All Time Greatest SANZAR XV

[Caitlyn Jenner]

Just looked back at my 'Greatest All Blacks XV' and thought of this, so why not ...

The greatest combined XV from the SANZAR nations (in my opinion):
1. Os Du Rant
2. Sean Fitzpatrick
3. Carl Hayman
4. Colin Meads
5. John Eales
6. Frik Du Preez
7. Riche McCaw
8. Zinzan Brooke
9. Joost Van Der Westhuizen
10. Dan Carter
11. Jonah Lomu
12. Tim Horan
13. Danie Gerber
14. David Campese
15. Christian Cullen

16. John Smit
17. Tony Woodcock
18. Hannes Marais
19. Victor Matfield
20. Michael Jones
21. George Gregan
22. Mark Ella
23. Jeff Wilson

The toughest choices were Joost vs Gregan at halfback, Campese vs Wilson vs Kirwan for the right wing, the reserve props, and Ella vs Botha vs Merthens vs Lynagh for the back up first 5 spot.

Anything you guys would change?

 

[mania]

can Colin Meads, David Campese and Mark Ella be included as they weren't playing when SANZAR was formed?

 

[Caitlyn Jenner]

can Colin Meads, David Campese and Mark Ella be included as they weren't playing when SANZAR was formed?

Well I just used SANZAR as a term for all players from SA, Aussie and NZ, not specifically those who have played under SANZAR.
To clarify this is my personal combined greatest team from NZ, SA and Aus of any time, generation etc.

 

[mania]

Well I just used SANZAR as a term for all players from SA, Aussie and NZ

fair enuf.
only changes i would make
2 - Uli Schmidt. this guy was the precurser to daneColes. uli showed me the type of hooker i wanted to be
13 - jaqueFourie. in 2010 when ABs got pay backs on the boks, jaque single handedly stopped at 3 ABs tries .

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

I find #13 the most difficult to pin down. SA has Gerber so that'd be my bias pick LOL and a personal favorite Jaque Fourie - +1, @mania - though I wouldn't put him in line with others that have a legitimate claim here in Umaga, C Smith and a guy love to hate and have in line with J Fourie; Mortlock... man I used to hate Mortlock, what a menace! Probably a toss up between Gerber and Umaga for me. Gerber was a beast in his era and Umaga is just class.

 

[Caitlyn Jenner]

I find #13 the most difficult to pin down. SA has Gerber so that'd be my bias pick LOL and a personal favorite Jaque Fourie - +1, @mania - though I wouldn't put him in line with others that have a legitimate claim here in Umaga, C Smith and a guy love to hate and have in line with J Fourie; Mortlock... man I used to hate Mortlock, what a menace! Probably a toss up between Gerber and Umaga for me. Gerber was a beast in his era and Umaga is just class.

Yup Umaga, or Bruce Robertson, would've been my second choice. But, even being a kiwi, it really wasn't difficult for me to pick Gerber. He was an incredble player, it's like he was made to break lines and score tries. I really rate him. I think he was more of a standout in his time than Umaga in his.

 

[TRF_heineken]

Yay! Another Greatest Thread...

Anyway, The list can be endless. But if you want to have a SANZAR XV, then surely you can only pick players that played since SANZAR existed. So with that said, here's my list based on the professional era:

1. Os Du Randt
2. John Smit
3. Carl Hayman
4. John Eales
5. Victor Matfield
6. Richie Mccaw
7. George Smith
8. Zinzan Brooke

9. Joost v/d Westhuizen
10. Dan Carter
11. Jonah Lomu
12. Aaron Mauger
13. Tana Umaga
14. Bryan Habana
15. Christian Cullen

16. Bismarck Du Plessis
17. Craig Dowd
18. Kees Meeuws
19. Brodie Retallick
20. Danie Rossouw
21. George Gregan
22. Henry Honiball
23. Stirling Mortlock

 

[Caitlyn Jenner]

Yay! Another Greatest Thread...

Anyway, The list can be endless. But if you want to have a SANZAR XV, then surely you can only pick players that played since SANZAR existed.

Lol, I love my greatest threads!
As I said to Mania, I just used SANZAR as a blanket term for Aus, NZ and SA, not as a term to specifically refer to the SANZAR period...
But, if I were picking my greatest 'modern era' side (based purely on their influence from 95 onwards), it would be:

1. Os Du Randt
2. John Smit
3. Carl Hayman
4. John Eales
5. Victor Matfield
6. Schalk Burger
7. Richie Mccaw
8. Zinzan Brooke

9. Joost v/d Westhuizen
10. Dan Carter
11. Jonah Lomu
12. Tim Horan
13. Tana Umaga
14. Jeff Wilson
15. Christian Cullen

16. Dane Coles
17. Tony Woodcock
18. Olo Brown
19. Brodie Retallick
20. George Smith
21. George Gregan
22. Andrew Merthens
23. Bryan Habana

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

I prefer a 'modern era' approach; the game changed so much in the early 90s;

1 Os
2 Coles
3 Hayman
4 Eales/Thorne/Retallick
5 Matfield/Eales - I can't decide my locks
6 McCaw
7 Smith (Juan, not George)
8 Brooke

9 Joost
10 Dan

11 Jonah
12 Horan
13 Umaga - a nice foil to Horan
14 Smith (Ben) - because I like skillfullbacks at 14
15 Cullen

 

[mania]

Every time someone posts a new team for I'm nodding and say oh yeah. Change my player for that one.

but at least we all agree on cullen

 

[Caitlyn Jenner]

Every time someone posts a new team for I'm nodding and say oh yeah. Change my player for that one.

but at least we all agree on cullen

Yup lol.
If someone didn't have Cullen at 15 I'd be questioning their sanity