2015-16 rugby, world cup year

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This topic has 7,395 replies, 232 voices, and was last updated 8 years ago by WillH.

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2015-16 rugby, world cup year
anagallis_arvensis
Full Member

I thought Ben Smith was brilliant throughout much more of a playmaker than the other full back options. Yellow in the final was a negative though.
Backrow is tough. Pockock was the stand out 7 despite the number on his back. Vermulen was more of a threat with the ball in hand so he’s in at 8. Didnt think the other Aussie 7 was that great. Good player but only in the team because Pocock was at 8.
15 Ben Smith
14 Savea
13 Kriel
12 Nonu
11 Milner Skudder
10 Carter
9 Smith
8 Vermulan
7 Pocock
6 Fardy
5 Etzebeth
4 Retallick
3 Herara (Kepu was great too might be guilty of choosing a token Argie here.)
2 Du Plesies
1 Sio?

Wales gave 3 test tour to NZ next year…gulp.

Posted 9 years ago

Pigface
Free Member

Just put the All Black team down. 😆

By playing Pocock and Hooper the Australian line out was compromised especially when they lost the lock after a few minutes.

Posted 9 years ago

anagallis_arvensis
Full Member

I also think by having Pocock at 8 they lacked a carrying threat down the middle which made it easier to defend the threats out wide.

I did try to avoid putting just the all blacks down!

Posted 9 years ago

Scamper
Free Member

I think the Australian attack was a little more suttle for just sending a big number 8 up the middle.

Looking forward to jamba’s 15, which will still have about 5 Englishman in it 😉

Think Sbw wil prob get given another medal, but what a moment.

Posted 9 years ago

jambalaya
Free Member

@Samper we didn’t see enough of England to pick any players. I’d have Burgess as the water boy though to help him learn the game 🙂

@aa I don’t see why you wouldn’t consider the Argentine 11, 14 and 15 in that side. The Aussies showed how to tackle Savea unlike the French who somehow thought you could take him up high. I thought Smith was ok not great.

Looking forward to watching Carter at Racing, been studying the fixtures so as I know which weekends to suggest to Mrs B for visiting her family. Fingers crossed I can see Habana, Giteau, Mitchell, And hopefully h/p and POC if fit too 8)

Posted 9 years ago

Kryton57
Full Member

More importantly, my boys team just played and beat Saracens U7. Whoop! 😀

Posted 9 years ago

duckman
Full Member

Sio? He got taken part by Nel in the quarter.

Posted 9 years ago

anagallis_arvensis
Full Member

True Duckman so who should we have at 1?

@aa I don’t see why you wouldn’t consider the Argentine 11, 14 and 15 in that side

Considered not as good as All Blacks players. Lets be honest no one got near being as good as Savea and Milner Scudder. Mitchel was good in the final. Amorosino was the Argentina full back wasnt he. Good player but not in Smiths class. Shame he left the Blues. I feel Argentina were quite over rated tbh. Beat no one of any consequence other than a injury ( and suspension) ravaged Irish side that didnt turn up at all.

think the Australian attack was a little more suttle for just sending a big number 8 up the middle.

Every side benefits from players making hard yards up the middle even if its onlyvdone a few times to keep defenders honest.

Posted 9 years ago

Tom-B
Free Member

Let’s have a NH team 🙂

Brown
Watson
?
?
D T H Van de however you spell it
Biggar
Laidlaw
SOB
Hovis
O’Mahony
POC
AWJ
?
Baldwin
That “Scottish” bloke

Posted 9 years ago

Pigface
Free Member

Brown 😆 purleaz

Posted 9 years ago

duckman
Full Member

Watson? Double purlease! The only thing he did was be injured so you could miss him!

Posted 9 years ago

Tom-B
Free Member

Ah the usual English hating suspects are here!

Better winger and full back then? Hogg, Cuthbert….. 😆

Posted 9 years ago

wrecker
Free Member

Watson? Double purlease! The only thing he did was be injured so you could miss him!

Watson didn’t get injured. You might have the wrong black chap there duckie. 😀
Plus, he’s as good as any winger in the home nations except North.
I’d take that welsh 9 over Laidlaw, and either irish prop over Nel.

