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Trinations team of the tournament, naza will love this...

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Pfitzy

George Gregan (70)
:lmao: A few amusing selections in there, but two highlighted for naza's benefit (and blood pressure)

http://www.rugbyheaven.com.au/news/tri-nations/team-of-the-tournament/2008/09/15/1221330711960.html

Paul Cully said:
15 Mils Muliaina (New Zealand): In boxing parlance, pound for pound one of the strongest players around with the priceless ability to plough through heavy traffic. Took his tactical kicking game to a new level.

14 Richard Kahui (New Zealand): Have the kick-and-chase ELVs killed the pure finisher? A strong defensive centre by nature with a big boot but, regretfully, that may be the new template for wingers.

13 Stirling Mortlock (Australia): Being pushed hard by Ryan Cross for his jersey but still has a peerless, King Kong-style ability to swat away defenders, as shown by his brilliant try in Durban. Rock solid defence.

12 Jean de Villiers (South Africa): Direct, incisive, outstanding with his offloads. Career-best form in a back line that looked clueless at times.

11 Lote Tuqiri (Australia): Bryan Habana's injury deprived him of this spot, but Tuqiri's increasing maturity and physical presence were meritorious nonethless. Easily his best year in rugby.

10 Dan Carter (New Zealand): Quite simply, he does everything better than anyone else. Robbie Deans has created a monster, and he knows it.

9 Ricky Januarie (South Africa): No one in this position played more than three games but this fantastically bolshie little character provided one of the moments of the comp with a sensational chip-and-collect late try in Dunedin, which ended the Boks' 10-year drought in Kiwi soil.

8 Rodney So'oialo (New Zealand): Battled away manfully in the ill-fitting No.6 jersey until Richie McCaw returned and subsequently raised his game several hundred notches in his true position. A real menace at the breakdown.

7 Richie McCaw, captain (New Zealand): Opposition players respect him and opposition fans loathe him. In other words, the perfect All Blacks captain and the most influential player in the world.

6 Rocky Elsom (Australia): The Wallabies are just not the same side without Elsom's edge and lineout ability even though his Waratahs teammates sledge him for having short arms.

5 Victor Matfield (South Africa): Every lineout suffered from the wobbles at some stage, but Matfield is still the smartest around. Captained the Boks to their first win in Dunedin, and was so confident of victory he put his feet up in the sin bin for the final minutes.

4 James Horwill (Australia): God must have made this likeable big lump from Queensland when he was in the rudimentary phase and working only with blocks. Rugged, brave and unstoppable close to the line. Much, much more to come.

3 Greg Somerville (New Zealand): The All Blacks' most-capped prop carried the large shadow of Carl Hayman into every scrum and still didn't buckle.

2 Bismarck du Plessis (South Africa): Battleship-style dimensions to go with the name. Would have been an impact player had it not been for John Smit's injury at the hands of Brad Thorn which says a lot about Smit's captaincy, because this fellow is the world's finest hooker.

1 Tony Woodcock (New Zealand): Started the campaign as "a myth" and finished it a legend after thundering 90 prop metres down the sideline in Brisbane to score the single-most important try of the whole tournament. Can scrum, too.

Reserves

Beast Mtawarira (South Africa): Or as we like to call the uncommonly powerful Bok prop, Mr Beast.

Andrew Hore (New Zealand): The quintessential New Zealand tight-five forward. Owns a rarely employed but nifty sidestep.

Ali Williams (New Zealand): A No.10 trapped inside the body of one of the world's most amusing second-rowers.

George Smith (Australia): When he didn't start in Johannesburg the Wallabies got smashed. Enough said.

Jimmy Cowan (New Zealand): Got on the wagon and started steering the All Blacks around with his smart kicking and increased willingness to run.

Matt Giteau (Australia): Keeps getting close to Carter before seeing him step away. His goal kicking was impeccable.

Conrad Jantjes (South Africa): Another one to feel the cold shoulder of the selectors, yet consistently impressive. A ball of energy and inventiveness, with pace to cover the wing.
 

naza

Alan Cameron (40)
Who the fuck is Paul Cully ? The 2nd coming of Growden or some cub journalist ?

Matfield was way off form.
du Plessis did nothing.
Tuqiri's best year in rugby ? Talk about damning with faint praise. I want a fucking refund.
Elsom's edge ? Juan Smith is far and away the world's best blindside flanker.

Mortlock's an easy call. Why do people want to sack him again ? Even a gimp like Cully knows the score.
 

Cutter

Nicholas Shehadie (39)
This isnt a list of the best players from the 3N team, but the form players over the series. My team:

15. Mils - clearly the best
14. Kahui - consistent, no mistakes, no others
13. Smith - Mortlock made too many mistakes and missed the Sydney game we won. Cross is getting there but Smith made more crucial touches.
12. De Villiers - class
11. Hynes - consistent, no mistakes, no others
10. Carter - clearly the best
9. Cowan - had Burgess not been injured this might have been different. Cowan had a good tournament though.
8. So'oialo - Palu up and down, Boks swapped around, Brown an impressive cameo but not enough. Rodders solid.
7. Smith - discussed below.
6. Kaino - impressive at 6 (not at 8). Big man and does the little things well.
5. Williams - classy at times and more consistent than the others.
4. Horwill - good tournament and future Wallaby captain.
3. Sommerville - other options are Baxter or vdL. Baxter has improved but he's hardly team of the tournament material.
2. Du Plessis - Solid tournament. Moore's stupidity on Saturday puts him out of the game. Hore started strongly but slowed down.
1. Woodcock - still the best notwithstanding the Beast's healthy contributions. Robinson does the little things well. He also knows his limitations. Still only 22 or 23 which is young for a prop. Good on him.

