OK. Now all the teams have announced their squads of 30 for the RWC and some fairly decent players have been left out.

The IRB should admit a multinational Barbarians side to liven up the competition a little. They could replace one of those boring, dreary teams who always seem to be there but contribute nothing to the tournament – like Namibia………..or Scotland………or even Ireland come to think of it. 😆

Anyway here’s my XV:

15. Isa Nacewa
14. Sitiveni Sivivatu
13. Rupeni Caucaunibuca
12. Yannick Jauzion
11. Hosea Gear
10. Matt Giteau
9. Sarel Pretorius
1. Carl Hayman
2. Adriaan Strauss
3. Sylvain Marconnet
4. Jared Hoeata
5. Nick Kennedy
6. Kevin McLaughlin
7. Ashley Johnson
8. Liam Messam

Coach: Brendan Venter

Honourable mentions to: Robbie Freuan, Cedric Malzieu, Dwayne Peel, Thomas Domingo, Martyn Williams.

That is actually a very good idea. All of the shunned players getting the opportunity to make a point. Should make for some very interesting games. Cant believe Sivivatu and Jauzion aren’t going!

Should get a BaaBaas wildcard entry into the WC, however I can think of some very good reasons why a few players eg, Kennedy are not going.

Who are Ashley Johnson and Kevin McLaughlin? Domingo is 10 times the player Haymens currently is and he’s a 3 anyway? I’m guessing you are a SH type of person? Have you seen Haymens being totally manshamed by all and sundry in the French League this season?

Obviously you forgot Gavin :lol:, or are we not slecting injured players?
I reckon Seabass could be in with a shot too.

Schalk Brits @2
(presume he’s not going)
Charlie Hodgson @10 (only jokin!)

11. Hosea Gear – Definitely
10. Matt Giteau – There must be someone better for the 10 spot?

No. No injured players.

I’m not a SH type person, just watched a lot of Super Rugby this season. I haven’t seen much French League so picked Hayman on reputation. (Hey, I could be Andy Robinson as England Coach or SCW as Lions’ coach)

TBH the forwards are harder to pick than the backs.

Kevin McLaughlin? Leinster blindside/lock. Bit unlucky to miss out on the Irish squad where they’re blessed with both. Or you could have Jerry Collins?
Ashley Johnson? Cheetahs openside. Bit of a beast. Had a great season and unfortunate to miss out with the Boks. How England could do with him – or any other openside.

SeaBass? Come on! Useful if you want to sell tickets and make cool posters. Not much use, at international level, for anything else these days.

Schalk Brits!!!

Knew I’d forgotten something. 😕

Better than Matt Giteau? Struggling there. Nick Evans?

Is John Beatie crocked or just out of form?

10. Matt Giteau – There must be someone better for the 10 spot?

OK put Gateux at 12 and have Nick Evans or Nicky Robinson at 10.

Johnny Beattie – coming back from injury, not rediscovered form. Still very unlucky not to be going and it might be a mistake

Yeah Johnny Beattie was considered but didn’t make it on current form. (+ Liam Messam is better)

Can’t put Giteau at 12 as Jauzion is there.

So we have a revised front row of Marconnet/Brits/Domingo.

2nd row instead of Kennedy?

Blindside? Any advance on Jerry Collins?

What about Thomas the Tank in at 8?

TimP – Member

What about Thomas the Tank in at 8?

What and replace a Kiwi? With another Kiwi?

Although I’m an England fan there are no English players in my XV and I’d struggle to pick too many of the current English squad outside of the front 5 and JW.

Delve at blindside?

namastebuzz – why not? Thought this was about decent players who aren’t playing, regardless of who they are not playing for

A_A good call

Yeah Delve is a good call. He had a good season for the Rebels, as did Michael Lipman. A decent openside who’s actually English!

TimP – I still think Messam is better.

THe point is I think getting left out of the ABs is a higher accolade than getting left out of the England squad 😯

Ah but he was ignored by the AB’s before coming to Leicester and being left out by Eng too!

If you are doing it on looks then fair enough

Ah but he was ignored by the AB’s before coming to Leicester and being left out by Eng too!

If you are doing it on looks then fair enough

Schalk Brits @2
(presume he’s not going)

Travesty he’s had so few international caps, he’s also a really nice guy. VERY good mates with one of my best mates, and I’ve met him a number of times now…

And his team mate at Saracens, Ernst Joubert (a good friend of mine) is probably the best number 8 in the Premiership, yet still has never been selected for his national side!

Coach: Brendan Venter

Got to agree with this too… If he was there, then the above two players would also be there!

P.S. I went to watch Worcester Warriors Vs Argentina last night… Martin Johnson was there too apparently. Anyway, England haven’t got anything to worry about except possibly their left winger, a guy called Juan Jose Imhoff. He’s not big, but he is bloody quick and as bald as they come. Ran 2 breakaway tries last night, in a game Argentina only just beat Worcester in! Worcester were leading the whole game until the 75th minute…

Maybe the Tank should get in as he’s been left out by TWO countries then. 🙂

As long as you don’t post any more photos of him.

Even if Brendan Venter couldn’t coach he’d be in as he’d give an interesting post match interview without the usual platitudes.

“Three cheers for Sireli Bobo!” 😆

Don’t think we have to worry about who’s playing on the wing if the Eng/Arg game is played in the manner which I’m expecting. 🙁

On the bright side of that if Eng go for 10-man rugby, the centres will struggle to let the team down again

Doubt that argentina team had many first choice players in. Despite how we expect them to play they showed some nice touches getting the ball wide with some success in the first half against Wales.

True but under pressure when winning really matters teams tend to revert to type.

That’s why I’m not holding my breath expecting a feast of running rugby when the two sides meet. 🙄

Doubt that argentina team had many first choice players in. Despite how we expect them to play they showed some nice touches getting the ball wide with some success in the first half against Wales.

When Worcester clearly were outplaying them, trust me, the changes were made and on came all the first choice boys…

Argentina were clearly the fitter, better disciplined side, but ironically Worcester were much more inventive. Perhaps owing to a number of backs that have represented England in the past (Goode, Garvey etc.). Worcester were awful in the lineout though, which pretty much cost them the game, though they had a much stronger scrum than Argentina!