Pick 3 players to be young again for your country

[lynam1104]

PO'C D'Arcy and Bowe would be mine. I'd sacrifice their again powers if they could bring BOD back though.

 

[iINDOMINUSxx]

Kelly Brown, Al Kellock and Gordon Reid

 

[Peat]

As BO'D isn't eligble...

PO'C, D'arcy and Best.

Though I am unsure whether or not Sexton, Heaslip and Bowe should be put in.

Bowe's not a bad shout actually. Best was my initial thought. Mike Ross might be the pragmatic choice.

well ? Has he been just as dominant as before the injury ? Heard he hasn't, haven't seen anything myself.

I'm mostly going on hearsay tbh but he's look good when I've seen him. There will be a little air of uncertainty until he's played international rugby under the new scrummaging laws, but that's it - and if they're a problem, having him a few years younger serves nothing. Physically he's fine (I think).

 

[nickdnz]

Hosea Gear...Rokocoko...you seem to have "great affection" for big, athletic, dark men mmm ?... Oh I'm just...I'm just sayin !.....

I'm better than a "your mum" joke.

 

[Big Ewis]

cool thanks Saffy. And you're implying you'd rather a prime Sheridan over a prime Corbs then. If England select him again in a couple of months, he's sure to be tested - the mighty Owen Franks, JdP, Census Johnston, and Kepu quite a program.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

cool thanks Saffy. And you're implying you'd rather a prime Sheridan over a prime Corbs then.

Seeing as he specifically said they wouldn't be first choice, I'm gonna go with no.
I'd take a Sheridan in his prime over Mako/Marler though.

 

[Big Ewis]

Seeing as he specifically said they wouldn't be first choice, I'm gonna go with no.
I'd take a Sheridan in his prime over Mako/Marler though.

that's true, didn't read that last bit, but you've gone too far yourself Olliver, he says they might not be first choice. Do you like them with ginger ? Sake works well with it too, but it's nothing great in itself...sure prime Sheridan and Corbs off the bench or vice versa would be nice for the front row.

 

[Beerfalo]

James Pritchard and Jamie Cudmore definitely. They are two of the best players to suit up for Canada. And sadly we don't have an immediate replacement for either man and they are both probably in their last year playing for Canada. We'll need guys to step up big time to fill the void. As for a third active player, I guess I'll go with Aaron Carpenter.

 

[LittleGuy]

Can't disagree with either of those picks Beerfalo. Pritchard's goal kicking will be massively missed when he retires, and while he's still effective in loose play he isn't quite as lethal an attacking threat as he was 5-10 years ago. Cudmore obviously still our best guy in the pack, though I'd like him to take his cooler head of the last two years with him back to his younger body!

Third guy could go with a few people, maybe Buydens as I think he could have been a solid Prop had he gone professional much earlier, Barkwill probably the same at Hooker. Carpenter's not a bad choice either.

 

[TheSaffycen]

cool thanks Saffy. And you're implying you'd rather a prime Sheridan over a prime Corbs then. If England select him again in a couple of months, he's sure to be tested - the mighty Owen Franks, JdP, Census Johnston, and Kepu quite a program.

As Olly said the guys would not probably be first choice, apart from Flood. Last time Corbisiero faced the All Blacks he destroyed Franks and that really won us the game I feel, that and Manu's ability to break the gainline. I would actually fancy him against all of them guys. The only tightheads I would worry about are Figallo, De Marchi and Mas.

 

[psychic duck]

As Olly said the guys would not probably be first choice, apart from Flood. Last time Corbisiero faced the All Blacks he destroyed Franks and that really won us the game I feel, that and Manu's ability to break the gainline. I would actually fancy him against all of them guys. The only tightheads I would worry about are Figallo, De Marchi and Mas.

Semi-permanently crocked, not a tighthead, past his best. That's an odd trio of tightheads to worry about.

 

[Big Ewis]

As Olly said the guys would not probably be first choice, apart from Flood. Last time Corbisiero faced the All Blacks he destroyed Franks and that really won us the game I feel, that and Manu's ability to break the gainline. I would actually fancy him against all of them guys. The only tightheads I would worry about are Figallo, De Marchi and Mas.

no ! You meant it in a flexible way, leaning towards what I said, and that's final !!!!!!!
Note: was being super mega sarcastic about those 4 Tightheads. Haven't seen Owen Franks win individual matchups at int'l level in forever in the scrum, Census is simply this stat: "Toulouse worst scrum in the Top 14", JdP has had his issues of late to the point where Saffer fans are saying he's not good anymore, is exhausted or simply isn't first choice, and then the mighty Kepu...how could Corbs stand a chance, asketh I.

