• Help Support The Rugby Forum :

Massively Overrated XV

OK so for me between the last 10 years I would go with (Basing this off General public and media hype).
1. Struggling to think of one ATM
2. Best
3. Atonio
4. S.Barrett
5. R.Gray
6. Lydiate (special mention to POM)
7. Hooper
8. Nathan Hughes
9. Laidlaw or Murray or Youngs
10. Sopoaga or Cipriani
11. Wade
12. Twelvetrees
13. Fekitoa
14. North
15. Daly or Goode

IDK harsh on some I guess, doesn't mean they are bad players just didn't deserve the hype they got at a specific time that stands out for.
Sexton is another on based on recent stuff.
 
Last edited:
1. Not sure.
2. Best
3. Cole
4. AWJ
5. R.Grey
6. POM
7. Teflon Armitage
8. Parisse
9. Youngs
10. Biggar
11. Keith Earls
12. Jamie Roberts
13. Fickou
14. North
15. Halfpenny

I'm not as clued up on SH players to really comment. Also it's not saying players in this list are bad, just not as good as the hype (apart from 1 or 2 who really are bang average).
 
Going to skip the front row because I try not to look at them
4. AWJ
5. Henderson
6. Lydiate
7. Hooper
8. Moriarty
9. Cooney
10. Ford
11. Zebo
12. Fickou
13. Joseph
14. Thomas
15. Larmour - specifically at 15

Honourable mentions: Scotland

Pretty happy to back any of those up, I tried to avoid cases of players who were great and faded later on in their career and players who were just overhyped early on in their careers.

I think a few current Ireland players run the risk of being thrown in here, Ryan needs to step it up a level to seriously be considered among the world's best, Stockdale is fading badly too.
 
I can make four of these lists straight up, just from currently active players and can make it nation specific, but for fun here is my International version
My idea of overated is not that they are **** but that they probably is average at best and super hyped up.

1. Kyle Sinckler / Frans Malherbe
2. Jamie George
3. Dan Cole
4. Ruben van Heerden/ Itoje
5. Hyron Andrews / Franco Mostert
6. Sam Cane
7. Kwagga Smith / Kolisi ( Judging on hype vs Talent sorry my compatriots)
8. Hanro Liebenberg
9. Aaron Cruden/ Herchel Jantjies/ Ben Youngs
10. Damian Willemse/ George Ford/ Richie Mounga
11.Julian Savea
12. Gary Ringrose /Jan Serfontein
13. Manu Tuilagi / Bundee Aki
14. Rieko Ione
15. StuartHogg / Kurtley Beale /Gelant

Overated Coach: Gregor Townsend/Joe Schmidt

Is this how you **** off one person from each country? :p
 
Last edited:
Given that Ford is better than Farrell, but Faz is the one rated as World Class; it seems odd that Ford is the one considered over-rated.

Not much to argue about otherwise
 
Other than: who rates Ben Youngs these days?

Yeh I guess it depends when you want judge it on.
Currently all the pundits want the likes of Robson, Spencer etc over him.
But 5 years ago he was still world class (Which TBF he is only really when they play Aus though)

I will say i'm blocking all those who say Dan Cole.
 
Farrell

Everyone else who leaps to mind for me is Welsh. Not sure if that speaks to Welsh fanaticism or to my own bias, I'll leave you to judge.

No question on Average-Wyn Jones though, that's not bias that's common sense. A good international player who was hyped up into some sort of superman, then continued to be for 5 years after he dropped from "good" to "decent".
 
For me, most of the Welsh players (sadly) most of the Irish players, , Kolisi, Willemse, Gelant, Farrell, Ford, Itoje

If I had to pick an all time overrated player it would 100% be

Mathieu Bastareaud

 
I'm really surprised Ford made a few of these and not Farrell. I mean I don't really rate either of them but the press love to build up ice man Farrell who still isn't learnt to tackle.
 
I'm really surprised Ford made a few of these and not Farrell. I mean I don't really rate either of them but the press love to build up ice man Farrell who still isn't learnt to tackle.
Because even though Farrel can't legally tackle ,I have atleast seen a world class player in him with the determination to win. The guy has a determination, and a skillset to go with it .

I have only heard that Ford is this kind of playmaker type player, but always it seems as if the top teams target his channel and more often than not their tactic is succesfull with Ford not really bringing his supposed attacking game even if his defence is lacking. Yet some people insist to play ford and shift their captain to inside centre to accomodate him .
 
Last edited:
Because even though Farrel can't legally tackle ,I have atleast seen a world class player in him with the determination to win. The guy has a determination, and a skillset to go with it .

I have only heard that Ford is this kind of playmaker type player, but always it seems as if the top teams target his channel and more often than not their tactic is succesfull with Ford not really bringing his supposed attacking game even if his defence is lacking. Yet some people insist to play ford and shift their captain to inside centre to accomodate him .
Nearly all of England's most embarrassing defeats or times where we have choked have been where Farrell has played the majority of the game at 10. England's longest winning streak, whitewash of Australia and 2 6N wins including a grand slam were with Ford at 10.
 
Nearly all of England's most embarrassing defeats or times where we have choked have been where Farrell has played the majority of the game at 10. England's longest winning streak, whitewash of Australia and 2 6N wins including a grand slam were with Ford at 10.
Gonna have to disgree with you there. Both Scotland games when we lost and drew Ford was at 10. Both South Africa games where we threw away big leads Ford was at 10 (the game we won that tour was when Ford was benched). When we lost to France in 2018 (before they started getting good again) Ford was 10. Ford was at 10 when we lost the RWC final. All of our notable losses of the last 4 years have been when Ford was at 10. Someone can fact check me but I'm fairly sure that of the 12 games we've lost under Jones, Farrell was only 10 vs New Zealand in 2018 and Wales in 2019.
 
Gonna have to disgree with you there. Both Scotland games when we lost and drew Ford was at 10. Both South Africa games where we threw away big leads Ford was at 10 (the game we won that tour was when Ford was benched). When we lost to France in 2018 (before they started getting good again) Ford was 10. Ford was at 10 when we lost the RWC final. All of our notable losses of the last 4 years have been when Ford was at 10. Someone can fact check me but I'm fairly sure that of the 12 games we've lost under Jones, Farrell was only 10 vs New Zealand in 2018 and Wales in 2019.
Farrell was 10 in the Scotland draw for 70 minutes and it was Ford who stopped it being a loss. Farrell in 2013 vs Wales, Farrell in our 2 losses of the 2015 RWC. Ford has been 10 for England during losses yes but I'd say in the crunch games or the ones that were a complete embarrassment to England, Farrell has been the 10. If you just include losses in general then there are even more with Farrell that can be added. Also the last South Africa game where we won Farrell still wasn't 10.
 
Are we really questioning who is more hyped out of Ford and Farrell?

Farrell has been hyped WAY beyond his ability for as long as I can remember. He's a good player, who has been constantly described as 'World Class' without ever really showing the individual talent to back it up. In the eyes of most mainstream media, he has somehow managed to become a kicker who never misses, a fierce defender and a mythical leader of men, despite none of those being true. He's effectively been made out to be the heir apparent to Wilkinson despite not being anywhere near as good.

Most casual rugby fans don't get why Ford is playing at 10 while the king of English rugby is shunted out to 12. He literally has no hype.

IMO Ford is underrated whilst Farrell is hugely overrated.
 

Latest posts

Top