the wing is some record.

12. Phillipe Sella. Hard as nails in the midfield. Always made a difference.

13. If the sun's out and the ground is hard then Jerry Guscott. Majestic in full flight and made the game look ridiculously easy. But if the weather forecast isn't so great then O'Driscoll. Ridiculous record and evolved his game totally over time.

14. David Campese. One of the great entertainers. Could do things others couldn't including royally cocking up, but would never die wondering.

15. Cullen was fantastic but Serge Blanco for me. Another risk taker who could make the impossible look easy.

 

[Geordie]

A mix of My personal favorites and those i think are the best ive seen.

1 Jeff Probyn
2 Keith Wood
3 Carl Hayman
4 Norm Hadley
5 Martin Johnson
6 Tim Rodber
7 Neil Back
8 Pat Lam

9 Gary Armstrong
10 Johnny Wilkinson
11 Inga Tuigamala / Caucau
12 Tim Horan
13 Jerry Guscott
14 James Simpson Daniel
15 Matt Burke (Serge Blanco was close though)

 

[ncurd]

Greatest XV collection

Check out our series on the best players by position and their superb contributions during the past 25 years of professionalism in rugby.

www.planetrugby.com

Will go with Planet Rugby's on this one in the Pro era. Maybe Nonu in the centres instead of Horan. But close one. Kaino is my ideal 6 but can't really argue with Hilly and there are enough ABs in the team.

Can't really agree with Parisse, although can we all have giggle at idea of AWJ as one best locks in the modern era....

 

[Oliver Madden]

This is my team - doing similar to planet rugby and picking my XV of the professional era.

1. Jason Leonard
2. Keith Wood
3. Adam Jones - Wales have never really replaced him
4. Martin Johnson
5. John Eales
6. Richard Hill - did a lot of "dirty work" for England
7. Richie McCaw - C
8. Kieran Read
9. George Gregan - very tough choice
10. Dan Carter
11. Jonah Lomu - RIP
12. Ma'a Nonu
13. Brian O'Driscoll
14. Julian Savea
15. Ben Smith

Some big names left out but you can't fit them all in. I think picking 7 ABs is fair when they've dominated rugby in the pro era.

 

[BPM]

I started watching rugby in the early 90s, but I'd probably leave out most of the guys I loved watching prior to the professional era as I was a kid then and can't really say I had much of a feel for the game.

I'd go with:

1. G. Jenkins (Wales)
2. K. Wood (Ireland)
3. C. Hayman (NZ)
4. B. Retallick (NZ)
5. M. Johnson (England)
6. R. Hill (England)
7. R. McCaw (NZ)
8. Z. Brooke (NZ)
9. J. van der Westhuizen (SA)
10. J. Wilkinson (England)
11. J. Lomu (NZ)
12. W. Greenwood (Eng)
13. B. O'Driscoll (Ireland)
14. B. Habana (SA)
15. M. Burke (Australia)

The props were arguably toughest to pick, but I went on the proviso that if I couldn't stand my team (England or Quins) playing against them, they're probably good choices.

 

[TW27BA]

I'll have a stab and put an alternative as well. Really difficult but a mixture of amateur era players who I think could be considered.

15 JPR/Serge Blanco
14 John Kirwan/ Brian Habana
13 Jerry Guscott/ Brian O'Driscoll
12 Tim Horan/ Ma'a Nonu
11 Jonah Lomu/Rory Underwood
10 JW/ Dan Carter
9 Joost van der Westhuizen/ Gareth Edwards

1 The Beast/ Gethin Jenkins
2 Sean Fitzpatrick/ Bismark Du Plessis
3 Adam Jones/ Carl Heyman
4 Martin Johnson/ John Eales
5 Brodie Retallick/ Ian Jones
6 Richard Hill / Jerome Kaino
7 Michael Jones/ Richie McCaw
8 Lawrence Dallaglio/ Louis Picamoles

If todays players were included, only 3 England players would get in a matchday 23 IMO
Maro Itoje/ Tom Curry/ Jonny May.

 

[TRF_heineken]

I'm very surprised that none of you picked Victor Matfield in your teams, Or Os Du Randt...

 

[Bada-Bing!]

I'm very surprised that none of you picked Victor Matfield in your teams, Or Os Du Randt...

Planet rugby readers did. See link above.

 

[RedruthRFC]

So what's your 1-15? haha

Also, wasn't Danie Gerber a centre. If we're going to that era Naas Botha would be close.

Sorry, ust noticed this. Yes he was, I had 8 on the brain having just mentioned Zinzan. I would put Gerber in at 12. My team would be the Planet rugby one with the changes I've mentioned.

My impression of Botha is that he was very good at what he did, but that what he did was fairly limited. It the only competition was Grant Fox, then you could make a strong case for him. Older Welsh posters might disagree, but the role of fly half has changed so much that I would only look at modern players for an all time team. IMO of course, Carter is head and shoulders above the competition.

 

[RedruthRFC]

I'm very surprised that none of you picked Victor Matfield in your teams, Or Os Du Randt...

"I'd swap an ox for a beast in the front row"

 

[Hulk Hogan]

Going of memory this will be hard.

1. Os Du Randt
2. Bismarck Du Plessis
3. Taniela Tupou
4. Victor Matfield
5. Jamie Cudmore
6. Schalk Burger
7. George Smith/David Pocock
8. Henry Tuilagi
9. George Gregan
10. Elton Flatley
11. Digby Ioane
12. Matt Giteau
13. Aurelien Rougerie
14. Shane Williams
15. Chris Latham

Just from my personal preference.