I didnt think McCaw outplayed Smith in Brisbane. In Auckland, the AB tight five outplayed the Wallaby tight five which gave McCaw an easy ride against Smith. McCaw is great, but there isnt that much difference between them and given the games Smith played in Perth, Sydney and Durban, he gets the nod notwithstanding McCaw's games in Auckland and Cape Town. Brisbane was a draw and Smith made a massive difference when he came on in J'burg.
 

fatprop

George Gregan (70)
Staff member
PR has Lote too ................

15 Mils Muliaina - The one full-back able to consistently cope with the increased traffic coming his way. Always a threat on attack, and we can't think of one glaring error he made in defence.

14 Richard Kahui - Not even in the frame for a wing spot when he started the tournament, New Zealand's freshest face has taken full advantage of others' misfortune/lack of form to make the wing spot his own. His support of Muliaina in defence was exceptional, as were his considered lines of attack.

13 Conrad Smith - Smith came into this series under fire from nearly every angle. 'Not penetrating enough' cried some detractors, 'can he really defend?' asked others. Smith answered each and every question with unflappable cool.

12 Jean de Villiers - In a frequently misfiring Bok back-line, De Villiers once again proved his indomitable strength at inside centre. How he got away from some tackles was baffling at times. The only Bok who was a perpetual threat.

11 Lote Tuqiri - We actually can't remember the last time Australia's beefy left wing was not in the frame for a place in some 'best of the best' team like this one. He just keeps delivering top quality week in, week out.

10 Dan Carter - Do we need to explain?

9 Jimmy Cowan - This place in the team is a real pleasure to give. Cowan has battled indifferent early-season form, injury, episodes with the bottle, and staunch challenges from Ricky Januarie and Sam Cordingley to win this one, hailing the game and his determination to succeed as his saviours from his demons. Hats off to you sir!

8 Rodney So'oialo - Was neck-and-neck with Wycliff Palu, but gets his spot on the basis that while he may not break the game in the way Palu and others can, he is so rarely found to be making any serious errors - just what is needed in any team!

7 Richie McCaw (captain) - See Dan Carter. How the All Blacks missed him at the start.

6 Rocky Elsom - Has apparently promised the ARU he will be back after a sabbatical year spent grunting around the Dublin mud, a huge relief to Australian fans who might have been resigned to losing a superb blindside in the his prime.

5 James Horwill - Like Kahui, has burst onto the scene as a result of others' misfortunes, but compounded those misfortunes by playing so well that the others can't find a way back in. His mobility around the park has yielded a pair of cracking tries; he is certainly one to watch.

4 Brad Thorn - Rolled back the years with his athleticism and physicality, even if it was a little OTT at times. The AB scrum was not the same without him, and neither was the line-out.

3 Greg Somerville - The All Blacks' loss is Gloucester's gain. Somerville signed off - possibly - with another immovable eighty minutes of scrummaging. He may be called upon for New Zealand's November tour, in fact, if we were the AB coaches, we'd find every excuse to call upon him!

2 Andrew Hore - for so long back in the New Zealand pecking order, Hore was given a chance to shine after Anton Oliver's departure had Graham Henry mulling over his number two options. He had a superb Super 14, but was finally able to transmit his domestic form to the international arena.

1 Tendai Mtawarira - The 'Beast' could be a legend in years to come, and beyond just being blessed with a catchphrase nickname. There are not many props able to outsmart a winger in 5m of space in his own 22 on the touchline, but this big guy did. Held his own in the scrum, but contributed mightily in the loose, and a long and prosperous career beckons.
 

Virgil

Larry Dwyer (12)
naza said:
Who the fuck is Paul Cully ? The 2nd coming of Growden or some cub journalist ?

Matfield was way off form.
du Plessis did nothing.
Tuqiri's best year in rugby ? Talk about damning with faint praise. I want a fucking refund.
Elsom's edge ? Juan Smith is far and away the world's best blindside flanker.

Mortlock's an easy call. Why do people want to sack him again ? Even a gimp like Cully knows the score.

Hate to say but i almost completely agree, Matfield was shit..and thats being kind. He played shit and his captaincy was even more shit. Id pick Sharp over him.
Mortlock had a couple of great games but was also ineffective in a few, so id happily pick our own Smith.
Tuqiri is by default.
 

Virgil

Larry Dwyer (12)
Heres my 3N team of the tournament.

15. Muliaina
14. Kahui
13. Smith
12. Nonu
11. Sivi
10.Carter
9. Cowan
8. Rodney
7. McCaw (c)
6. Kaino
5. Williams
4. Thorn
3. Somerville
2. Hore
1. Woodcock.

