World XV

NewstalkZB in NZ have picked up on magazine Rugby World's current world XV: World XV

Rob Kearney, JP Peterson, Conrad Smith, Jamie Roberts, George North, Dan Carter, Will Genia, Kieran Read, David Pocock, Dan Lydiate, Richie Gray, Bakkies Botha, Euan Murray, Bismarck du Plessis, Tony Woodcock.

Agree or disagree? Alternatives?

I started thinking who should replace who but as my list grew I realised that this was too much of a joke...

chewed_mintie wrote:I started thinking who should replace who but as my list grew I realised that this was too much of a joke...

+1

Kearney was interesting and made me smile. JP, well i understand but disagree. Then I got to jamie Roberts, who has been injured since the flood?, and started to chortle.

By the time I got to euan Murray my sides could take it no more.

Asbo, I will be suing you for serious damages to cover the injuries caused.

Euan Murray? Seriously?

Tha man is one of my favourite players but 3 Reasonable performances on tour don't hide the fact that he has been a shadow of his former self since the 2009 Lions tour.

my tuppence :

Rob Kearney Izzy Dagg
JP Peterson
Conrad Smith
Jamie Roberts SBW
George North Digby Ioane
Dan Carter
Will Genia
Kieran Read
David Pocock
Dan Lydiate
Richie Gray
Bakkies Botha
Euan MurrayTendai Mtawarira
Bismarck du Plessis
Tony Woodcock

The rest seems to make sense.

I know Pocock is good, but Richie McCaw is as ridiculously good as ever. I'd still have him in any World XV backrow.

I wouldn't bat an eyelid if McCaw was changed for Pockock, both clear head and shoulders above their competition at the moment. Ross Rennie is probably the closest since Warburton's dip in form.

LondonTiger wrote:Kearney was interesting and made me smile. JP, well i understand but disagree. Then I got to jamie Roberts, who has been injured since the flood?, and started to chortle.

By the time I got to euan Murray my sides could take it no more.

Asbo, I will be suing you for serious damages to cover the injuries caused.

Thought it might get an entertaining reaction!

Cian H as loosehead? As good as Woodcock was in the series, Cian outplayed him IMO

Is the Beast that good from what I remember Dan Cole gave him a bit of tough time recently

Currently

Cole
x
Corbisiero
x
x
Croft
McCaw
Kieran Reid
Genia
x
x
Manu Tuilagi
Chris Ashton
Kearney

In the next 12 months you can expect more and more Englishmen to force their way in as we become more and more dominant.

First off I think Tuilagi is a machine and have posted on many threads that England need to build their backline around him but to say him (and Ashton) are currently best is million miles away.

SBW and Conrad Smith are best around at the moment and there are a host better than Ashton (at the moment)

bedfordwelsh wrote:First off I think Tuilagi is a machine and have posted on many threads that England need to build their backline around him but to say him (and Ashton) are currently best is million miles away.

SBW and Conrad Smith are best around at the moment and there are a host better than Ashton (at the moment)

Fair cop twas tongue in cheek i confess my sins. Still i am optimistic.

Tri,

If England can find the perfect foil for Manu then there will be no stopping him but thats the achilles heel at the moment.

Waldouck as the perfect foil for Manu?!

Interesting to read on the BBC website that Waldouck toured NZ in 2008 and OZ in 2010 and didn't play a single game. Say what you will about Lancaster's tour but at least he had the decency to play everyone he took, even those who came out as injury back up.

Chjw131 wrote:Waldouck as the perfect foil for Manu?!

Interesting to read on the BBC website that Waldouck toured NZ in 2008 and OZ in 2010 and didn't play a single game. Say what you will about Lancaster's tour but at least he had the decency to play everyone he took, even those who came out as injury back up.

Chjw,

Yeah if you not going to play them why bother take them (or let them join up late after getting married)

bedfordwelsh wrote:Tri,

If England can find the perfect foil for Manu then there will be no stopping him but thats the achilles heel at the moment.

Well i'm hoping that it is either Anthony Allen (seems to have been passed over a bit having only played 13 midweek sides i believe) or that...

Billy 36 Twelvetrees is the 17th and final (for 5 years anyway) 12 for England since the retirement of Will Greenwood.

Who else is there?

Triangulation wrote:Currently

Cole
x
Corbisiero
x
x
Croft
McCaw
Kieran Reid
Genia
x
x
Manu Tuilagi
Chris Ashton
Kearney

In the next 12 months you can expect more and more Englishmen to force their way in as we become more and more dominant.

