Rugby Teams/Country's Best XV

[Jaguares]

My Puma's Best XV:

1 Mauricio Reggiardo
2 Mario Ledesma
3 Omar Hasan
4 Patricio Albacete
5 Ignacio Fernandez Lobbe
6 Santiago Phelan
7 Rolando Martin
8 Hector "Pochola" Silva
9 Agustin Pichot
10 Hugo Porta
11 Martin Teran
12 Lisandro Arbizu
13 Felipe Contepomi
14 José María Nuñez Piossek
15 Santiago Meson

Reserves:

16 Rodrigo Roncero
17 Ricardo Le Fort
18 Juan Figallo
19 Eliseo Branca
20 Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe
21 Rodrigo "Peto" Crexell
22 Juan Martin Hernandez
23 Ignacio Corletto

 

[Geordie]

Surely Juan Lobbe must be in that back row somewhere? He's top class.

 

[Jaguares]

Surely Juan Lobbe must be in that back row somewhere? He's top class.

Yeahhhhh, he's a top class, I love him! But the other 3 are also good. He could / should be in the starting XV, it's just a choice

"Pochola" Silva was one of the most important captains of the Pumas' history, he was a member of the legendary Pumas team of 1965, he was the one who started the Pumas Legend, he's highly respected by ALL generations of Pumas' players

 

[Big Ewis]

1. Gérard Cholley
2. Raphael Ibanez
3. Nicolas Mas
4. Lionel Nallet
5. Pelous
6. Betsen/Rives
7. Thierry Dusautoir
8. Imanol Harinordoquy
9. Fabien Galthié
10. Christophe "***ou" Lamaison
11. Philippe Saint-André
12. Yannick Jauzion
13. Philippe Sella
14. Vincent Clerc
15. Serge Blanco

very tempted to replace PSA by Dominici on one wing, so just a (very) honorable mention to the little man. GodDAMN that dude could wing.

 

[Canuck]

very tempted to replace PSA by Dominici on one wing, so just a (very) honorable mention to the little man. GodDAMN that dude could wing.

I always rated Phillipe Bernat-Salles very highly as a winger also. Some of his performances, especially against NZL, were sublime.

 

[Rich Taff]

I'd have some very similar picks, though Smith wouldn't get on my team, and a couple of differences in the forwards.....


1. Rod Snow
2. Mark Cardinal
3. Jon Thiel
4. Norm Hadley
5. Hans De Goede
6. Jamie Cudmore (played on the flanks quite abit earlier in his career and can't be left off the side)
7. Jebb Sinclair (Lot's of options here, but I have the Currie Cup winner barely ahead of a pile of solid players)
8. Al Charron
9. Morgan Williams
10. Gareth Rees
11. Jeff Hassler (Feels pretty early to do this but I might have to agree with Canucks, guy is too good to be left off the side)
12. Dave Lougheed
13. DTH Van der Merwe
14. Winston Stanley
15. James Pritchard

Bench

16. Dan Jackart
17. Pat Riordan
18. Kevin Tkachuk (might think of someone else here)
19. Mike James
20. Gordon Mackinnon or Adam Kleeberger
21. Ed Fairhurst
22. Ander Monro (barely edging Bob Ross)
23. Mark Wyatt

No John Tait? Damn, that guy was a flyer for a second row.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Sorry, I'mScotty. I see I missed your request for a Stormers XV. To make up for it I'll go one better by ranking a few in each position where I feel we have had quality depth. Stormers as a SR franchize havn't been around all that long (about 15 years now) but we've had some good players and the 3rd generation is taking over now;

1 Toks van der Linde
2 Schalk Brits
3 Cobus Visagie / Brian Mujati / Frans Malherbe
4 Eben Etzebeth
5 Andries Bekker
6 Corne Krige / Francois Louw
7 Schalk Burger
8 Duane Vermeulen / Bob Skinstad
9 Nie de Kock probably our best Ricky Januarie our most well known? Halfbacks have been an issue for us since Joel Stransky
10 Braam van Straten ? Peter Grant? We havn't had to many good halves unfortunately and just let Pollard slip through our hands as well..
11 Bryan Habana / Pieter Rossouw
12 Jean de Villiers / De Wet Barry
13 Jaque Fourie / Juan de Jongh
14 Breyton Paulse
15 Percival Montgomery / Gio Aplon

