Who did you see this Autumn who impressed you without hitting the headlines?

Which players didn't make the headlines but in your opinion looked superb...?

To start off I thought Nick Cummins was brilliant. Didn't score this weekend but his pace and running lines were superb.

Every time he received ball he caused trouble. Great talent, really enjoyable to watch.

maestegmafia wrote:To start off I thought Nick Cummins was brilliant. Didn't score...

He scored against Ireland, then scored twice against Italy and was awarded man of the match.

Willie Le Roux
Duncan Weir
Cian Healy
Scott Fardy
Nigel Owens
Sam Whitelock

I would mention a couple of Englishmen who impressed but unfortunately finding an Englishman who so much as farted convincingly on the sidelines who didn't get a two page spread in the broadsheets the next day celebrating the achievement is next to impossible.

GloriousEmpire wrote:Willie Le Roux
Duncan Weir
Cian Healy
Scott Fardy
Nigel Owens
Sam Whitelock

I would mention a couple of Englishmen who impressed but unfortunately finding an Englishman who so much as farted convincingly on the sidelines who didn't get a two page spread in the broadsheets the next day celebrating the achievement is next to impossible.

Le Roux and Dulin both looked very good, definitely a good call

From and English point of view:

Marler showed he can match just about anything the SH could throw at him (baring SA).
Hartley can be as effective as Youngs in the loose and scrummage and throw accurately
Backrow, Woods, Billy V or Morgan and Robshaw are an effective unit at the breakdown and matched if not outplayed the much vaunted Aus and NZ backrow units (units specifically, no one got close to Reid)

Yeah, but he said "didn't hit the headlines". The way the media cranked up after England's loss you'd think they had just lifted the web Ellis.

Seff Efrica
Willem Alberts
Duane Vermeulen
Jean de Villiers
Willie le Roux

OZtralia
Moore
Hooper
Cooper
Folau

Kiwiland
Read
Cruden
Savea

England
Brown
Morgan

Wales
North

Ireland
Healy

Again I refer you to : "without hitting the headlines?"

Wales: Scott Williams
South Africa: Willem Alberts
Australia: James Slipper
England: The pack in general

Cristina in my building. If you had seen her too, you would know what I'm talking about.

Rachel Riley - she's single now, thats impressive, it did hit the headlines though......

maestegmafia wrote:To start off I thought Nick Cummins was brilliant. Didn't score this weekend but his pace and running lines were superb.

Every time he received ball he caused trouble. Great talent, really enjoyable to watch.

Must agree. He is a really odd and strangely quite affable guy that seems to be getting better and better. Very good player.

The unsung hero for SA was Flip van der Merwe for me

The back row as a unit are working beautifully

Ryan Bevington was pretty solid when got game time for Wales, and hardly got a mention. Other than that nearly every other Welsh player was constantly scrutinised on here, so he was IMO the only welsh player that was not 'in the headlines' as far as this site is concerned.

Just for gloriousempire

Cooper and Hooper (Aus)
North and Faletau (Wales)
Brown and Lawes (England)
Read, Read and Read (NZ)
In fact every member of the NZ squad, whether playing or not

For Ireland Cian Healy and Jack McGrath were very good. I was happy with Luke Fitz when he came on for Drico v NZ. It would be great if he was back on form.

The guy that impressed me most though was Dan Carter for his antics in Krysal nightclub. He is married isnt he? Hmmmm.

GloriousEmpire wrote: I would mention a couple of Englishmen who impressed but unfortunately finding an Englishman who so much as farted convincingly on the sidelines who didn't get a two page spread in the broadsheets the next day celebrating the achievement is next to impossible.

I am English and I farted convincingly, nay, impressively from the stands throughout the series without so much as a peep from the media. Dewi Morris was even within hearing range for one match. I DEMAND MY HEADLINES NOW!

More seriously, Cummins was excellent, especially against Wales. I liked what I saw of Piutau. However much Conor Murray's praises were sung, it wasn't enough.

From an English perspective, I personally thought that Tomkins was not as bad as he was made out to be, and the more notable thing about the media coverage was what wasn't said rather than what was. The clarion calls for replacing Robshaw have abated a lot.

GunsGerms wrote:

maestegmafia wrote:To start off I thought Nick Cummins was brilliant. Didn't score this weekend but his pace and running lines were superb.

Every time he received ball he caused trouble. Great talent, really enjoyable to watch.

Must agree. He is a really odd and strangely quite affable guy that seems to be getting better and better. Very good player.

He seems to have hit on the novel idea of picking a line and running full pelt. I'm not joking either, there are too many wings at Test level who don't really pin their ears back.

He is fearless too. Aussies have always been good at timing their runs well. Cooper did it nicely for the last Aussie try v wales too.

GunsGerms wrote:He is fearless too. Aussies have always been good at timing their runs well. Cooper did it nicely for the last Aussie try v wales too.

Don't see what all the fuss is about with Cooper. Yes he's fast, skillful and that off the ball run showed fantastic awareness, BUT, he doesn't appear to have much in the way of game management. It's all about scoring points with the fella.

To be honest, if he wants to stay at 10, he could do worse than have a stint at a Welsh region until he learns to control a game.

It is terrible, seeing a 10 with fantastic footwork, natural ball playing skills, alarmingly neat distribution and and appreciation of space who wants his team to score points, consistnently.  

Casartelli wrote:

GunsGerms wrote:He is fearless too. Aussies have always been good at timing their runs well. Cooper did it nicely for the last Aussie try v wales too.

