A bit of fun - pro 12 select V aviva select

by TJ Tue 01 Oct 2013, 10:03 am

First topic message reminder :

Ok enough wrangling over structures and who said what - lets argue about rugby :-)

Its only a bit of fun but who would not want to see a pro 12 select v and aviva select. Who would win?

I don't know the aviva players well enough but can have a stab at a pro 12 select. (excuse a bit of Glasgow bias but they are top of the league) Hopefully the english fans can help me out. Only select players who are playing and on form right now. Extra kudos if your choices have comedy hair or beards)
1 Cronin?????
2 Rees
3 Adam Jones
4 Alun Wyn Jones
5 Bortolami
6 Rob Harley ( every side needs a ginger tackle monster)
7 Warburton
8 Strauss ( gets the place for the beard)
9 Matowalo ( just back from injury but he is special or so his mum told me)
10 Patchell ( Biggar???)
11 Maitland
12 Dunbar
13 BOD ( still got it)
14 Cuthbert ( on fire right now)
15 Ha'penny ( the best back)

by **George Carlin** Tue 01 Oct 2013, 2:26 pm

funnyExiledScot wrote:
George Carlin wrote:
funnyExiledScot wrote:This is actually quite tricky.

Rabo:

1.Healy 2.Hibbard 3.A Jones 4.AWJ 5.POC 6.Strauss 7.SOB 8.Faletau 9.Pienaar 10.Madigan 11.Zebo 12.JD2 13.DTH 14.Bowe 15.Halfpenny

16.Grant 17.Best 18.Afoa 19.Evans 20.Warburton 21.Matawalu 22.Biggar 23.Maitland

Aviva

1.Corbisiero 2.Brits 3.Cole 4.Attwood 5.Launchbury 6.Croft 7.Burger 8.B Vunipola 9.B Youngs 10.Evans 11.Wade 12.Twelvetrees 13.Tuilagi 14.Ashton 15.Foden

16.M Vunipola 17.T Youngs 18.J Johnstone 19.Lawes 20.Brown 21.Care 22.Farrell 23.Joseph

Pretty good, FES. If they're both playing well, I would swap Nick Williams for Faletau and maybe (if Madigan is kicking the goals) swap Niko for Pienaar. The Rabo bench is amazing - 5 Lions, a 30 cap All Black, a 6N grandslam winning captain and a JWC winner/Super Rugby record try scorer.

Presumably given Croft's injury, you'd swap Robshaw or Brown for him.

Might be biased, but I'd take the Rabo team to win that.
I'd probably go with Halfpenny kicking the goals. I've read somewhere that he's quite useful....

I didn't see him there. Then again, he is quite little. I should quickly add preemptively that I meant no disrespect to St Leigh of Lilliput before any incensed Welsh fans accuse me of being in Al-Qaeda.

by TJ Tue 01 Oct 2013, 2:31 pm

Well he was voted by the players most valuable ( or was it best) player 3 years running. Just imagine how crap Edinburgh would have been without him.
edit - McVisser I am referring to not ickle ha'penny

by lostinwales Tue 01 Oct 2013, 2:34 pm

George Carlin wrote:
funnyExiledScot wrote:
George Carlin wrote:
funnyExiledScot wrote:This is actually quite tricky.

Rabo:

1.Healy 2.Hibbard 3.A Jones 4.AWJ 5.POC 6.Strauss 7.SOB 8.Faletau 9.Pienaar 10.Madigan 11.Zebo 12.JD2 13.DTH 14.Bowe 15.Halfpenny

16.Grant 17.Best 18.Afoa 19.Evans 20.Warburton 21.Matawalu 22.Biggar 23.Maitland

Aviva

1.Corbisiero 2.Brits 3.Cole 4.Attwood 5.Launchbury 6.Croft 7.Burger 8.B Vunipola 9.B Youngs 10.Evans 11.Wade 12.Twelvetrees 13.Tuilagi 14.Ashton 15.Foden

16.M Vunipola 17.T Youngs 18.J Johnstone 19.Lawes 20.Brown 21.Care 22.Farrell 23.Joseph

Pretty good, FES. If they're both playing well, I would swap Nick Williams for Faletau and maybe (if Madigan is kicking the goals) swap Niko for Pienaar. The Rabo bench is amazing - 5 Lions, a 30 cap All Black, a 6N grandslam winning captain and a JWC winner/Super Rugby record try scorer.