This thread started off with some amusement and has now become positively hillarious Nice one Tri.

offload wrote:

Triangulation wrote:Currently

Cole
x
Corbisiero
x
x
Croft
McCaw
Kieran Reid
Genia
x
x
Manu Tuilagi
Chris Ashton
Kearney

In the next 12 months you can expect more and more Englishmen to force their way in as we become more and more dominant.

This thread started off with some amusement and has now become positively hillarious Nice one Tri.

Just you give it 12 months then we'll see who's laughing!

I have done a great deal of reseach and looked around on numerous threads on here etc. I have put together what i think the genreal concensus is the best XV in the world right now;

Murphy; Agulla, M Tuilagi, Allen, A Tuilagi; Ford, B Youngs;
Ayerza, Chuter, Cole, Skivington, Parling, Mafi, Salvi, Waldrom.

ScarletSpiderman wrote:I have done a great deal of reseach and looked around on numerous threads on here etc. I have put together what i think the genreal concensus is the best XV in the world right now;

Murphy; Agulla, M Tuilagi, Allen, A Tuilagi; Ford, B Youngs;
Ayerza, Chuter, Cole, Skivington, Parling, Mafi, Salvi, Waldrom.

Theeeeeeey're greeeeeeeeeat!

How the HELL can Jamie Roberts, be any where near this squad?( WORLD XV) Squad that is?

Murray at 3 is a bit of a joke, but at least he is a tight head. However RuggerRadge, The last time i checked the beast is a loosehead and never has played on the right end of the front row. Adam Jones would be a much better shout.

Another thing Bakkies Botha has been almost invisible playing for Toulon so certainly he wouldnt be my pick for best 4, that may well be Ritchie Gray who always plays 4 and never plays 5, mainly because rather ironically for such a tall and athletic player he is pants as a middle lineout jumper. Based on the WC i would have Sam Whitelock as my choice 5. Great jumper, great work rate, good hands and more usefull in the contact than he looks like he should be!

Dagg
Ioane
Smith
SBW
Jane
Carter
Genia

Woodcock
Du Plessis
Cole
Horwill
Whitelock
Alberts
Pocock
Read

Murray at 3 is a bit of a joke, but at least he is a tight head. However RuggerRadge, The last time i checked the beast is a loosehead and never has played on the right end of the front row. Adam Jones would be a much better shout

Normally I'd agree with that, particularly after the 6N where Jones was on top form but was anyone else a tad disappointed in his performances for Wales? He just seemed a bit sluggish and got pinged a few times for lying on the ball when there was nothing on and gifting Oz either territory or points. He didn't destroy the Aussie loosehead like I expected him to either, though he did have the nudge on. To long a season for the big man?

I'd say Cole is nudging ahead of Jones now. He's really stepped up in the last year or so.

Cole is technically and excellent scrummager and is really exception in defence (plays almost like a 7). However, his lack of bulk mean that he doesn't deliver a particularly big hit on the engage which can be tough for props that are used to using a big engage to their advantage (Marler struggled initially when partnered with Cole this summer, where as Corbisiero who was used to that really flourished). Cole needs to step up his carrying, he normally makes one or two decent trundles a game but Jones does a lot more of that and offers a bigger hit in the scrum. Cole might edge the scrum technically but it seems a close run thing. Cole is far better in defence though so it is a close run thing between the pair of them, maybe the experience of Jones nudging him ahead, just.

I suspect we'll see on the Lions Tour as both simply must be selected.

How old is Cole now? I keep thinking he must be about to retire when I see him!

I remember Englands scrum getting destroyed for a pen in the 6n, but Cole did get on top of 'Beast' in the summer tour, I do think that Beast is overrated, Adam Jones mullered him in 08' he isnt the best scrummager, I'd defo put Adam in at tighthead, him or Franks, who I think is underrated for some reason.

This would be my world 15.

15. K.Beale
14. C.Jane
13. C.Smith/A. Ashley-Cooper
12. M.Nonu/S.B.Williams
11. G.North
10. D.Carter
9. W.Genia
8. K.Read
7. Pocock
6. Lydiate
5. S.Whitelock
4. R.Gray
3. O.Franks
2. Du Plessis
1. G.Jenkins

For me it's:
15. Dagg
14. North
13. Smith
12. SBW
11. Ioane
10. Carter
9. Genia
8. Read
7. Pocock
6. Lydiate
5. Gray
4. Whitelock
3. O. Franks
2. Du Plessis
1. Jenkins

What an odd team....Lydiate, Murray, Bakkies, Woodcock?!?!

Why is everyone ignoring French players? Fofana at 12 instead of Roberts. Yachvili must be in with a shout at 9 and Dusautoir should be in there somewhere.

Scot Abroad wrote:Why is everyone ignoring French players? Fofana at 12 instead of Roberts. Yachvili must be in with a shout at 9 and Dusautoir should be in there somewhere.

