Your Clubs Best XV

First topic message reminder :

I do this once in a while...just a bit of fun and i havent done it for ages. Always causes a bit of light hearted dispute between the fans...

Whats your club / Regions best ever side?

Newcastle Falcons / Newcastle Gosforth:

1 Nick Popplewell
2 Ross Nesdale
3 Carl Hayman
4 Doddie Weir
5 (Gareth Archer / Roger Uttley) - Tough one.
6 Mark Wilson
7 Pat Lam
8 (Aly Hogg / Dean Ryan) - Tough one

9 Gary Armstrong
10 Johnny Wilkinson
11 Vereniki Goneva
12 (John Leslie / Mark Mayerhofler) - Unsure
13 Alan Tait
14 Inga Tuigamala
15 Matt Burke

Pot Hale wrote:

rodders wrote:

Pot Hale wrote:

LeinsterFan4life wrote:1. Healy
2. Cronin
3. Furlong
4. Cullen
5. Ryan
6. SOB
7. Jennings
8. Heaslip
9. Reddan
10. Sexton
11. Hickey
12. Darcy.
13. BOD.
14. Nacewa
15. Kearney.

Healy
Mullen
Furlong
Cullen
Hines
Elsom
SOB
Heaslip
Whittaker
Sexton
Nacewa
Maggs
O'Driscoll
Horgan
Kearney

Strauss, van dr Merwe, Ross, Thorn, Slattery, Robbie, Campbell, O'Reilly

Kevin Maggs?

You're quite right Rodders, mixing up test line-ups with club ones.  Maggs played for Ulster, Doh!.   Think I'll just go back to the ward now and ask for nurse.

Always preferred O'Kelly to Cullen. Part of me thinks Phil Orr should be in with a shout in the front row but I never saw him play tbh. Hickie and Lowe possibly a better combination in an all-time than Horgan and Nacewa. For short visits Elsom and Thorn have to up there with the best coach/recruitment manoeuvres.

thebandwagonsociety wrote:

Pot Hale wrote:

rodders wrote:

Pot Hale wrote:

LeinsterFan4life wrote:1. Healy
2. Cronin
3. Furlong
4. Cullen
5. Ryan
6. SOB
7. Jennings
8. Heaslip
9. Reddan
10. Sexton
11. Hickey
12. Darcy.
13. BOD.
14. Nacewa
15. Kearney.

Healy
Mullen
Furlong
Cullen
Hines
Elsom
SOB
Heaslip
Whittaker
Sexton
Nacewa
Maggs
O'Driscoll
Horgan
Kearney

Strauss, van dr Merwe, Ross, Thorn, Slattery, Robbie, Campbell, O'Reilly

Kevin Maggs?

You're quite right Rodders, mixing up test line-ups with club ones.  Maggs played for Ulster, Doh!.   Think I'll just go back to the ward now and ask for nurse.

Always preferred O'Kelly to Cullen.  Part of me thinks Phil Orr should be in with a shout in the front row but I never saw him play tbh. Hickie and Lowe possibly a better combination in an all-time than Horgan and Nacewa. For short visits Elsom and Thorn have to up there with the best coach/recruitment manoeuvres.

Thorn was good for the couple of games he was here but James Ryan has already put in far more eye catching performances than any 2nd row Ive seen for Leinster. I like Cullen for his leadership and his toughness in the 2nd row.

rodders wrote:Ulster

15 Stockdale
14 Trimble
13 Payne
12 Wallace
11 Bowe
10 Humpreys
9 Pienaar
8 Wannenburg /Williams
7 N Best
6 Ferris
5 Henderson
4 Muller
3 Afoa
2 Best
1 O'Sullivan