Presumably given Croft's injury, you'd swap Robshaw or Brown for him.

Might be biased, but I'd take the Rabo team to win that.
I'd probably go with Halfpenny kicking the goals. I've read somewhere that he's quite useful....
I didn't see him there. Then again, he is quite little. I should quickly add preemptively that I meant no disrespect to St Leigh of Lilliput before any incensed Welsh fans accuse me of being in Al-Qaeda.

Small person racist!!!!

by funnyExiledScot Tue 01 Oct 2013, 2:34 pm

Careful now GC. That's blasphemy.

by funnyExiledScot Tue 01 Oct 2013, 2:35 pm

TJ wrote:Well he was voted by the players most valuable ( or was it best) player 3 years running. Just imagine how crap Edinburgh would have been without him.edit - McVisser I am referring to not ickle ha'penny

I'd really rather not. I was at the game on Friday and saw first hand how effective Lee Jones was on the wing playing for the Scarlets.

by TJ Tue 01 Oct 2013, 2:37 pm

What happened to him ( Jones)? When he first played he looked to have good potential? Has he been infected with uselessitis like Ford?

by **George Carlin** Tue 01 Oct 2013, 2:43 pm

lostinwales wrote:
George Carlin wrote:
funnyExiledScot wrote:
George Carlin wrote:
funnyExiledScot wrote:This is actually quite tricky.

Rabo:

1.Healy 2.Hibbard 3.A Jones 4.AWJ 5.POC 6.Strauss 7.SOB 8.Faletau 9.Pienaar 10.Madigan 11.Zebo 12.JD2 13.DTH 14.Bowe 15.Halfpenny

16.Grant 17.Best 18.Afoa 19.Evans 20.Warburton 21.Matawalu 22.Biggar 23.Maitland

Aviva

1.Corbisiero 2.Brits 3.Cole 4.Attwood 5.Launchbury 6.Croft 7.Burger 8.B Vunipola 9.B Youngs 10.Evans 11.Wade 12.Twelvetrees 13.Tuilagi 14.Ashton 15.Foden

16.M Vunipola 17.T Youngs 18.J Johnstone 19.Lawes 20.Brown 21.Care 22.Farrell 23.Joseph

Pretty good, FES. If they're both playing well, I would swap Nick Williams for Faletau and maybe (if Madigan is kicking the goals) swap Niko for Pienaar. The Rabo bench is amazing - 5 Lions, a 30 cap All Black, a 6N grandslam winning captain and a JWC winner/Super Rugby record try scorer.

Presumably given Croft's injury, you'd swap Robshaw or Brown for him.

Might be biased, but I'd take the Rabo team to win that.
I'd probably go with Halfpenny kicking the goals. I've read somewhere that he's quite useful....
I didn't see him there. Then again, he is quite little. I should quickly add preemptively that I meant no disrespect to St Leigh of Lilliput before any incensed Welsh fans accuse me of being in Al-Qaeda.
Small person racist!!!!

No way. Peter Dinklage is the best thing in Game of Thrones.

by funnyExiledScot Tue 01 Oct 2013, 2:47 pm

TJ wrote:What happened to him ( Jones)? When he first played he looked to have good potential? Has he been infected with uselessitis like Ford?

I'm not sure. I initially thought it was a confidence issue, but now it just looks like he was a good sevens player and decent-ish attacking winger, but utterly out of his depth in defence. His tackling technique isn't good, and he gets flustered when required to defend so his decision making is all over the place.

