• Welcome to the Green and Gold Rugby forums. As you can see we've upgraded the forums to new software. Your old logon details should work, just click the 'Login' button in the top right.

RWC 2015 Teams of the Tournament

Status
Not open for further replies.

Hugh Jarse

Rocky Elsom (76)
Staff member
This thread is to list players who performed best in the 2015 Rugby World Cup, without any regard to how the players played in any game before 18 September 2015.

Folks may take into account the level of the teams they have played against in the RWC, or not, and/or may take into account the standard of their own team.

No doubt seeing some players more often, such as when their teams play in the finals, may sway your opinion, but maybe a players from non-qualifying teams have taken you interest more in fewer games.

List your best players in each position plus reserves, though the selection of two players in the midfield of the same team that wear black jumpers, as an example, may be tempting as a combination. If you have already chosen one midfielder, choosing his team mate may be a decider if you can't chose between the team mate and a player from another country.

Flankers should be picked as the majority in the world does - openside at 7 and blind side at 6. No regard should be made as to left wing or right wing, though fullbacks should be fullbacks.

RWC Team of The Tournament. Select your best 23 players. Consider combinations not just the best individual players.

RWC "Emerging Talent" Team. - President's XV if you like.
Those players will be at their first RWC, who have starred for their teams. These are players from the minnows* who have stuck it to the bigger teams, extra credentials to those not on professional contracts that have outplayed their opposite number. Players MAY NOT be part of a team that progresses from the group stage.

* Minnow Nation includes all those teams that failed to make the Quarter Finals.

Player of the Tournament. Was it Joe Launchbury or not?
 

Hugh Jarse

Rocky Elsom (76)
Staff member
To start the Team of the Tournament discussion, here's my frst thoughts:
1. C. Healy (IRE)
2. A. Creevy (ARG)
3. S. Kepu (AUS)
4. S. Whitelock (NZL)
5. B. Retallick (NZL)
6. D. Vermeulen (SAF)
7. M. Hooper (AUS)
8. D. Pocock (AUS)
9. A. Smith (NZL)
10. D. Carter (NZL)
11. J. Imhoff (ARG)
12. D. De Allende (SAF)
13. C. Smith (NZL)
14. B. Smith (NZL)
15. M. Brown (ENG)

16. D. Coles (NZL)
17. M. Ayerza (ARG)
18. A.N. Other (TBA)
19. S. Fardy (AUS)
20. S. Warburton (WAL)
21. F. Du Preez (SAF)
22. A. Ashley-Cooper (AUS)
23. I Folau (AUS)
 

Antony

Alex Ross (28)
1. Scott Sio (Aus)
2. Agustin Creevy (Argentina)
3. WP Nel (Scotland)
4. Leone Nakarawa (Fiji)
5. Sam Whitelock (NZ)
6. Scott Fardy (Aus)
7. David Pocock (Aus)
8. Michael Leitch (Japan)
9. Gareth Davies (Wales)
10. Nicolas Sanchez (Argentina)
11. Juan Imhoff (Argentina)
12. Ma'a Nonu (NZ)
13. George North (Wales) (I realise that one is off-the-wall, but I really rated him there, and don't think anyone else has really impressed)
14. Nehe Milner-Skudder (NZ)
15. Ben Smith (NZ)

16. Stephen Moore (Australia)
17. Ramiro Herrera (Argentina)
18. Marcos Ayerza (Argentina)
19. Lood de Jager (SA)
20. Richie McCaw (NZ)
21. Fourie du Preez (SA)
22. Kurtley Beale (Aus)
23. Ayumu Goromaru (Japan)
 

qwerty51

Stirling Mortlock (74)
1. Scott Sio
2. Agustin Creevy
3. Sekope Kepu
4. Sam Whitelock
5. Eben Etzebeth
6. Scott Fardy
7. David Pocock
8. Duane Vermeulen
9. Aaron Smith
10. Nicholas Sanchez
11. Julian Savea
12. Damien de Allende
13. Keith Earls
14. DTH van der Merwe
15. Ben Smith

16. Shota Horie
17. Marcos Ayerza
18. WP Nel
19. Leone Nakarawa
20. Mamuka Gorgodze
21. Gareth Davies
22. Dan Biggar
23. Juan Imhoff
 

saulityvi

Syd Malcolm (24)
1. Scott Sio
2. Augustin Creevy
3. WE Nel
4. Lood de Jager
5. Kane Douglas
6. Scott Fardy
7. Michael Hooper
8. David Pocock
9. Aaron Smith
10. Nic Sanchez
11. Juan Imhoff
12. Ma'a Nonu
13. Conrad Smith
14. Nehe Milner-skudder
15. Ben Smith
16. Stephen Moore
17. Marcos Ayerza
18. Sekope Kepu
19. Brodie Retallick
20. Jerome Kaino
21. Fourie du Preez
22. Daniel Carter
23. Kurtley Beale
 