Posted 9 years ago

Kryton57
Full Member

North played one decent game in the RWC. He’s big and quick with it, but doesn’t have the raw positional talent, stepping or finishing of Watson. What’s more, Watson has flaws which can be worked on and can improve – right now North has been going slowly backwards.

Posted 9 years ago

Pigface
Free Member

Oh come on Tom you dont have to hate the english to realise that Brown has been a bit pants for the last 12 months, he was brilliant 18 months ago but since he bumped his head he is nowhere near the player, it has seemed to have cause some anger management issues.

I hope Cuthbert regains some form as he has been off the pace for a while.

Hogg would be a good shout if you want a cheap shot diver 😆

Posted 9 years ago

Tom-B
Free Member

I genuinely think that Brown was the best NH 15 this RWC! Whom else was there that was good really?…..Hogg was a bit crap and had ‘that dive’. Spedding was a bit crap, Wales had someone different there almost every game! Kearney was pretty solid I guess.

Posted 9 years ago

namastebuzz
Free Member

Goromaru
Milner-Skudder
Bennett
Nonu
Imhoff
Carter
Smith
Pocock
McCaw
Fernandez-Lobbe
Eztebeh
Retallick
Kepu
Coles
Ayerza

Posted 9 years ago

anagallis_arvensis
Full Member

NH team

15 That big French full back who’s name escapes me
14 Watson
13 Fofana
12 Roberts
11 DTH Van DMewer
10 Biggar
9 Davies
8 Faletau
7 Warburton
6 Lydiate
5 AWJones
4 Gray the elder
3 Nel
2 Best?
1 Ben Arous

NZ would spank them

Posted 9 years ago

Scamper
Free Member

It’s difficult to include any English players as its so long since they last played a worthwhile match I’ve forgotten if they were any good or not.

Posted 9 years ago

anagallis_arvensis
Full Member

I genuinely think that Brown was the best NH 15

Spedding was much better.

Whilst I also agree that Watson was better at the world cup I’d rather have North.

Posted 9 years ago

jambalaya
Free Member

15 That big French full back who’s name escapes me

That’s because you where thinking of French names 🙂

Posted 9 years ago

loum
Free Member

Ayumu Goromaru was the best Northern Hemisphere full back

Unless your geography sucks 😉

Posted 9 years ago

loum
Free Member

Beauden Barrett was the closest challenger to Ben Smith for team of the tournament 15, IMO.

Likewise – Sonny Bill, Conrad Smith, and Ma’a Nonu were the three best centres in the tournament.
Any other picks are really just tokenism.

Posted 9 years ago

anagallis_arvensis
Full Member

Conrad Smith was very good in the final but wasnt great up to then imo.

Posted 9 years ago

DanW
Free Member

There must be a fitting metaphor for trying to pick a *best* NH 15 but I’m not witty enough to come up with one 😀

Spedding was a bit crap

Spedding was pretty damn awesome besides the NZ game where the entire team was struggling. He’s come on a lot in a very short time from just being “that big 15”. Kicked some monster penalties too!

North played one decent game in the RWC. He’s big and quick with it, but doesn’t have the raw positional talent, stepping or finishing of Watson. What’s more, Watson has flaws which can be worked on and can improve – right now North has been going slowly backwards.

North has been off the boil and needs some decent club rugby to get a bit of form. That said, Wales’s game plan won’t usually give him much to work with. Watson’s “raw positional talent” though? Not in defense when it matters. I do like him though, not sure about him making a NH XV. Although he didn’t get much chance to show what he can do I rather like the French wing (Noa Nakaitaci???)

In terms of the entire RWC, I think Milner Skudder was a great finisher but the team somewhat flattered him. Savea is a monster and has to be in. I am a massive AA Cooper fan as he is much more rounded than someone like Drew Mitchell and would be my second pick if he didn’t mind swapping wings 😀

Posted 9 years ago

anagallis_arvensis
Full Member

Indeed, also lets not forget that North is only 2 years older than Watson, plenty of improvements to come from both. Will Watson get 50 caps and Lions test starts in the next two years?

Posted 9 years ago

CaptainFlashheart
Free Member

@infernoprotv at it again.

Claims that the Chosen One has told team mates his rugby career is over.

Posted 9 years ago

IdleJon
Free Member

I think Milner Skudder was a great finisher but the team somewhat flattered him.