Either way I'm getting to the end of my patience with him. He'll run in the easy scores, but where we really need him is in broken play with counterattacking ball, or coming off his wing behind the scrum where Shane Williams used to make hay. He's small and quite speedy, but doesn't play to his strengths (and he's had plenty of opportunity).

by ScarletSpiderman Tue 01 Oct 2013, 3:14 pm

funnyExiledScot wrote:
TJ wrote:What happened to him ( Jones)? When he first played he looked to have good potential? Has he been infected with uselessitis like Ford?
I'm not sure. I initially thought it was a confidence issue, but now it just looks like he was a good sevens player and decent-ish attacking winger, but utterly out of his depth in defence. His tackling technique isn't good, and he gets flustered when required to defend so his decision making is all over the place.

Either way I'm getting to the end of my patience with him. He'll run in the easy scores, but where we really need him is in broken play with counterattacking ball, or coming off his wing behind the scrum where Shane Williams used to make hay. He's small and quite speedy, but doesn't play to his strengths (and he's had plenty of opportunity).

Could shift him to full back. Far more chances to attack the broken feild from there.

by The Saint Tue 01 Oct 2013, 4:34 pm

Pro 12.

1. Grant, McGrath, Cronin
2. Hibbard, Strauss, Ghiraldini
3. Jones, Afoa, Lee
4. AWJ, Kellock, Coombs
5. Bortolami, POC, I.Evans
6. L.Evans, Harley, McLaughlin
7. Jennings, Dougall, Zanni
8. Heaslip, Williams, Copeland
9. Tibaldi, Matawalu, Pienaar
10. Biggar, Madigan, Priestland
11. Walker, Van der Merwe, Visser
12. Marshall, Dunbar, S.Williams
13. JD2, Earls, BOD
14. Cuthbert, Hasler, D.Kearney
15. Halfpenny, Maitland, D.Evans

That's not necessarily in order. I excluded some because of their lack of game time (Warbs, Tips), though made exceptions for notable class-oozing performances (Heaslip and BOD), or areas where I thought there were no greater options.

by funnyExiledScot Tue 01 Oct 2013, 4:45 pm

ScarletSpiderman wrote:
funnyExiledScot wrote:
TJ wrote:What happened to him ( Jones)? When he first played he looked to have good potential? Has he been infected with uselessitis like Ford?
I'm not sure. I initially thought it was a confidence issue, but now it just looks like he was a good sevens player and decent-ish attacking winger, but utterly out of his depth in defence. His tackling technique isn't good, and he gets flustered when required to defend so his decision making is all over the place.

Either way I'm getting to the end of my patience with him. He'll run in the easy scores, but where we really need him is in broken play with counterattacking ball, or coming off his wing behind the scrum where Shane Williams used to make hay. He's small and quite speedy, but doesn't play to his strengths (and he's had plenty of opportunity).
Could shift him to full back. Far more chances to attack the broken feild from there.

Full back!!! Have you seen this guy under pressure in defence???

by funnyExiledScot Tue 01 Oct 2013, 4:46 pm

If he's going to "do a McInally" and move positions, he should try scrum half.

by **George Carlin** Tue 01 Oct 2013, 4:53 pm

funnyExiledScot wrote:If he's going to "do a McInally" and move positions, he should try ~~scrum half~~ being the guy who cuts the oranges for half time.

by funnyExiledScot Tue 01 Oct 2013, 4:59 pm

George Carlin wrote:
funnyExiledScot wrote:If he's going to "do a McInally" and move positions, he should try ~~scrum half~~ being the guy who cuts the oranges for half time.