I considered Dusatoir but thought if I wouldn't have him over Rennie (in current form) I wouldn't take him in a world XV. Renni outplayed Dusatoir twice at the end of last season once for Scotland and once for Edinburgh.

I went for SBW over Roberts but Yachvilli or Para are good shouts at 9 but are either better than Genia? not sure......

Cian Healy is the best loosehead in the world right now. Discuss...

How old is Cole now? I keep thinking he must be about to retire when I see him!

Just Turned 25 Yappy. He does look like Henry VIII but is actually quite a young guy who is just heading into his prime.

I remember Englands scrum getting destroyed for a pen in the 6n

Yeah, they were on the back foot for the majority of the game with Hartley having an absolue mare at hooker, he kept standing up as Jones was borring across Corbs and into Hartley. When that happens there's pretty much no hope for the rest of the pack. That was a good day at the office for Adam Jones.

Mickado wrote:Cian Healy is the best loosehead in the world right now. Discuss...

I'm not too sure if this is a WUM or not but considering how slow a day at work this is, I'll answer.

I genuinly think Healy is one of the best loosheads in world rugby at the moment. A comfortable Lions starter if he keeps this level of form. Destructive in the scrum, a powerful carrier and a menace at the breakdown.

A very good player, and probably the best in the NH (IMO) not sure about the best in the world though.

Mickado wrote:Cian Healy is the best loosehead in the world right now. Discuss...

Without a doubt, not much to discuss though.

LH is a pretty weak position in world rugby with so many injured/out of form. You have the likes of Barcella, Domingo, Woodcock not fully hitting the heights or just coming back.

RuggerRadge2611 wrote:

Mickado wrote:Cian Healy is the best loosehead in the world right now. Discuss...

I'm not too sure if this is a WUM or not but considering how slow a day at work this is, I'll answer.

I genuinly think Healy is one of the best loosheads in world rugby at the moment. A comfortable Lions starter if he keeps this level of form. Destructive in the scrum, a powerful carrier and a menace at the breakdown.

A very good player, and probably the best in the NH (IMO) not sure about the best in the world though.

Not a WUM Radge, but i did kinda phrase it that way. He's cetainly the best in the world based on the summer tours, but he's not the undisputed best. At 24 though, it's only a matter of time IMO.

I have always rated Healy very highly. As a front rower myself I love the way he rubs his head on the opposite tightheads noggin as a form of challenge / Intimidation / Mind games.

He's a solid player and one that Ireland will look to (along with Kearney, Ferris and Bowe) when the likes of BOD and POC move into retirement.

I knew he was young but must confess I thought he was older than 24.

Not sure if you guys saw the stats of te looseheads that played in the summer tours, but Cian Healy's stats by far, and I mean distant galaxies outshone any other loosehead.

biltongbek wrote:Not sure if you guys saw the stats of te looseheads that played in the summer tours, but Cian Healy's stats by far, and I mean distant galaxies outshone any other loosehead.

Haven't seen the stats Bilt, normally they don't tell the whole story so I am normally reluctant to make outlandish claims regarding them.

Can't argue that Healy is a class act and if he isn't the best in the world at the moment, that accolade is not far from his grasp.

As I have said always thought he was a terrific player. I'm guessing the stats do nothing to change that perception.

Well what I can remember, his tackling stats were twice as hig as any other, he only missed one tackle, he made the most runs, by far the most yards, and conceded the fewest penalties.

It tells me in the loose he is effective, high work rate and solid defender.

Healy really was our star of the tournament along with Ryan, O'Brien and Best. In general our pack at times did a good job.

Currently Healy is the only name inked on the Lions starting team sheet. Jenkins is good and will certainly tour but Healy is looking very good at the moment. Pretty much every other player has at least one other option competing for the shirt in a serious way.

I would still have Jean-Baptiste Poux instead of Healy if we're talking about a NH XV but would I be happy to hand him the Lions 1 shirt? Yes, he probably shades Jenkins at the moment.

1 J Slipper
2 D Hartley
3 M Rizzo
4 W Alberts
5 A Kellock
6 C Lawes
7 A Shingler
8 V Vito
9 P Weepu
10 S Shingler
11 C Sharples
12 S Lamont
13 P McCabe
14 L Vainikolo
15 I Koniferedi

1. Brendan Laney
2. Brendan Laney
3. Brendan Laney
4. Brendan Laney
5. Brendan Laney
6. Brendan Laney
7. Brendan Laney
8. Brendan Laney
9. Brendan Laney
10. Billy Twelvetrees
11. Brendan Laney
12. Brendan Laney
13. Brendan Laney
14. Brendan Laney
15. Brendan Laney

Historic. Unstoppable. Incredible.