Tbh his form in the RWC was nothing like his form in S15 where his team doesn’t flatter him. He makes breaks from absolutely nowhere. Awesome player, pity he’s so fragile.

I am a massive AA Cooper fan as he is much more rounded than someone like Drew Mitchell and would be my second pick if he didn’t mind swapping wings

He’s a curious player isn’t he. On the face of it he’s just a very good defender, without a huge amount of pace or skill. But then he scores. All the time. Mitchell, on paper, is a far better wing. but Cooper just does the job quietly, with no fuss. I like him.

Posted 9 years ago

CaptainFlashheart
Free Member

Update – Claiming that the source is the Press Association.

Can’t find that source yet, though.

Posted 9 years ago

DanW
Free Member

Tbh his form in the RWC was nothing like his form in S15 where his team doesn’t flatter him.

That’s very true. Strange that he looks kind of average in that NZ team!

He’s a curious player isn’t he. On the face of it he’s just a very good defender, without a huge amount of pace or skill. But then he scores. All the time. Mitchell, on paper, is a far better wing. but Cooper just does the job quietly, with no fuss. I like him.

Agree again. Nothing super flashy but so solid in almost all areas and a great try scorer that always seems to pop up with a beautiful line cutting through the midfield… deadly in the opposition’s 22. Amazing player

Posted 9 years ago

namastebuzz
Free Member

Yeah AAC is one of those guys that you just don’t want playing against your team. He always seems to do the right thing and be in the right place at the right time.

Kinda like Conrad Smith.

Must admit I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the RWC and was absolutely delighted that NZ won as they’ve been a great side for years and Carter, McCaw, Nonu, Conrad Smith etc really deserved it. Hats off to Australia to making a game of it though.

Posted 9 years ago

igm
Full Member

After Scotland Australia I’m very glad NZ won. Not any kind of revenge, just if those Aussies had won the would have been a (wholly irrational) niggle inside – “we should have beaten them, that RWC should have been ours”.

At least now after a 34-17 score I can feel “well it wouldn’t have mattered anyway, we’d still have lost to NZ”

A great final to watch and that kid that ran on at the end – it’s not just SBW’s reaction. Several of the NZ team and coaches handled that well Milner Skudder (I think) in particular chatting to the security guy and quietly getting him not to do his job. Spot on

Posted 9 years ago

mrhoppy
Full Member

loum – Member
Beauden Barrett was the closest challenger to Ben Smith for team of the tournament 15, IMO.
Likewise – Sonny Bill, Conrad Smith, and Ma’a Nonu were the three best centres in the tournament.
Any other picks are really just tokenism.

It’s the most demoralising thing about the AB’s, they start making substitutions and they’ll take off arguably the best player in the world in any given position only to replace him with the fella that means he wasn’t definitely the best in that position.

Posted 9 years ago

Pigface
Free Member

Haven’t been paying a lot of attention to the domestic game so far 😯 dear Lord the Ospreys are awful 😥

Posted 9 years ago

Tom-B
Free Member

Prem looks pretty topsy turvy this year too! Saints haven’t started well….could be an interesting season.

Posted 9 years ago

jambalaya
Free Member

McCaw, why not get past 150 caps or try and make it to the Lions Tour ?

Have to laugh at reporting of Hansen who said he’d never coach another international side and press reports “Hansen rukes out coaching England”

Posted 9 years ago

thegreatape
Free Member

Yeah, if I was McCaw I’d take a step back but not retire from the national side. Be there for the transition to Reid or Cane as the next captain, and get to 150 caps, even if it’s off the bench. Pressure off but no chance of later regretting not trying for 150. If he merits his place of course, but I’m sure they could get him on the pitch twice more regardless.

Posted 9 years ago

namastebuzz
Free Member

I think McCaw is absolutely the last guy who’d accept two more caps just for the sake of it.

Posted 9 years ago

thegreatape
Free Member

Probably. Depends how OCD he is 🙂

Posted 9 years ago

duckman
Full Member

McCaw was second best to Pocock on Sat,but nobody will look too closely at it because he lifted the trophy at the end. I seriously hopes he retires to earning a huge pension fund with a couple of years in France.he deserves every euro he could make.

Posted 9 years ago