I wouldn't trust Lee Jones with a knife, not with his handling skills.

by **George Carlin** Tue 01 Oct 2013, 5:29 pm

funnyExiledScot wrote:
George Carlin wrote:
funnyExiledScot wrote:If he's going to "do a McInally" and move positions, he should try ~~scrum half~~ being the guy who cuts the oranges for half time.
I wouldn't trust Lee Jones with a knife, not with his handling skills.

by sirtidychris Tue 01 Oct 2013, 8:29 pm

I have tried to gain extra points by going an aviva all stars with x factor beards or hair.

Marler (hair beard combo)
Webber -beard
Cole- beard
Parling - beard
Botha-golden mane
Ashley Johnson -sideshow bob hair
Luke Wallace- dashing little samurai top knot
Haskell- beard
Danny care- ratty beard and silly haircut
Goode-aging rocker locks
Tom Biggs - braid heart
36- golden mane
Manu tuilagi-the rat tail
Mike brown- cue ball but doesn't need to be
Matthew tait- Beatles mop

by 21st Century Schizoid Man Tue 01 Oct 2013, 8:36 pm

The Saint wrote:Pro 12.

1. Grant, McGrath, Cronin
2. Hibbard, Strauss, Ghiraldini
3. Jones, Afoa, Lee
4. AWJ, Kellock, Coombs
5. Bortolami, POC, I.Evans
6. L.Evans, Harley, McLaughlin
7. Jennings, Dougall, Zanni
8. Heaslip, Williams, Copeland
9. Tibaldi, Matawalu, Pienaar
10. Biggar, Madigan, Priestland
11. Walker, Van der Merwe, Visser
12. Marshall, Dunbar, S.Williams
13. JD2, Earls, BOD
14. Cuthbert, Hasler, D.Kearney
15. Halfpenny, Maitland, D.Evans

That's not necessarily in order. I excluded some because of their lack of game time (Warbs, Tips), though made exceptions for notable class-oozing performances (Heaslip and BOD), or areas where I thought there were no greater options.

Errr ..I don't see Josh 'Bluto' Strauss' name here - take it you don't see a lot of Rabo games ?

by bedfordwelsh Tue 01 Oct 2013, 8:56 pm

Both Jordan and Liam Williams at the Scarlets are looking good, Liam just seems a complete nuisance.

by TJ Tue 01 Oct 2013, 9:05 pm

sirtidychris wrote:I have tried to gain extra points by going an aviva all stars with x factor beards or hair.

Marler (hair beard combo)
Webber -beard
Cole- beard
Parling - beard
Botha-golden mane
Ashley Johnson -sideshow bob hair
Luke Wallace- dashing little samurai top knot
Haskell- beard
Danny care- ratty beard and silly haircut
Goode-aging rocker locks
Tom Biggs - braid heart
36- golden mane
Manu tuilagi-the rat tail
Mike brown- cue ball but doesn't need to be
Matthew tait- Beatles mop

That is truly terrifying.

Very Happy

by mckay1402 Tue 01 Oct 2013, 10:41 pm

I'm astonished that nobody is picking North in the aviva team. He's been really dangerous for saints and while yarde and Wade are doubtless talented I wouldn't put them ahead of North.

by formerly known as Sam Wed 02 Oct 2013, 7:11 am

North has shown sparks of brilliance but needs to get into games more. Young Jamie Elliott on the other Saint's wing has actually impressed me more so far. It'll come for North, he just needs to settle in.

Yarde and Wade are consistently excellent and Nikki Goneva is in top form at either wing or centre. It's a well contested area.

by beshocked Wed 02 Oct 2013, 9:35 am

mckay1402 North has just 1 try to his name in 4 AP matches and it was a walk in.

North has not yet truly sparkled in the AP yet. He's been good but hasn't shown anything more than his AP winger rivals.

by Pat_Mustard Wed 02 Oct 2013, 12:04 pm

sirtidychris wrote:I have tried to gain extra points by going an aviva all stars with x factor beards or hair.