Not sure what is meant by "Best XV", as something like this is purely subjective.
Eric O'Sullivan has been a revelation, but one swallow doesn't make a summer, both Justin Fitzpatrick and Bryan Young were Test players and could play both sides and were very important to the team.
No arguing over Rory but I'd pick Robbie Kempson over Afoa. He was the first major player Ulster/ Solomons brought in and was a massive influence on the dressing room professionalism. Think I'd also pick Botha ahead of Afoa too, and he really helped Tom Court develop as a prop.
Muller again is straight in but I think Justin Harrison was instrumental in the League winning season and wasn't the plank he was made out to be. Jeremy Davidson was World Class and in terms of skill level probably the best Ulster ever had.
Ferris is another indisputable pick but I'd play him at 8, where his running skiils would have been better rewarded without losing his wrecking ability. My view is that Henderson has always been better suited to the backrow than lock so he gets the 6 shirt.
Neil Best was a 6 not a 7 and blotted his copybook far too much to be in this side (similar to Roger Wilson). Nigel Carr was undoubtedly the most complete openside to come out of Ulster but was gone before the professional era, so for me it has to be Andy Ward.
In the backs Pienaar, Humphreys, and Bowe obviously.
Much as I like Paddy Wallace at 12, and he was messed around plenty before that, but I'd pick Paul Steinmetz who got shifted around the backline but always delivered even in a misfiring team.
Stockdale is currently a left wing so I'd have him at 11 and Payne was always a better 15 than 13 for Ulster so he's at full back.
Trimble made his name at 13, and was only converted to a wing because Eddie O'Sullivan wanted him to be in the side as he couldn't drop BOD. His pace, power and defence is eminently suitable to play outside centre. Luke Marshall and Jonny Bell both deserve mentions.

15 Payne
14 Bowe
13 Trimble
12 Steinmetz
11 Stockdale
10 Humpreys
9 Pienaar
8 Ferris
7 Ward
6 Henderson
5 Davidson
4 Muller
3 Kempson
2 Best
1 Fitzpatrick

Maybe not the best London Irish team ever, but this team that won the Powergen cup final in 02 was pretty decent.
Great game and day out.

1 Mike Worsley
2 Naka Drotske
3 Rob Hardwick
4 Ryan Strudwick
5 Steve Williams
6 Eddie Halvey
7 Declan Danaher
8 Chris Sheasby

9 Hentie Martins
10 Barry Everitt
11 Justin Bishop
12 Brendon Venter
13 Geoff Appleford
14 Paul Sackey
15 Michael Horak.

Then you look at the likes of Geoghegan, Henderson, Wood, O’Kelly, Humphreys, Staples, Bachop, Cunningham ,Tagicakibau, Armitage, Catt, Davidson, who have all worn the green jersey.

Magne aswell no?

Magne wasn't in the 2002 cup winning side. Magne was a great signing in terms of star appeal, but despite some decent performances, was slightly past his best by the time he joined us.

Would have thought Ojo would be pushing for LI all time great team too

bluestonevedder wrote:Would have thought Ojo would be pushing for LI all time great team too

He would be in mine!

Gloucester, looking at pro era only:

1 Nick Wood
2 Olivier Azam
3 Phil Vickery
4 Ian Jones
5 Alex Brown
6 Alasdair Strokosch
7 Akapusi Qera
8 James Forrester
9 Andy Gommarsall
10 Danny Cipriani
11 James Simpson-Daniel
12 Terry Fanolua
13 Henry Trinder
14 Charlie Sharples / Jonny May
15 Olly Morgan

Sharples vs. May is very tough. Sharples has been such a consistent strong performer for a long time, but May provided some of the most thrilling moments in Kingsholm history.

Cips perhaps a little controversial after just one season, but what a season it was! Never seen such skill in the flesh before. Freddie Burns and to a lesser extent Ryan Lamb burned brightly for a short time, and Ludo Mercier was solid but unspectacular. Also never forgave Ludo for failing to offload to Sinbad after intercepting vs. Bath and being caught 5m out!

A few of the current era have a chance to join Cipriani in this team given another couple of years of sustained excellence: Mostert, Polledri, Thorley. Also feel that Twelvetrees is likely to be viewed far more fondly when he's gone due to his solid consistency and durability, and would arguably make this list in a few years.

The Great Aukster wrote:

rodders wrote:Ulster

15 Stockdale
14 Trimble
13 Payne
12 Wallace
11 Bowe
10 Humpreys
9 Pienaar
8 Wannenburg /Williams
7 N Best
6 Ferris
5 Henderson
4 Muller
3 Afoa
2 Best
1 O'Sullivan

Not sure what is meant by "Best XV", as something like this is purely subjective.

