Players Who Didn't Get Out of Their Pool - Best XV

[Every Time Ref]

After the pool stages which have featured some fantastic performances from so-called minnow teams, I reckon you could put together a very competitive side made from players from teams which didn't qualify from their pools.

I freely admit my effort is very ill-informed, having not seen all the lesser teams’ matches (apart from England, lolz) - some of them I’ve made on reputation without actually really seeing them in this tournament, and I’m sure there are others which deserve a spot who I don’t know about (I suspect a Georgian and/or Romanian or two might get into the tight 5, for example).

1. Tonga'uiha (Ton)
2. Ghiraldini (Ita)
3. Saulo (Fij)
4. Launchbury (Eng)
5. Nakarawa (Fij)
6. Burger (Nam)
7. Broadhurst (Jap)
8. Mafi (Jap)
9. Tanaka (Jap)
10. Volavola (Fij)
11. Nadolo (Fij)
12. Lee-Lo (Sam)
13. Campagnaro (Ita)
14. Watson (Eng)
15. Goromaru (Jap)

Number 8 the most competitive position - could easily have chosen Parisse or Gorgodze. Matawalu also unlucky to miss out.

Anyway, what about the rest of you? Who makes your team? Please just keep the England jokes to a tasteful minimum, I beg you TRF ...

 

[Tony Manx]

After the pool stages which have featured some fantastic performances from so-called minnow teams, I reckon you could put together a very competitive side made from players from teams which didn't qualify from their pools.

I freely admit my effort is very ill-informed, having not seen all the lesser teams’ matches (apart from England, lolz) - some of them I’ve made on reputation without actually really seeing them in this tournament, and I’m sure there are others which deserve a spot who I don’t know about (I suspect a Georgian and/or Romanian or two might get into the tight 5, for example).

1. Tonga'uiha (Ton)
2. Ghiraldini (Ita)
3. Saulo (Fij)
4. Launchbury (Eng)
5. Nakarawa (Fij)
6. Burger (Nam)
7. Broadhurst (Jap)
8. Mafi (Jap)
9. Tanaka (Jap)
10. Volavola (Fij)
11. Nadolo (Fij)
12. Lee-Lo (Sam)
13. Campagnaro (Ita)
14. Watson (Eng)
15. Goromaru (Jap)

Number 8 the most competitive position - could easily have chosen Parisse or Gorgodze. Matawalu also unlucky to miss out.

Anyway, what about the rest of you? Who makes your team? Please just keep the England jokes to a tasteful minimum, I beg you TRF ...

Did Parisse play a game?

 

[big ginger 8]

Think Van Der Merwe has to be one of the wings, fantastic all tournament.

 

[Game Face]

Gorgodze did well for Georgia I'd have him in there. But really more Fiji players than England ? Even though England beat them pretty comfortably.

 

[ABs2011]

