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Pick one guy per nation.

He's the best defensive 10 in the world,

Maybe on Planet Cmac, but he's not on planet earth.

That's ridiculous, he doesn't have a weak point to his game.

I'd say his biggest issue is his inability to beat defenders outside of a set move.

he runs his back line as well as anyone, he's strong with ball in hand, has good vision. The weakest part of his game, I'd argue, is his tactical kicking and he's not exactly bad at that. Sexton is Ireland's most important player and that is with a very competent 10 trying to catch him, he's won a championship at every level bar the World Cup being a key player in his side. To say Sexton isn't world class, in my opinion, is saying that a fit Dan Carter is the only world class 10 in rugby. That's fine but you have ridiculous standards.

I actually agree, he is a very good player, i'd say he is world class - british lions first choice 10 over a year out, and certainly someone who teams target.
 
Maybe on Planet Cmac, but he's not on planet earth.



I'd say his biggest issue is his inability to beat defenders outside of a set move.



I actually agree, he is a very good player, i'd say he is world class - british lions first choice 10 over a year out, and certainly someone who teams target.

Olly told me that Sexton personally told him that he'd wishes he was as good as Danny Cipriani ;)
 
Maybe on Planet Cmac, but he's not on planet earth.

Who's better? Ireland and Leinster were/are both teams who rarely concede tries when Johnny is playing, he manages his defence very well and is completely autocratic in doing so and he sets up a very high number of choke tackles which is integral to Ireland's game. And he very, very rarely misses a tackle in the 10 channel.

I'd say his biggest issue is his inability to beat defenders outside of a set move.

That's fair, he's incredible at ruling his back-line and choosing the correct set move to do though. Which is a very important and difficult skill to have and is completely under-appreciated by some on this thread.

I actually agree, he is a very good player, i'd say he is world class - British and Irish lions first choice 10 over a year out, and certainly someone who teams target.

ftfy! ;)
 
I've been thinking, with this thread soon too turn into who is the best 10 and another thread talking about top 5 wingers, what happened to our TRF world 15 ? Also I think we should do it again as most of the players have changed or people have different opinions...
 
I think this is the era where Ireland have the most relevance in the world of Rugby, through the scope of players, individually. When I made this thread, I was thinking "ok we don't need Kearney, Dulin's good enough. Oh yeah, they've got SOB...oh wait, I think I want Healy more right now, yeah...oh and Sexton, he's def. one of the Top 3/Top 5 right now...and Stephen Ferris just retired recently, I'd have taken him also...Best is also a very good hooker...heck even Mike Ross may be a more stable commodity in the front row under the new rules..." - (I picked Healy).
And there's still Connor Murray, recognized as one of the best 9's, then there's a POM or an iconic Paul O'Connell. I'm not just merely name-dropping, those are worthy names to bring up. Jamie Heaslip, another big name, and D'Arcy but I don't rate him very very high, personally.

About flyhalves in the world right now, I've said it before but it's a position that requires so many different things nowadays (defense, tactical kicking, kicking from tee, passes, attacking), it's hard to find the one guy who does it all well AND has a little bit of that magic, that little extra that helps you pick the one player for sure.

Sexton "does everything" but lacks the little extra that an on-form Michalak still brings, or Cruden or FTD. Cruden has some magic and does many things well, but then he's too small and that's necessarily a flaw, and his kicking at the posts looks a little meh (wtvr the stats % say). Plus he drinks, (that little fkr...).
FTD probably just suffers from no international spotlight right now, nothing else; and the Coopers or Michalaks (milkshakes) are inconsistency Supreme, well Cooper looked very good last time we saw him.

The other popular 10's: Plisson very good but too young/too perfectible, Owen Farrell very solid and underrated but too one-dimensional, Foley is really good but he's not incredible, Pollard we need to see much more, Dan Carter always injured or playing another position lately, Beauden Barrett very good prospect but not the best in the world, Nicolas Sanchez very good in everything really but again not THE best, Morné Steyn nahh...there's also Giteau (whom everybody sees as a center) is clearly one of the best in the Top 14, therefor in Europe, and in the world..but THE best ? Jonny's gone...

So see, it's really not clear-cut and I do think without being reductive that Sexton benefits from striving in an era that is a little bit soft with its flyhalves. There isn't a resounding answer to the question really..like if I say OS flanker, everybody's thinking MICHAEL HOOPER !! An SOB comes to mind too, Alberts...

Yep, Steyn isn't even top 3 in SA any more TBH. Pollard we are hoping makes the step up.HOPING VERY Very hard. We've been hoping on Lambie and Goosen post 2011 but the one hasn't gotten past a certain level and has natural limits while the other is a shade of what he was (and promised) pre a 2 year injury run. I don't know if I can stand another false dawn..
 
don't sweat it pal. Just get that guy with the outrageous name back, uhmm...Percival Montgomery. Prince Charming from Shrek. Give him to Boudjellal, he'll fix him up, and then play him for the Boks. See, easy. Fixed.
 
Who's better? Ireland and Leinster were/are both teams who rarely concede tries when Johnny is playing, he manages his defence very well and is completely autocratic in doing so and he sets up a very high number of choke tackles which is integral to Ireland's game. And he very, very rarely misses a tackle in the 10 channel.

I think you're mistaking a decent defender in an excellent system for an out and out excellent defender, such as say someone like Toomua, or FTD. He's not nearly as effective for Racing

Farrell is a better defender than sexton, but sexton is embedded into a good/better system.

I know people waved the Farrell misses tackles flag earlier, but that's ok, because it's all about the outcome in his system - if Farrell misses a tackle but the attackers cuts back then that's fine - that's not counted as a miss - this is why Ashton isn't seen as such a weaklink as ths system allows for misses as long as the outcome is a positive one.


That's fair, he's incredible at ruling his back-line and choosing the correct set move to do though. Which is a very important and difficult skill to have and is completely under-appreciated by some on this thread.

I agree, he's a very complete 10, and for my money the best in the NH when playing for Ireland.



hehehe!
 
New Zealand: I'd love an Aaron Smith, add some pace and make the backs move!
South Africa: Victor Matfield/Pieter Steph du Toit; Need someone who can run the lineout
Australia: Matt Giteau; gives us a relief option and takes pressure from Biggar/Priestland, and all around quality
England: Alex Corbisiero, if he could stay fit he'd be a monster
Ireland: No one, I can't admit to one, or the Irish kids would never let me live it down.
France: Hahaha. Parra when on form, Kockott I suppose.
Scotland: Why are people saying Richie Gray, when it's been established that it isn't 2012? Honestly not sure, maybe Jonny Gray if he continues
Italy: People naming Italian props haven't seen Italian props recently. Vendetti is useful, and would suit us, but he isn't better than any of our wings.
Argentina: Everybody has said Ayerza, and I don't want to copy. Matero, like Vendetti, would be very useful. I honestly, think he could displace one of ours based on recent form. Otherwise Agulla (I hope Duck sees this ;))
 
New Zealand: I'd love an Aaron Smith, add some pace and make the backs move!

Got to agree, an Aaron Smith style fly half could propel Wales to seriously unbound heights. It is our biggest failing at the moment by far, although Biggar is still just as good as any other 10 in the NH bar possibly Sexton by a smidge.
 

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