Greatest: Round 1: Shortlist for the 15 shirt (VOTING ENDS 23/12/12)

The full back thread.

Please post below picking ONE and one only from this list of liginds:

JPR Williams (Wales), Serge Blanco (France), Christian Cullen, John Gallagher, Bob Scott, Don Clarke, George Nepia (NZ), André Joubert,Percy Montgomery (South Africa), Gavin Hastings, Andy Irvine (Scotland), Matt Burke, Chris Latham (Australia), Jason Robinson (England)


Top three go through to the vote for the teamsheet.

Will update the OP to make up for any glaring omissions.

Players above in no particular order.

Notes:

1. Rules here:
https://www.606v2.com/t38622-the-greatest-introduction-the-rules

2. Previous threads here:
https://www.606v2.com/t38631-the-greatest-round-1-shortlist-for-the-1-shirt#1745446

https://www.606v2.com/t38632-the-greatest-round-1-shortlist-for-the-2-shirt#1745455

https://www.606v2.com/t38633-the-greatest-round-1-shortlist-for-the-3-shirt#1745464

https://www.606v2.com/t38634-the-greatest-round-1-shortlist-for-the-4-5-shirts

https://www.606v2.com/t38635-the-greatest-round-1-shortlist-for-the-6-shirt#1745502

https://www.606v2.com/t38636-the-greatest-round-1-shortlist-for-the-7-shirt#1745507

https://www.606v2.com/t38637-the-greatest-round-1-shortlist-for-the-8-shirt

https://www.606v2.com/t38647-the-greatest-round-1-shortlist-for-the-9-shirt

https://www.606v2.com/t38665-the-greatest-round-1-shortlist-for-the-10-shirt

https://www.606v2.com/t38666-the-greatest-round-1-shortlist-for-the-12-shirt#1747109

https://www.606v2.com/t38667-the-greatest-round-1-shortlist-for-the-13-shirt

https://www.606v2.com/t38669-the-greatest-round-1-shortlist-for-the-11-14-shirts#1747119

3. Please note that voting for the shortlist will end at midnight on Sunday 23 December.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0945lQKP7I

George Nepia - by a country & nautical mile. On 'The Originals' tour to the home nations there was literally reams of paper written about how the full back was employed by the AB's as an attacking option. Nepia created 15 play as we know today.

JPR Williams - part of that 70's Wales team that swept all before them, and for services to the game.

Easy peasy,

John Peter Rhys Williams

Gavin Hastings for me.

Andy Irvine is also an amazing player but can't be the best full back when JPR pushed him out to the wing in the Invincible Lions tour.

Has to be JPR.

The guy had balls of steel. Any back who runs 50 metres to clobber a Bok second row gets my vote.

Percy would come close but given that his name is synonymous in rugby with both "great things" and "totally screwing up" I think he has to come a distant 2nd for me.

JPR

Lots of names on this list. I grew up idolising Serge Blanco and Gavin Hastings. Then later I had all the time in the world for Chris Latham. But Cullen did things on the field that made the game look like sevens. Never seen a player who created so much space. Unashamedly biased but I've got Christian to fight with me and he's damned strong!

Cullen

Cullen is the best I've seen play, although Blanco can't be far off.

Between JPR and Big Gav for me. But since I already have Carter and Eales in my team I don't need Gav's kicking. So it's JPR

JPR Williams

This is one of the hardest for me...
Heart says Burke as an ex Falcon...huge fan favorite...

BUT

Head says Cullen

Nepia may well have been the greatest-wish he'd been in SA in 1928. But from what I've seen Cullen. Best runner of the ball I've ever seen.

Chris Latham

JPR.

By reputation George Nepia,a 19 year playing every game 1925-6 phenomonal ,Gerry Brand was special,A.C. Wallace best player of the 1905 side could play any back position.BUT I`ve seen Cullen,and D.B.Clarke the first best
counter attacker ever,as a match winner Clarke.
THE BEST Robert,Henry ,Scott by a country mile JPR no where near it !!!!

Alan

I know you're a AB fan going back 60 odd years but can you find no room for some boks in your side??? Surely given they gave your ABs some epic battles a few of those players would be in your lineup?

Christian Cullen was a brilliant player, JPR too (defence as well as coming into the line in attack), but I'm voting for Serge Blanco. If it was on, he'd notice it was on and he'd counterattack. It wouldn't always come off, but I just love the willingness to at least try. One of my favourite players as I was growing up.

Jason Robinson.

JPR

I saw Blanco play against Ireland in Landsdowne in 1991 I think. He came on as a sub caught a kick, kicked it to touch, pulled a hammie and went off. Thats the only time I ever saw him play so no clue how good he is.

Cullen gets my vote, think he must have been made of kryptonite. Enjoyed Joubert's lazer like touch finders at the 95 WC but Cullen's the man.

Quite liked Jeff Wilson too but he didnt make the list.

Christian Cullen. Lethal.

GunsGerms wrote:I saw Blanco play against Ireland in Landsdowne in 1991 I think. He came on as a sub caught a kick, kicked it to touch, pulled a hammie and went off.

Fa0019 Gerry Brand was a BOK,Gerhard Morkel 1921 had a reputation nearly on a Par with Nepia.BUT I never saw them.

JPR

Can't decide between Serge, Cullen or JPR, so my clear welsh hat has won...

JPR it is!

Cullen.

Cullen. Honorable mention to Blanco.

Blanco

There are some incredible players on this list, but it's not a question I have to pause over for even a second. Cullen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiZrOMxJP9U

Cullen

JPR or Cullen... Tricky choice... JPR great in defence and attack.

Cullen without a doubt, a quite simply glorious player.

Got to be Christian Cullen

Cullen.

Cullen

I meant to post an hour ago, but got distracted by the video posted above, which led to a lot of other clips of Cullen shredding defences. What a player

Burke was my favourite FB to watch as a child, but after seeing footage of Cullen and hearing so many great stories of his magic I believe he is the best 15

Cullen first God second

Cullen

Cullen

His impact on me at school was immense; first: in 96 I had to play fullback second: I had to shave my head and third: I had to score long range tries just like him (and doing that got me into our First XV at the age of 15!)

After his 4 tries v Scotland in his 2nd test me and my mates rang his Dad up to say his son was a legend. His Dad is so down to earth he had a decent conversation with us!

Chris Latham for me, well maybe Burke, but Latho really, though he needs to pull his socks up!!!!

For counter attacking could maybe also consider Compo, he had a few spells there as a 15.

Cullen.
Loved to watch Andy Irvine and Blanco too.

JPR

Definitely Cullen

Christian Cullen

I'll confess to not knowing many pre 70's fullbacks. As a kiwi I know about the likes of nepia, Scott and Clark. But I'm not as well versed on their opponents. I love running fullbacks. As a teenager I saw the ab's saddled with the likes of deans and Crowley, whilst the opposition could field a blanco or campese. My happiest memories of ab's games are of Cullen slashing through the opposition. Was he the best, no idea.

Ps the game is continually changing. Nepal wasn't a running fullback as we know it. His primary role was defensive, as a kicker and tackler. His headmaster at mag was an American and his tackling technique was significantly ahead of his opposition. His kicking was modelling on the spiralling forward pass and ahead of it's time. He could run, and did a lot, when he went to league. Scott was revered as a running fullback in nz. He was a league convert (due to an amnesty in ww2). Clark was a huge man with a prodigious boot. All different beasts.

Christian Cullen

Cullen

Voting locked.