Marler (hair beard combo)
Webber -beard
Cole- beard
Parling - beard
Botha-golden mane
Ashley Johnson -sideshow bob hair
Luke Wallace- dashing little samurai top knot
Haskell- beard
Danny care- ratty beard and silly haircut
Goode-aging rocker locks
Tom Biggs - braid heart
36- golden mane
Manu tuilagi-the rat tail
Mike brown- cue ball but doesn't need to be
Matthew tait- Beatles mop

Pro 12 hair/beard XV:

1 Duncan Jones - one half of the classic hairy prop combo
2 Richard Hibbard - flowing locks
3 Adam Jones - see Duncan Jones
4 Jonny Gray - through a hedge backwards
5 Sean Cox - don't tell him I said his beard looks stupid
6 Josh Strauss - http://t.co/wHdYw6MiWb
7 Josh Navidi - shunted Bergamasco out of position
8 David Denton - known as Clare Balding lookalike (sorry Clare)

9 Mauro Bergamasco - hairiest italian "scrum half" since Griffen
10 Ruaridh Jackson - white boy afro
11 Nikola Matawalu - his hair looks exactly like his beard
12 Paddy Wallace - little beard
13 Gonzalo Garcia - receding gingerness reminiscent of Neil Jenkins
14 Lote Tuqiri - emergency hair signing
15 Zane Kirchner - sideshow bob mark II

by theslosty Wed 02 Oct 2013, 4:27 pm

Selecting a side on purely the most accomplished players in the Rabo:

1. Healy
2. Hibbard
3. A Jones
4. AWJ
5. POC
6. SOB
7. Warburton
8. Heaslip/Faletau
9. Pienaar
10. Biggar
11. Zebo
12. D'arcy
13. BOD/JD2
14. Bowe
15. Halfpenny

But picking a side on performance in the Rabo:

1. Grant
2. Best
3. Afoa
4. Muller
5. Swinson
6. Strauss
7. Tipuric
8. Williams
9. Matawalu
10. Madigan
11. DTHVDM
12. L Marshall
13. Earls
14. Visser
15. Payne

by theslosty Wed 02 Oct 2013, 4:29 pm

funnyExiledScot wrote:
George Carlin wrote:
funnyExiledScot wrote:This is actually quite tricky.

Rabo:

1.Healy 2.Hibbard 3.A Jones 4.AWJ 5.POC 6.Strauss 7.SOB 8.Faletau 9.Pienaar 10.Madigan 11.Zebo 12.JD2 13.DTH 14.Bowe 15.Halfpenny

16.Grant 17.Best 18.Afoa 19.Evans 20.Warburton 21.Matawalu 22.Biggar 23.Maitland

Aviva

1.Corbisiero 2.Brits 3.Cole 4.Attwood 5.Launchbury 6.Croft 7.Burger 8.B Vunipola 9.B Youngs 10.Evans 11.Wade 12.Twelvetrees 13.Tuilagi 14.Ashton 15.Foden

16.M Vunipola 17.T Youngs 18.J Johnstone 19.Lawes 20.Brown 21.Care 22.Farrell 23.Joseph

Pretty good, FES. If they're both playing well, I would swap Nick Williams for Faletau and maybe (if Madigan is kicking the goals) swap Niko for Pienaar. The Rabo bench is amazing - 5 Lions, a 30 cap All Black, a 6N grandslam winning captain and a JWC winner/Super Rugby record try scorer.

Presumably given Croft's injury, you'd swap Robshaw or Brown for him.

Might be biased, but I'd take the Rabo team to win that.
I'd probably go with Halfpenny kicking the goals. I've read somewhere that he's quite useful....

Halfpenny's not a bad goalkicker, I hear.

But Madigan has got a ridiculous kicking success rate since the start of the year, 98% or something stupid like that. Rare you see that consistency with someone who is perceived as a risk-taker and a maverick.

by mckay1402 Wed 02 Oct 2013, 10:04 pm

beshocked wrote:mckay1402 North has just 1 try to his name in 4 AP matches and it was a walk in.