Thought I'd add a lock and a hooker so you could have an actual bench

2 Tiaan Liebenberg
5 Chris Jack

 

[thechosenfamily]

1. Leonard
2.Moore
3.Probyn
4.Johnson
5.Dooley
6.Hill
7.Back
8.Richards
9.Dawson
10.Wilkinson
11.Cohen
12.Greenwood
13.Guscott
14.Underwood
15.Perry

I was about to commend this until I saw no "Billy Wizz"

To be fair, other than that it's about spot on but, as always, just my IMHO.

What I will say is looking at that line up, not just a good rugby 15 but, probably the best drinking team in the world as well, although I would probably have to drop Wilkinson from the line up for Dusty Hare :bonne-de::bonne-de:

 

[iINDOMINUSxx]

Sorry, I'mScotty. I see I missed your request for a Stormers XV. To make up for it I'll go one better by ranking a few in each position where I feel we have had quality depth. Stormers as a SR franchize havn't been around all that long (about 15 years now) but we've had some good players and the 3rd generation is taking over now;

1 Toks van der Linde
2 Schalk Brits
3 Cobus Visagie / Brian Mujati / Frans Malherbe
4 Eben Etzebeth
5 Andries Bekker
6 Corne Krige / Francois Louw
7 Schalk Burger
8 Duane Vermeulen / Bob Skinstad
9 Nie de Kock probably our best Ricky Januarie our most well known? Halfbacks have been an issue for us since Joel Stransky
10 Braam van Straten ? Peter Grant? We havn't had to many good halves unfortunately and just let Pollard slip through our hands as well..
11 Bryan Habana / Pieter Rossouw
12 Jean de Villiers / De Wet Barry
13 Jaque Fourie / Juan de Jongh
14 Breyton Paulse
15 Percival Montgomery / Gio Aplon

Thought I'd add a lock and a hooker so you could have an actual bench

2 Tiaan Liebenberg
5 Chris Jack

yeah thats the same with edinburgh and i managed to make a team thanks for this

 

[nickdnz]

Thought I'd take a crack at the Hurricanes best possible side. That tight five looks pretty unconvincing, but the backline is insane:

1. Ben Franks
2. Andrew Hore
3. Gordon Slater?
4. Dion Waller
5. Jason Eaton
6. Jerry Collins
7. Chris Masoe
8. Rodney So'oialo
9. Piri Weepu
10. Beuden Barrett
11. Jonah Lomu
12. Tana Umaga
13. Conrad Smith
14. Julian Savea
15. Christian Cullen

16. Dane Coles/Norm Hewitt
17. Neemia Tialata
18. Mark Allen
19. Jeremy Thrush
20. Victor Vito/Filo Tiatia
21. TJ Peranara
22. Aaron Cruden
23. Ma'a Nonu/Cory Jane

 

[iINDOMINUSxx]

thanks Nick,

here's a brumbies xv do you agree ?
1.) Bill Young
2.) Jeremy Paul
3.) Ben Alexander
4.) David Giffin
5.) Owen Finegan
6.) George Smith
7.) David Pocock
8.) Ben Mowen
9.) George Gregan
10.) Stephen Larkham
11.) Clyde Rathbone
12.) Matt Giteau
13.) Stirling Mortlock
14.) Adam Ashley-Cooper
15.) Joe Roff

 

[nickdnz]

thanks Nick,

here's a brumbies xv do you agree ?
1.) Bill Young
2.) Jeremy Paul
3.) Ben Alexander
4.) David Giffin
5.) Owen Finegan
6.) George Smith
7.) David Pocock
8.) Ben Mowen
9.) George Gregan
10.) Stephen Larkham
11.) Clyde Rathbone
12.) Matt Giteau
13.) Stirling Mortlock
14.) Adam Ashley-Cooper
15.) Joe Roff