Disagree?
Which team walked away with the trophy O0
 
F

formeropenside

Guest
Virgil said:
Heres my 3N team of the tournament.

15. Muliaina
14. Kahui
13. Smith
12. Nonu
11. Sivi
10.Carter
9. Cowan
8. Rodney
7. McCaw (c)
6. Kaino
5. Williams
4. Thorn
3. Somerville
2. Hore
1. Woodcock.

Disagree?
Which team walked away with the trophy O0

Where does Kaplan get a jersey?
 

Virgil

Larry Dwyer (12)
formeropenside said:
Virgil said:
Heres my 3N team of the tournament.

15. Muliaina
14. Kahui
13. Smith
12. Nonu
11. Sivi
10.Carter
9. Cowan
8. Rodney
7. McCaw (c)
6. Kaino
5. Williams
4. Thorn
3. Somerville
2. Hore
1. Woodcock.

Disagree?
Which team walked away with the trophy O0

Where does Kaplan get a jersey?

He doesnt, too busy letting Moore enter rucks from the side and letting Cross score tries with other aussie players in the way.
 

PaarlBok

Rod McCall (65)
NTA said:
12 Jean de Villiers (South Africa): Direct, incisive, outstanding with his offloads. Career-best form in a back line that looked clueless at times.
Vokket he must be smoking something. :angryfire: Think for the first time in memory our backline look like scoring tries. Must be a hopeless backline that let in a clueless one scoring vokken 8 tries against them.
 

Sully

Tim Horan (67)
Staff member
PaarlBok said:
NTA said:
12 Jean de Villiers (South Africa): Direct, incisive, outstanding with his offloads. Career-best form in a back line that looked clueless at times.
Vokket he must be smoking something. :angryfire: Think for the first time in memory our backline look like scoring tries. Must be a hopeless backline that let in a clueless one scoring vokken 8 tries against them.
Yes on that day they looked great but a lot of the rest of the tournament they looked like complete crap except for Devilliers
 

PaarlBok

Rod McCall (65)
Sully said:
PaarlBok said:
NTA said:
12 Jean de Villiers (South Africa): Direct, incisive, outstanding with his offloads. Career-best form in a back line that looked clueless at times.
Vokket he must be smoking something. :angryfire: Think for the first time in memory our backline look like scoring tries. Must be a hopeless backline that let in a clueless one scoring vokken 8 tries against them.
Yes on that day they looked great but a lot of the rest of the tournament they looked like complete crap except for Devilliers
Pretty crap defense for a team letting in 11 tries (same as the All Blacks) and yur Wannabies letting in 21 tries. Also a backline scoring more tries then yur suppose to be wonderfull Wannabie backline.
 

the gambler

Dave Cowper (27)
Doesnt change the fact they looked clueless at times PB.

Virgil - While winners can grin all they like there is nothing like a bit of humility in victory.
 

PaarlBok

Rod McCall (65)
the gambler said:
Doesnt change the fact they looked clueless at times PB.
If you think they look clueless with ball in hand at times I sure dont know what you want to call the way the Wallaby backline look at Ellispark. Myself think thats the one most miss and that is the Bokke even beat the All Black backline when it come to tries score from the backline this year in the 3 Nations.

So if he want to qoute our backline look clueless then I dont know what he want to call the others, specially the Wallabies defense.
 

Virgil

Larry Dwyer (12)
the gambler said:
Doesnt change the fact they looked clueless at times PB.

Virgil - While winners can grin all they like there is nothing like a bit of humility in victory.

Just having a laugh mate, most know me here as anything but too serious.
Been a bit of light hearted ribbing all series here. Great stuff
 

the gambler

Dave Cowper (27)
PaarlBok said:
the gambler said:
Doesnt change the fact they looked clueless at times PB.
If you think they look clueless with ball in hand at times I sure dont know what you want to call the way the Wallaby backline look at Ellispark. Myself think thats the one most miss and that is the Bokke even beat the All Black backline when it come to tries score from the backline this year in the 3 Nations.

So if he want to qoute our backline look clueless then I dont know what he want to call the others, specially the Wallabies defense.

Utterly clueless. No doubt about that. But still doesnt change the fact the Saffas looked clueless at times e.g. Perth and Durban.

No probs Virg... just being a sore loser.
 

Virgil

Larry Dwyer (12)
the gambler said:
PaarlBok said:
the gambler said:
Doesnt change the fact they looked clueless at times PB.
If you think they look clueless with ball in hand at times I sure dont know what you want to call the way the Wallaby backline look at Ellispark. Myself think thats the one most miss and that is the Bokke even beat the All Black backline when it come to tries score from the backline this year in the 3 Nations.

So if he want to qoute our backline look clueless then I dont know what he want to call the others, specially the Wallabies defense.

Utterly clueless. No doubt about that. But still doesnt change the fact the Saffas looked clueless at times e.g. Perth and Durban.

No probs Virg... just being a sore loser.

No one likes to lose, i think all 3 teams and their fans will agree to that.
 
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