World XV Redux

[Bullrush]

He's carrying some sort of injury which hasn't healed. Let's hope for all our sakes it gets sorted out over summer.

Maybe he is but then you'd be picking in him in a World XV based on past form and/or potential given that this is only his 2nd year playing international rugby.

I don't think his form this year would warrant his selection - injured or not.

 

[MrMouse]

1. Beast
2. Du Plessis
3. Castrogiovanni
4. Sharpe
5. Thorn
6. McCaw (c)
7. Pocock
8. Reid
9. Youngs
10. Carter
11. Gear
12. Nonu
13. Fourie
14. Ashton
15. Beale

16. Mealamu
17. Franks
18. Lawes
19. Juan Smith
20. Genia
21. Steyn
22. Muliaina

I'm not 100% content with a couple of my selections - notably Ashton, and Steyn on the bench. I picked Steyn because I've rarely seen a close international where you want a brilliant but loose tackling and sometimes erratic flyhalf coming on in the closing stages. Ashton just edged out Mitchell and Jane, somehow...
As I've bolded, I went for contention similarly to JoeMac but playing McCaw in the position he's relatively better at, and in acknowledgement of Pocock's dominance at 7 this year. McCaw is obviously captain. If it's ineligible to play out of position, I'd have Smith at 6 and either of Elsom or Kaino on the bench - both were excellent.

 

[MrMouse]

Maybe he is but then you'd be picking in him in a World XV based on past form and/or potential given that this is only his 2nd year playing international rugby.

I don't think his form this year would warrant his selection - injured or not.

I think the issue is that even injured he was as good as Cowan, and less of a prat. It'd be nice if more NH halfbacks had stepped up to the plate, but Youngs was it. I had trouble selecting Genia in the Wallabies starting XV let alone a World one, but I think he'd be good coming off the bench for 5-10min.

 

[Reddy!]

If you include all of 2010, Genia was surely in the top 3 players during the whole of the Super 14.

 

[Bullrush]

I think the issue is that even injured he was as good as Cowan, and less of a prat. It'd be nice if more NH halfbacks had stepped up to the plate, but Youngs was it. I had trouble selecting Genia in the Wallabies starting XV let alone a World one, but I think he'd be good coming off the bench for 5-10min.

Ohhhhh....debateable. I'd take Cowan (on form alone) this year every day of the week. Of course I'm biased. And if Weepu had been fit to go on tour, I'd have taken him over Cowan.

As for putting Pocock at 7 and McCaw at 6....I think I agree. I've stated elsewhere that while I think Ritchie is the better overall player hands-down, in terms of a pure 7 (especially in the scavenving role) Pocock was the best this year.

 

[Viking]

Yes i definitly agree with the world team having McCaw at 6 and Pocock at 7. Id probably go Carter for flyhalf, fullback is either Mils or Beale. Reid for 8.The rest is pretty debatable.

 

[daz]

For mine, the classic "3 don't fit into 1" senario is the 14 spot.

JOC (James O'Connor), Cory Jane and Ashton.

Each bring special talent to their respective squads but I am looking at this from who adds the biggest impact?

While the bias in me says JOC (James O'Connor) should get the nod (because I have some serious man-love going on with the skills of this kid), and Jane is an important part of the world's #1 team, my head says Ashton adds more bite to his team. Without him, I think England are far more ordinary team. Personally, I think Ashton is going to be a star; he is 6'1", 92kg and only 23. A try scoring monster on the wing, and I really do enjoy watching him rip it up. (Hail Mary x 10 for my sins)

Whereas without JOC (James O'Connor) and Jane, while it would hurt, the Wobs and the Darkness would survive and they do have significant back-up options.

The soap dodgers back-ups include...umm, Strettle? Cueto? Banahan?

 

[disco]

On the Mils v Beale debate they played on the same park 3 times this year as starting fullbacks & Beale was on the losing side twice & the winning side once but in all three matches I think Beale out shone Mils.

Other than have them play 40 minutes each for the same team I think that is the best argument I can put up.

 

[Groucho]

On the Mils v Beale debate they played on the same park 3 times this year as starting fullbacks & Beale was on the losing side twice & the winning side once but in all three matches I think Beale out shone Mils.

Other than have them play 40 minutes each for the same team I think that is the best argument I can put up.