De Marchi has a nice beard but plays on the left. About Figallo and Mas. Big question mark next to both. Mas is just weird lately. Simply. He'll dominate again in a vintage old school scrum way where you see the entire opposing Tight 5 wash ashore on the ground like a wave that's gone up and went down all at once - France do well in the scrum to start the 6N against England and Italy alike, totally in control there. And then...find immense difficulties against.....Scotland and Ireland. Remember when....:cryy: remember when...WHEN SCOTLAND ASKED FOR A SCRUM AGAIN AGAINST US LAST WINTER ?!!!!! :cryy: :cryy: :cryy: :cryy:
I just rewatched the Montypellier Castres semifinal, and he's absolutely DOMINANT in a couple, then so-so, then totally subjected to pressure, smashed once...very strange.
Just watch the first, say, 4-5 scrums here, bizarre inconsistency:



Now I totally understand as a prop you can win one scrum, lose the next, sometimes everything is set just right and you push with all your strength, sometimes the other adapts, etc...totally get all that, but Mas' inconsistency has been perfectly consistent as of 2014.

 

[DuncTheDoodle]

Gavin Henson, Gavin Henson and Gavin Henson.

Seeing as we're in the process of granting miracles, I'd like to be able to clone Henson and play him at 10, 12 and 13. Psychic understanding making for a great partnership, with one being molded into a specialist for each position. I may take Hook on a similar note, given a fourth option.

 

[InsaneAsylum]

So...

Thanks for pointing out that I can't read

in that case, It makes things difficult. I'd have to go with Horwill, Ashley Cooper and Pocock

 

[canadafan]

Can't disagree with either of those picks Beerfalo. Pritchard's goal kicking will be massively missed when he retires, and while he's still effective in loose play he isn't quite as lethal an attacking threat as he was 5-10 years ago. Cudmore obviously still our best guy in the pack, though I'd like him to take his cooler head of the last two years with him back to his younger body!

Third guy could go with a few people, maybe Buydens as I think he could have been a solid Prop had he gone professional much earlier, Barkwill probably the same at Hooker. Carpenter's not a bad choice either.

Since they have to be currently active players, Cudmore and Pritchard are fairly easy choices. As for the third, Buydens is a good shout. The only other player I can really think of would be Kleeberger as I don't think we have another true 7.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Gavin Henson, Gavin Henson and Gavin Henson.

Seeing as we're in the process of granting miracles, I'd like to be able to clone Henson and play him at 10, 12 and 13. Psychic understanding making for a great partnership, with one being molded into a specialist for each position. I may take Hook on a similar note, given a fourth option.

Why not go the whole hog:

9. Shane
10. Gavlar
11. Shane
12. Gavlar
13. Gavlar
14. Shane
15. Gavlar

 

[LittleGuy]

Since they have to be currently active players, Cudmore and Pritchard are fairly easy choices. As for the third, Buydens is a good shout. The only other player I can really think of would be Kleeberger as I don't think we have another true 7.

Kleebs is a great pick, what a shame he's been so injury prone since 2011 after that RWC it looked like he could play at an elite level.

 

[canadafan]

He could have, injuries have just destroyed his career. He is our last true 7, IMO, the only other guy who comes close as a true 7 is Dala.

 

[welshglory]

Gethin Jenkins
~ looseheads coming through are promising, but none are ready for international rugby.
Gavin Henson
~ More like an alternate universe. If he was 25 with a injury free spell, you can't deny in terms of talent he is one of the best ball players to have come out of Europe in the past decade or two. He also brought he best out of Hook like no other player in the world.
Ryan Jones
~ I'd have him on the blindside. A better player than Lydiate imo, he might not be as dominant defensively but in his prime his overall game was very impressive.

Honourable mentions for Dwayne Peel and Lee Byrne.

 

[TRF_heineken]

3 guys I'd pick for South Africa:

CJ van Der Linde (World Cup winning tight head prop) was a beast and anchor for the Boks at scrumtime.
Joe van Niekerk - Duane is currently our only top notch no. 8 and with Spies injured all the time, there is a serious need for proper back-up in that key position
Fourie Du Preez - he's only 31 now, but he's been part of the Boks for ages, and his sharpness is all that is missing at the moment to get our Backline to fire.