Tier 2 All Stars Team

From NZ rugby commentator Nigel Yalden

1 Soane Tonga'huia (Tonga) - scrummed his backside off and was prominent around the park with some very deft touches.
2 Shota Horie (Japan) - in a scrum that was under a fair bit of pressure, his ability to get a quick strike, thus getting the ball to his number eight and out of the scrum at pace was superb; industrious around the track like always - special mention though for Namibian hooker and tournaments leading tackler Torsten Van Jaarsveld.
3 Levan Chilachava (Georgia) - gave Wyatt Crockett amongst others a serious work out at scrum time and seem to derive great pleasure in removing bodies from the breakdown.
4 Tjiuee Uanivi (Namibia) - needs to put at least another 8 or so kilograms of muscle on his current 108kg frame, but his work in the air and around the field was super impressive.
5 Leone Nakarawa (Fiji) - watching this big man "do what he do" was one of the best parts of pool play. Outstanding athleticism and wonderful in open play, his work in the tight wasn't bad either when he was required to stick around that area. When Sonny Bill Williams calls you the "Offload Master" you got to be doing it well.
6 Michael Lietch - captain (Japan) - the first name written down; a total no-brainer. For me, it's a toss-up between Leitich and David Pocock for my player of pool play. Unrelenting, uncompromising and undeniable determination to lead with his body, as evident tournament leading 58 carries, 35 of those over the gain line (also tournament leading) saw his team followed him to the end.
7 Akapusi Qera (Fiji) - lost amongst all the razzle dazzle was Qera unquenchable thirst for work. The team's leading tackler, 2nd most turnovers and omnipresent in support, Qera was more than a much for some vaunted opposition in a pool stacked with high class loose forwards.
8 Mamuka Gorgodze (Georgia) - he's a big man who knows how to use his body to its best effect and a work rate that belies his afore mentioned size; not a bad captain either.
9 Kahn Fotuali'I (Samoa) - even as bad as Samoa was during those matches with South Africa and Japan in particular, Fotuali'I stood out like world class halfback he is and has been for the last five years. His efforts make those of some of his team-mates all the more galling.
10 Kosei Ono (Japan) - the former Christchurch Boys High School old boy steered his team around the park to three excellent wins with great aplomb. Hope the Sunwolves have signed him so we can witness some further development that Super Rugby would surely give him.
11 Nemani Nadolo (Fiji) - more by default truth be told. Not much to choose from in this position and Nadolo was the pick of the bunch, though in his defence he was ridiculously over-hyped by the British media, which was obviously not of his doing.
12 Lepani Botia (Fiji) - formed a lovely combination with Goneva that was as invigorating on attack as it was strong and efficient on defence, nullifying some very good midfield opposition as well as testing their own defensive qualities.
13 Vereniki Goneva (Fiji) - this was a tough one and I've switched back and forth between the Fijian and Georgia's Davit Kacharava, who deserves a mention, at least four times now. Just felt that whilst Kacharava was defensively better, Goneva's greater attacking input outweighed the only slight defensive difference between the two.
14 DTH van der Merwe (Canada) - a try in each game; most metres made in pool phase (389 metres) a constant threat with ball in hand while his positional play was very good as was his man on man defence.
15 Ayumu Goromaru (Japan) - the magnificent try saving tackle on Scotland winger Tommy Seymour warranted inclusion on its own accord but by crikey, this lad does everything really, really well including goal kicks - second name written down after Michael Leitch.

 

[Kiwi_]

Leitch is better than Burger IMO.

 

[dragos03]

1. Mihai Lazar (Rom)
2. Shota Horie (Jap)
3. Manasa Saulo (Fij)
4. Launchbury (Eng)
5. Nakarawa (Fij)
6. Leitch (Jap)
7. Gorgodze (Geo)
8. Macovei (Rom)
9. Lobzhanidze (Geo)
10. Ford (Eng)
11. Watson (Eng)
12. Lee-Lo (Sam)
13. Campagnaro (Ita)
14. Van de Merwe (Can)
15. Goromaru (Jap)

 

[tompaton7]

After the pool stages which have featured some fantastic performances from so-called minnow teams, I reckon you could put together a very competitive side made from players from teams which didn't qualify from their pools.

I freely admit my effort is very ill-informed, having not seen all the lesser teams' matches (apart from England, lolz) - some of them I've made on reputation without actually really seeing them in this tournament, and I'm sure there are others which deserve a spot who I don't know about (I suspect a Georgian and/or Romanian or two might get into the tight 5, for example).

1. Tonga'uiha (Ton)
2. Ghiraldini (Ita)
3. Saulo (Fij)
4. Launchbury (Eng)
5. Nakarawa (Fij)
6. Burger (Nam)
7. Broadhurst (Jap)
8. Mafi (Jap)
9. Tanaka (Jap)
10. Volavola (Fij)
11. Nadolo (Fij)
12. Lee-Lo (Sam)
13. Campagnaro (Ita)
14. Watson (Eng)
15. Goromaru (Jap)

Number 8 the most competitive position - could easily have chosen Parisse or Gorgodze. Matawalu also unlucky to miss out.

Anyway, what about the rest of you? Who makes your team? Please just keep the England jokes to a tasteful minimum, I beg you TRF ...

Come on mate, DTH van der Merwe has probably been the best wing all tournament along with Cordero.

 

[Every Time Ref]

Come on mate, DTH van der Merwe has probably been the best wing all tournament along with Cordero.

I'm sure you're right, others have said the same thing - I just didn't really see any of Canada's games.