Don't see what all the fuss is about with Cooper.  Yes he's fast, skillful and that off the ball run showed fantastic awareness, BUT, he doesn't appear to have much in the way of game management.  It's all about scoring points with the fella.

To be honest, if he wants to stay at 10, he could do worse than have a stint at a Welsh region until he learns to control a game.

 Got any particular welsh regions in mind?

Comfort wrote:It is terrible, seeing a 10 with fantastic footwork, natural ball playing skills, alarmingly neat distribution and and appreciation of space who wants his team to score points, consistnently.  

Totally unacceptable.  

Casartelli wrote:

GunsGerms wrote:He is fearless too. Aussies have always been good at timing their runs well. Cooper did it nicely for the last Aussie try v wales too.

Don't see what all the fuss is about with Cooper.  Yes he's fast, skillful and that off the ball run showed fantastic awareness, BUT, he doesn't appear to have much in the way of game management.  It's all about scoring points with the fella.

To be honest, if he wants to stay at 10, he could do worse than have a stint at a Welsh region until he learns to control a game.

Exactly. What I haven't seen from Cooper is the ability to manage the game by getting a yellow card 5 minutes from half time, allowing his team to concede the lead before the break; or for that matter, the ability to aimlessly kick the ball into touch after becoming isolated while running laterally with 30 second left on the clock and his side trailing by 4 points.

If he can learn some senseless kicking, we can consider him in the same bracket as Priestland or Biggar.

Biggar didnt kick badly - FACT

Flip Van der Mewe
Scott Williams
Joe Launchbery
Duane Vermualan

Paul O'Connell for me. Consistently very good. Never takes a step back and never goes into hiding.

GunsGerms wrote:

maestegmafia wrote:To start off I thought Nick Cummins was brilliant. Didn't score this weekend but his pace and running lines were superb.

Every time he received ball he caused trouble. Great talent, really enjoyable to watch.

Must agree. He is a really odd and strangely quite affable guy that seems to be getting better and better. Very good player.

Awesome Mo, Hair and head band... Looks like Bjorn Borg.

Well on slightly different note but still kind of related Dylan Hartley cane into our work for about 15 minutes for movember. He was gracious, funny and basically a real nice guy. I never thought I'd say this but he is actually more my favourite hooker. Not quite what was meant but even so it didn't make any headlines but made a big difference to us.

What a nice comment GE.

It's all about heart with me.

You could show a little more class though.

Nigel Owens

Ok so he has been in the press but he is fast becoming the best ref in the world, sad he won't be eligible to referee the RWC Final.

GloriousEmpire wrote:Yeah, but he said "didn't hit the headlines". The way the media cranked up after England's loss you'd think they had just lifted the web Ellis.

I know, the way the English media, printed in England and distributed to mostly English people talked about English players was baffling wasn't it. Couldn't believe it.

Agreed with the Cummins comments, didn't rate old Stone Hands much but he does offer something I thought AAC has in the past - directness, and fearlessness. I know he's massively rated but I didn't see much said about Cruden, might just have been reading the wrong stuff, but I thought he was excellent.

GloriousEmpire wrote:It's all about heart with me.

Perhaps you confused Hartley with some of your City friends?

Chris Robshaw he is always one of the best on the field every game.

Hood83 wrote:

GloriousEmpire wrote:It's all about heart with me.

Perhaps you confused Hartley with some of your City friends?

Sorry hood, sorry BT, sorry op.

GloriousEmpire wrote:

Hood83 wrote:

GloriousEmpire wrote:It's all about heart with me.

Perhaps you confused Hartley with some of your City friends?

Sorry hood, sorry BT, sorry op.

Ha, I don't mind, but he doesn't play for Bath...sorry all.

He has been a very good performer.

Scratch wrote:Nigel Owens

Ok so he has been in the press but he is fast becoming the best ref in the world, sad he won't be eligible to referee the RWC Final.

Why won't he be able to ref when Ireland beat NZ in the final?

asoreleftshoulder wrote:

Scratch wrote:Nigel Owens

Ok so he has been in the press but he is fast becoming the best ref in the world, sad he won't be eligible to referee the RWC Final.

Why won't he be able to ref when Ireland beat NZ in the final?

Ireland, what a ridiculous idea, seriously i haven't heard anything so barmy on this forum…..clearly Wales will be in the Final.

Delusions of Grandeur, that's all I am saying.

 

I would've said Cooper up until this weekend when he was superb again and got all the plaudits...

Moore and Slipper have been good.

Le Roux has carried his form through nicely.

Not sure if the NH has seen the best of Du Plessis, but he's been very good.

For me some of the best performers have been Hibbard and Robshaw, all comitment, all guts and very strong both.

Wood, Marler and lawes for England.
Faletau and gethin for Wales.
Jp Pietersen, willem & Bismarck for boks.
Cooper, cummins, fardy, hooper for AUS.

asoreleftshoulder wrote:

Scratch wrote:Nigel Owens

Ok so he has been in the press but he is fast becoming the best ref in the world, sad he won't be eligible to referee the RWC Final.

Why won't he be able to ref when Ireland beat NZ in the final?

Probably because he will have been dead for about 200 years by then - I hope

maestegmafia wrote:Which players didn't make the headlines but in your opinion looked superb...?

Duncan Weir and POC

TJ wrote:

maestegmafia wrote:Which players didn't make the headlines but in your opinion looked superb...?

Duncan Weir and POC

Good additions..

Both mentioned earlier but  I have high hopes for Weir. Only his third start for Scotland. 2 starts last year then injured and out for ages

I'd have Weir over Jackson every time.