Bairdy

Peter Fenwicke (45)
Team of the Tournament:
1. Marcos Ayerza (ARG)
2. Agustin Creevy (ARG)
3. Sekope Kepu (AUS)
4. Kane Douglas (AUS)
5. Sam Whitelock (NZL)
6. Schalk Burger (RSA)
7. Francois Louw (RSA)
8. David Pocock (AUS)
9. Conor Murray (IRE)
10. Nicolas Sanchez (ARG)
11. Juan Imhoff (ARG)
12. Wesley Fofana (FRA)
13. Mark Bennett (SCO)
14. Santiago Cordero (ARG)
15. Ben Smith (NZL

16. Rory Best (IRE)
17. Scott Sio (AUS)
18. Rabah Slimani (FRA)
19. Eben Etzebeth (RSA)
20. Kieran Read (NZL) / Scott Fardy (AUS)
21. Greig Laidlaw (SCO)
22. Dan Carter (NZL)
23. Nehe Milner-Skudder (NZL) / Joaquin Tuculet (ARG)

Minnows' XV:
1. Soane Tonga'uiha (TON)
2. Shota Horie (JAP)
3. Manasa Saulo (FIJ)
4. Leone Nakarawa (FIJ)
5. Joe Launchbury (ENG)
6. Michael Leitch (JAP)
7. Akapusi Qera (FIJ)
8. Mamuka Gorgodze (GEO)
9. Ben Youngs (ENG) / Fumiaki Tanaka (JAP)
10. Tommaso Allan (ITA)
11. DTH van der Merwe (CAN) / Telusa Veainu (TON)
12. Rey Lee-Lo (SAM)
13. Male Sa'u (JAP)
14. Anthony Watson (ENG)
15. Ayumu Goromaru (JAP)
 

Viking

Mark Ella (57)
RWC Team of The Tournament. Select your best 23 players. Consider combinations not just the best individual players.


I disagree with this. The team of the tournament should not take into account combinations. It should only take into account the best player in their position.

Who cares if the team is unbalanced, its about choosing the form players of the tournament.
 

Highlander35

Andrew Slack (58)
1. Scott Sio (AUS)
2. Augustine Creevy (ARG)
3. WP Nel (SCO)
4. Leone Nakawara (FIJ)
5. Lood de Jager (SAF)
6. Michael Lietch (JAP)
7. David Pocock (AUS)
8. Mamuka Godzema (GEO)
9. Conor Murray (IRE)
10. Nicolas Sanchez (ARG)
11. DTH van der Merwe (CAN)
12. Damien de Alende (SAF)
13. Mark Bennett (SCO)
14. Nehe Milner-Skudder (NZL)
15. Ben Smith (NZL)

16. Shota Horie (JAP)
17. Marcos Ayerza (ARG)
18. Sekope Kepu (AUS)
19. Kane Douglas (AUS)
20. Toby Faletau (WAL)
21. Grieg Laidlaw (SCO)
22. Dan Biggar (WAL)
23. George North (WAL)

Australia (4)
Argentina (3)
Wales (3)
Scotland (3)
Japan (2)
South Africa (2)
New Zealand (2)
Canada (1)
Georgia (1)
Fiji (1)
Ireland (1)

Biased, probably.
 

Shelts89

Tom Lawton (22)
1. Ben Arous (FRA)
2. Augustine Creevy (ARG)
3. Herrera (ARG)
4. Etzebeth (SAF)
5. De Jager (SAF)
6. Louw (SAF)
7. Pocock (AUS)
8. Picomoles (FRA)
9. Smith (NZL)
10. Sanchez (ARG)
11. Imhoff (ARG)
12. Giteau (AUS)
13. Bosch (ARG)
14. Milner-Skudder (NZL)
15. Ben Smith (NZL)

16. Coles (NZL)
17. Marcos Ayerza (ARG)
18. WP Nel (SCO)
19. Launchbury (ENG)
20. Vermeulen (SAF)
21. Grieg Laidlaw (SCO)
22. Dan Carter (NZL)
23. Beale (AUS)

Really struggled to pick out a standout player in a few positions (9 and 13 especially). I have tried to base these on RWC performances only, but I guess there will always be some bias. I hated picking Beale, but bugger me if he hasn't been great off the bench...
 

fatprop

George Gregan (70)
Staff member
1. Scott Sio
2. Augustin Creevy
3. Ramiro Herrera
4. Brodie Retallick
5. Eben Etzebeth
6. Scott Fardy
7. David Pocock
8. Duane Vermeulen
9. Aaron Smith
10. Dan Carter
11. Julian Savea
12. Ma'a Nonu
13. Marcelo Bosch
14. Nehe Milner-skudder
15. Ben Smith
 

Brumby Runner

David Wilson (68)
1. Scott Sio
2. Augustin Creevy
3. Ramiro Herrera
4. Brodie Retallick
5. Eben Etzebeth
6. Scott Fardy
7. David Pocock
8. Duane Vermeulen
9. Aaron Smith
10. Dan Carter
11. Julian Savea
12. Ma'a Nonu
13. Marcelo Bosch
14. Nehe Milner-skudder
15. Ben Smith

I'd go with this team with only a couple of changes. Pocock at 8 where he has played all his games, bringing McCaw into 7. WP Nel at THP because he was the only one to get on top of Sio, albeit probably unlawfully. And Douglas would be unlucky to miss out to Etzebeth. Also a toss up between Retallick and Whitelock.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top