Not a bad team. If we're including Pocock in there based off the 5 games he's had while playing there, and Mowen being more of a 6 than an 8, I'd probably replace Mowen with Rocky Elsom (who is also more of a 6...). For a winger I'd say Henry Speight is a much better winger than AAC has ever been (rough to leave AAC out). If you wanted to keep AAC, then I'd have replaced him at fullback with Joe Roff at the wing. In some way I actually prefer Moore to Jeremy Paul - especially in terms of scrummaging (but I'd say Paul is probably the popular pick). While showing a tone of promise when he was nicked by Oz - it's tough to accept Rathbone makes the list. Maybe replace AAC with him. But yeah, I'd say that is a good squad...I'd perhaps even chuck Jesse Mogg in on the wing...

 

[Icemn]

Thought I'd take a crack at the Hurricanes best possible side. That tight five looks pretty unconvincing, but the backline is insane:

1. Ben Franks
2. Andrew Hore
3. Gordon Slater?
4. Dion Waller
5. Jason Eaton
6. Jerry Collins
7. Chris Masoe
8. Rodney So'oialo
9. Piri Weepu
10. Beuden Barrett
11. Jonah Lomu
12. Tana Umaga
13. Conrad Smith
14. Julian Savea
15. Christian Cullen

16. Dane Coles/Norm Hewitt
17. Neemia Tialata
18. Mark Allen
19. Jeremy Thrush
20. Victor Vito/Filo Tiatia
21. TJ Peranara
22. Aaron Cruden
23. Ma'a Nonu/Cory Jane

wow fantastic team!

poor Pita Alitini, Alama Ieremia, Hosea Gear are missing out

ive always thought, the Canes biggest issue has been their forwards...

looking at this, it seems our issue was more on 10... if our best is only playing now and 2 years ago...

no offence jimmy gopperth and david Holwell

 

[Beau Geste]

Not a bad team. If we're including Pocock in there based off the 5 games he's had while playing there, and Mowen being more of a 6 than an 8, I'd probably replace Mowen with Rocky Elsom (who is also more of a 6...). For a winger I'd say Henry Speight is a much better winger than AAC has ever been (rough to leave AAC out). If you wanted to keep AAC, then I'd have replaced him at fullback with Joe Roff at the wing. In some way I actually prefer Moore to Jeremy Paul - especially in terms of scrummaging (but I'd say Paul is probably the popular pick). While showing a tone of promise when he was nicked by Oz - it's tough to accept Rathbone makes the list. Maybe replace AAC with him. But yeah, I'd say that is a good squad...I'd perhaps even chuck Jesse Mogg in on the wing...

Notable possible exclusions: Rod Kafer (definitely), Jim Williams, Andrew Walker. Rathbone, for me, was a bit too injury prone to be included.

 

[Beau Geste]

very tempted to replace PSA by Dominici on one wing, so just a (very) honorable mention to the little man. GodDAMN that dude could wing.

Not necessarily the best, but my fave 15:

1 Cholley
2 Servat
3 Mas
4 Dauga
5 Pelous
6 Rives
7 Dusautoir
8 Harinorduquy
9 Galthie
10 Lamaison
11 Gourdon
12 Maso
13 Sella
14 Dominici
15 Villepreux

And I'm sure I've missed one or two from the mists of my memory.

 

[psychic duck]

Yeahhhhh, he's a top class, I love him! But the other 3 are also good. He could / should be in the starting XV, it's just a choice

"Pochola" Silva was one of the most important captains of the Pumas' history, he was a member of the legendary Pumas team of 1965, he was the one who started the Pumas Legend, he's highly respected by ALL generations of Pumas' players

Lobbe (and Ostiglia, Leguizamon for that matter) is considerably better than Phelan ever was.