More to the point, on at least two occasions Beale ran round Mils. Mils used to be able to do that.

 

[dwats002]

1. Beast
2. Du Plessis
3. Castrogiovanni
4. Sharpe
5. Thorn
6. McCaw (c)
7. Pocock
8. Reid
9. Youngs
10. Carter
11. Gear
12. Nonu
13. Fourie
14. Ashton
15. Beale

16. Mealamu
17. Franks
18. Lawes
19. Juan Smith
20. Genia
21. Steyn
22. Muliaina

I'm not 100% content with a couple of my selections - notably Ashton, and Steyn on the bench. I picked Steyn because I've rarely seen a close international where you want a brilliant but loose tackling and sometimes erratic flyhalf coming on in the closing stages. Ashton just edged out Mitchell and Jane, somehow...
As I've bolded, I went for contention similarly to JoeMac but playing McCaw in the position he's relatively better at, and in acknowledgement of Pocock's dominance at 7 this year. McCaw is obviously captain. If it's ineligible to play out of position, I'd have Smith at 6 and either of Elsom or Kaino on the bench - both were excellent.

Pocock has been good but richie has clearly been better

 

[dwats002]

Yes i definitly agree with the world team having McCaw at 6 and Pocock at 7. Id probably go Carter for flyhalf, fullback is either Mils or Beale. Reid for 8.The rest is pretty debatable.

how can you put one of the best no. 7's that has played the game and at six and a rookie at 7? Stop making excuses to have Pocock in the team when Richie has clearly been the better player this year. That goes the same for Mils

 

[barbarian]

how can you put one of the best no. 7's that has played the game and at six and a rookie at 7? Stop making excuses to have Pocock in the team when Richie has clearly been the better player this year. That goes the same for Mils

Pocock and Ritchie have arguably been the best two players in the world this year. Both have to be in there. Seeings as Pocock plays a game much closer to a traditional fetching 7 than McCaw it makes sense to put him in the 7 jersey. McCaw plays a much more physical style that would be better suited to 6 than Pocock.

 

[dwats002]

Pocock and Ritchie have arguably been the best two players in the world this year. Both have to be in there. Seeings as Pocock plays a game much closer to a traditional fetching 7 than McCaw it makes sense to put him in the 7 jersey. McCaw plays a much more physical style that would be better suited to 6 than Pocock.

Yeah but the best no. 7 is Richie and best no. 6 is Kaino, so why would you change that?

 

[dwats002]

Pocock and Ritchie have arguably been the best two players in the world this year. Both have to be in there. Seeings as Pocock plays a game much closer to a traditional fetching 7 than McCaw it makes sense to put him in the 7 jersey. McCaw plays a much more physical style that would be better suited to 6 than Pocock.

You label it as "tradional fetching", but Richie used to do that, but has changed his game slightly because of the rules. Its seems now the more important role is the one second in the ruck not the first

 

[barbarian]

Because its purely a hypothetical exercise. Some people (myself included) think Pocock has had a better year than Kaino, and as one of the IRB nominated POYs that he should be in the XV even if it means some reshuffling.

 

[barbarian]

You label it as "tradional fetching", but Richie used to do that, but has changed his game slightly because of the rules. Its seems now the more important role is the one second in the ruck not the first

I disagree that it is 'more important'. Pocock has showed this year that traditional fetchers can still have a huge impact on the game. His play suits the Wallabies style in defence. Richie's style suits the ABs and is equally effective. Its apples and oranges, but both are bloody good players regardless.

 

[dwats002]

i dont agree wih you, richie is the best 7 not 6, this thread is World XV not the best players in the world

 

[dwats002]

I disagree that it is 'more important'. Pocock has showed this year that traditional fetchers can still have a huge impact on the game. His play suits the Wallabies style in defence. Richie's style suits the ABs and is equally effective. Its apples and oranges, but both are bloody good players regardless.

do agree with you there, but wouldn't it be nice if we could have a Tri-nations XV take on a Six-nations XV so we could see different combos come together

 

[QuadeCooperFan]

look out, rabid Richie fan on the loose.

 

[Bullrush]

look out, rabid Richie fan on the loose.

Geez.....better a Ritchie fan than a Quade Cooper fan....lol