Good points I simply went for the best players in the pro era, if I was picking a select XV this would be it bar some close calls - not necessarily who achieved most.

O'Sullivan is in the infancy ability wise he is right up there.

Neil Best and Stockdale are out of position but too good for me to omit and proven in the positions above -Best at Saints and Stockdale in the U-20's - even if not their best.

Leinster:

Healy
Cronin
Furlong
Ryan
Hines
Elsom
SOB
Heaslip
Reddan
Sexton
Horgan
Darcy
ODriscoll
Hickey
Nacewa

Others
Thorn, Miller, Contepomi, Ringrose.

Selecting from the Pro era alone for Tigers:

1.Ayerza
2.Youngs
3.Cole
4.Johnson
5.Kay
6.Croft
7.Back
8.Corry

9.Youngs
10.Ford

11.A Tuilagi
12.Allen
13.M Tuilagi
14.Goneva
15.Murphy

16.Chuter
17.Rowntree
18.Castrogiovanni
19.Parling
20.Moody
21.Healey
22.Goode
23.Rabeni

Painful ones to leave out were:

Benjamin Kayser - Excellent for Tigers during his brief time at Welford Road.
Julian White - A colossus in the scrum.
Louis Deacon - Fantastic lock for Tigers taking over the huge mantle of Johnson and Kay.
Fritz van Heerden - Huge presence as a lock in the early embers of Pro era where forward play was still very amateur.
Craig Newby - A great all round flanker who covered 6 and 7 to the same high level.
Harry Ellis - A really tough call between Ellis and Youngs. Logic would have Ellis on the bench but my heart went with the mercurial Healey for impact.
Toby Flood - Terrific for Tigers at his best.
Pat Howard - A great all round 12.
Daryl Gibson - Took over from Howard and an often understated cog of Tigers strongest sides.
Leon Lloyd - Another often forgotten cog in the great Tigers era but he was terrific at 13/11/14.
Matt Tait - Outstanding for two seasons at fullback after recovering from his groin injury. Later bout of injuries robbed his remaining pace from where he remained a very valuable first team player covering various positions.

Hooker was where I struggled most but Youngs was terrific at his best form, helped significantly by being able to throw to Parling run line-outs.

My Ulster team

Fitzpatrick
Best
Afoa
Davidson
Henderson
Ferris
Wanneberg
Ward
Pienaer
Humphreys
Trimble
Steimetz
Payne
Bowe
Stockdale
Bench: Court, Sexton, Botha/Kempson, Muller, Best/Coetzee, Doak, Jackson, Wallace

No Boss nor Gilroy?

How about Eric Millar or Maggs?

geoff999rugby wrote:My Ulster team

Fitzpatrick
Best
Afoa
Davidson
Henderson
Ferris
Wanneberg
Ward
Pienaer
Humphreys
Trimble
Steimetz
Payne
Bowe
Stockdale
Bench: Court, Sexton, Botha/Kempson, Muller, Best/Coetzee, Doak, Jackson, Wallace

Davidson ahead of Muller is a big call Geoff ...

Collapse2005 wrote:No Boss nor Gilroy?

How about Eric Millar or Maggs?

Judgement based on players performances for Ulster during the professional era only.

Didn't consider Eric Millar as I felt we needed a cut off somewhere and the true professional era seemed sensible
Remember he left us around 2000

Otherwise I would be picking the likes of Mike Gibson who would walk into the team, I'm old enough to have watched him play.
Not old enough to have seen Jack Kyle though - who many would pick at as not only Ulster, but Irelands greatest 10.

Boss was a decent player but Doak at his best wins it for me
Don't think Maggs was that special for Ulster
Gilroy doesn't come close to Trimble, Bowe or Stockdale as back three player

rodders wrote:
Davidson ahead of Muller is a big call Geoff ...

True but Davidson was a British Lion whilst an Ulster player.
Muller whilst very good was 30 and past his peak when he joined Ulster
As a leader of men though Muller was the best we have ever had