 

[Big Ewis]

Not necessarily the best, but my fave 15:

1 Cholley
2 Servat
3 Mas
4 Dauga
5 Pelous
6 Rives
7 Dusautoir
8 Harinorduquy
9 Galthie
10 Lamaison
11 Gourdon
12 Maso
13 Sella
14 Dominici
15 Villepreux

And I'm sure I've missed one or two from the mists of my memory.

Is that a very lyrical way of saying you're a huge pothead ? Villepreux at 15 ay, I see we've got a classic here ! Can you imagine a third row of Rives-Dusau-Harino all in their primes and leveled in terms of playing eras ? haha...
The 10 is a tricky one....we've had tons of very good ones, but there isn't the one that sticks out like Wilko for the English, Carter for the NZ'ers. I voted for "Thehouse" myself. His two huge games against the AB back to back certainly helped a lot, scored like 25 in both, and he was known for his inconsistency but always coming through in the big games.

The 2000 one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WT3YEmc91U

Michalak as ridiculous and absurd as this sounds if he'd somehow been consistent, but that is what defines him, the French Flair about him so de facto he could never be consistent. Trinh-Duc just never got a chance to show over long periods what he can do at the biggest stage, he's been on and off.
I don't think there's a debate about a few of those, however: Dusau at 7, Galthié at 9. And I'd have thought fat curly Blanco was a lock but apparently not !

 

[iINDOMINUSxx]

Highlanders XV
1.) Carl Hoeft
2.) Anton Oliver
3.) Carl Hayman
4.) Brad Thorn
5.) Simon Maling
6.) Josh Kronfeld
7.) Taine Randell
8.) Adam Thomson
9.) Byron Kelleher
10.) Tony Brown
11.) Jeff Wilson
12.) Ma'a Nonu
13.) Malakai Fekitoa
14.) Romi Ropati
15.) Ben Smith

any changes ?

 

[Beau Geste]

Is that a very lyrical way of saying you're a huge pothead ? Villepreux at 15 ay, I see we've got a classic here ! Can you imagine a third row of Rives-Dusau-Harino all in their primes and leveled in terms of playing eras ? haha...
The 10 is a tricky one....we've had tons of very good ones, but there isn't the one that sticks out like Wilko for the English, Carter for the NZ'ers. I voted for "Thehouse" myself. His two huge games against the AB back to back certainly helped a lot, scored like 25 in both, and he was known for his inconsistency but always coming through in the big games.

The 2000 one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WT3YEmc91U

Michalak as ridiculous and absurd as this sounds if he'd somehow been consistent, but that is what defines him, the French Flair about him so de facto he could never be consistent. Trinh-Duc just never got a chance to show over long periods what he can do at the biggest stage, he's been on and off.
I don't think there's a debate about a few of those, however: Dusau at 7, Galthié at 9. And I'd have thought fat curly Blanco was a lock but apparently not !

Pothead? Absolument, but when I was younger. One I forgot was Walter Spanghero, he could cover 8 and 7 and formed part of that great pack with Dauga. Then do you go for flair. I remember well what a dynamic half back that Jerome Gallion was. Blanco could and did play wing if I remember. I chose Lamaison because he had a great range of skills and because of the 99 semi against the AB's. It's still the greatest game of Union I've seen. They went from pathos in that game to bathos in the final against the Australians.

The French were always my fave team to watch.

 

[Big Ewis]

The French were always my fave team to watch.

you've picked the right tense, my friend !
And yeah Blanco did play wing on a few occasions for France.
The 99 semifinal has to be the biggest upset in Rugby history, if not in pro sports. There was no way, no way in hell, no way in Wonderland that France team should've ever dreamed of beating that All-Blacks team. And they didn't just beat them, they got them easily and put 40+ on them. I don't think people stop and ponder about that enough. It's just perfectly ridiculous. The best game of Rugby ? Maybe not, but in the top ones yes. But definitely the hugest upset.
Can you imagine France had their worst 5N in a long time, then lost to Italy, Tonga and got pulverized by NZ in a test that year before that semifinal ?