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Top 10 Locks in a World Rugby

cillianmontgomery

Academy Player
Joined
Sep 16, 2019
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8
anyone? I'd go
  1. Alun Wyn Jones
  2. Brodie Retallick
  3. James Ryan
  4. Sam Whitelock
  5. Maro Itoje
  6. Jonny Gray
  7. Eben Etzebeth
  8. Leone Nakarawa
Drop off after that, can anyone think of a better list?
 
Franco Mostert would be in with a shout. George Kruis too.
 
What's happened to Courtney Lawes?

I think this time next year RG Snyman will be an auto-inclusion. I feel he is going to be used as an "impact sub" in this year's RWC but feel he is the form lock in SA and already ahead of all of Etzebeth, Mostert and De Jager. Man, we have some depth in quality in the locks and more coming from the junior ranks. I thought JJ Van der Mescht was one of the picks from this years' u20 tournament.

Other than that a solid line-up.
 
anyone? I'd go
  1. Alun Wyn Jones
  2. Brodie Retallick
  3. James Ryan
  4. Sam Whitelock
  5. Maro Itoje
  6. Jonny Gray
  7. Eben Etzebeth
  8. Leone Nakarawa
Drop off after that, can anyone think of a better list?


Gray has no business being anywhere near this list
Eben is overrated & has been surpassed by RG Synman & Franco Mostert

My Top 10 Locks:

  1. Brodie Retallick
  2. Leone Nakarawa
  3. Maro Itoje
  4. James Ryan
  5. Guido Petti
  6. Franco Mostert
  7. RG Syman
  8. Alun Wyn Jones
  9. Sam Whitelock
  10. George Kruis
 
Gray has no business being anywhere near this list
Eben is overrated & has been surpassed by RG Synman & Franco Mostert

My Top 10 Locks:

  1. Brodie Retallick
  2. Leone Nakarawa
  3. Maro Itoje
  4. James Ryan
  5. Guido Petti
  6. Franco Mostert
  7. RG Syman
  8. Alun Wyn Jones
  9. Sam Whitelock
  10. George Kruis
I could live with that.
 
Gray has no business being anywhere near this list
Eben is overrated & has been surpassed by RG Synman & Franco Mostert

My Top 10 Locks:

  1. Brodie Retallick
  2. Leone Nakarawa
  3. Maro Itoje
  4. James Ryan
  5. Guido Petti
  6. Franco Mostert
  7. RG Syman
  8. Alun Wyn Jones
  9. Sam Whitelock
  10. George Kruis
Retallick would be my number one as well. Kruis would be a lot higher up my list, I think he's more important to England than Itoje.
 
:confused:
anyone? I'd go
  1. Alun Wyn Jones
  2. Brodie Retallick
  3. James Ryan
  4. Sam Whitelock
  5. Maro Itoje
  6. Jonny Gray
  7. Eben Etzebeth
  8. Leone Nakarawa
Drop off after that, can anyone think of a better list?

I honestly don't get the Alun Wyn Jones hype. He makes a lot of tackles, wins his own lineouts and... that's pretty much it. He rarely carries and when he does, he doesn't get his team across the gainline, he doesn't jackal turnovers at the breakdown, he rarely steals opposition lineouts, he doesn't make big hits in the tackle that drive the opposition backwards. And yet most of the other players on your list do all of those things, as well as the two things Jones does. So why is Jones rated number 1?

I'm not saying he's not a good player, I just don't think he's an outstanding player? What does he do that makes him outstanding? Have I been missing it all these years? :confused:
 
What does he do that makes him outstanding? Have I been missing it all these years? :confused:

Maybe I'm old fashioned when it comes to second rows, but I still like a pairing to be one athlete and one hard man. At least half of a second row pairing needs to be an absolute pain in the arse to play against and I can't think of anyone better in this regard than AWJ. It's something that doesn't show up in the sorrt of stats that are publicly available, often the worth of these kinds of players is only realised when they're missing.
 
:confused:

I honestly don't get the Alun Wyn Jones hype. He makes a lot of tackles, wins his own lineouts and... that's pretty much it. He rarely carries and when he does, he doesn't get his team across the gainline, he doesn't jackal turnovers at the breakdown, he rarely steals opposition lineouts, he doesn't make big hits in the tackle that drive the opposition backwards. And yet most of the other players on your list do all of those things, as well as the two things Jones does. So why is Jones rated number 1?

I'm not saying he's not a good player, I just don't think he's an outstanding player? What does he do that makes him outstanding? Have I been missing it all these years? :confused:


He's a great leader. Technically is isn't brilliant in any department apart but he has a big workfare and is very strong. I suppose you could say he does a lot of the dirty work.
 
Honestly with England Kruis, Launchburry, Itoje & Lawes I'm surprised only 1 or 2 make most lists they'd all make most other sides even England are not really sure which 2 to start....
 
Maybe I'm old fashioned when it comes to second rows, but I still like a pairing to be one athlete and one hard man. At least half of a second row pairing needs to be an absolute pain in the arse to play against and I can't think of anyone better in this regard than AWJ. It's something that doesn't show up in the sorrt of stats that are publicly available, often the worth of these kinds of players is only realised when they're missing.

So AWJ is a pain in the arse. Got it. ;)
 
He's a great leader. Technically is isn't brilliant in any department apart but he has a big workfare and is very strong. I suppose you could say he does a lot of the dirty work.

I see all that, I just don't get why that has him topping lists of best locks and best players in world rugby. You could say the same thing about a lot of players who don't get lauded the way AWJ does.
 
He's a great leader. Technically is isn't brilliant in any department apart but he has a big workfare and is very strong. I suppose you could say he does a lot of the dirty work.
Exactly that, it's his leadership and influence on the team that marks him out. Always cajoling, defiant, up for the fight and winding up the opposition. That transfers to team mates.

Some are leaders, most are followers. He's definitely a leader. And a great example of why stats are pretty meaningless in rugby.
 

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