North has not yet truly sparkled in the AP yet. He's been good but hasn't shown anything more than his AP winger rivals.

I don't agree with this but I can see what you mean. I do think he's started pretty well. I would also say Tom James has been on sparkling form so far. Most defenders beaten so far this season...

by formerly known as Sam Wed 02 Oct 2013, 10:10 pm

Tom James played very well for the Chiefs in the second half on Sunday, really added some spark for them. He will fit in well down there and with Nowell to come back from injury Exeter will look excellent on the flanks.

by TJ Wed 02 Oct 2013, 10:11 pm

Pat_Mustard wrote:
sirtidychris wrote:I have tried to gain extra points by going an aviva all stars with x factor beards or hair.

Marler (hair beard combo)
Webber -beard
Cole- beard
Parling - beard
Botha-golden mane
Ashley Johnson -sideshow bob hair
Luke Wallace- dashing little samurai top knot
Haskell- beard
Danny care- ratty beard and silly haircut
Goode-aging rocker locks
Tom Biggs - braid heart
36- golden mane
Manu tuilagi-the rat tail
Mike brown- cue ball but doesn't need to be
Matthew tait- Beatles mop
Pro 12 hair/beard XV:

1 Duncan Jones - one half of the classic hairy prop combo
2 Richard Hibbard - flowing locks
3 Adam Jones - see Duncan Jones
4 Jonny Gray - through a hedge backwards
5 Sean Cox - don't tell him I said his beard looks stupid
6 Josh Strauss - http://t.co/wHdYw6MiWb
7 Josh Navidi - shunted Bergamasco out of position
8 David Denton - known as Clare Balding lookalike (sorry Clare)

9 Mauro Bergamasco - hairiest italian "scrum half" since Griffen
10 Ruaridh Jackson - white boy afro
11 Nikola Matawalu - his hair looks exactly like his beard
12 Paddy Wallace - little beard
13 Gonzalo Garcia - receding gingerness reminiscent of Neil Jenkins
14 Lote Tuqiri - emergency hair signing
15 Zane Kirchner - sideshow bob mark II

by **LondonTiger** Thu 03 Oct 2013, 8:14 am

Pat_Mustard wrote:
8 David Denton - known as Clare Balding lookalike (sorry Clare)

Dave Denton:

Clare Balding:

by Luckless Pedestrian Thu 03 Oct 2013, 8:39 am

theslosty wrote:Selecting a side on purely the most accomplished players in the Rabo:

1. Healy
2. Hibbard
3. A Jones
4. AWJ
5. POC
6. SOB
7. Warburton
8. Heaslip/Faletau
9. Pienaar
10. Biggar
11. Zebo
12. D'arcy
13. BOD/JD2
14. Bowe
15. Halfpenny

See, close calls in both positions. Let's cut Gatland some slack!

Run

by The Saint Thu 03 Oct 2013, 2:37 pm

mckay1402 wrote:
beshocked wrote:mckay1402 North has just 1 try to his name in 4 AP matches and it was a walk in.

North has not yet truly sparkled in the AP yet. He's been good but hasn't shown anything more than his AP winger rivals.
I don't agree with this but I can see what you mean. I do think he's started pretty well. I would also say Tom James has been on sparkling form so far. Most defenders beaten so far this season...

Who would agree with Beshocked though, the guy is clueless. He still thinks Ashton is the best winger in the world as well.

I would agree on Tom James, he's certainly flourishing at Exeter. Wonder if he's been tested in defence yet though?

by **George Carlin** Thu 03 Oct 2013, 2:47 pm

LondonTiger wrote:
Pat_Mustard wrote:
8 David Denton - known as Clare Balding lookalike (sorry Clare)
Dave Denton:

Clare Balding:

It's a close call who would be a better ball carrier.

I was going to write that apparently Clare has very little experience in handling balls, but my lawyers (FES) told me not to go there.

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