Who is the best ball carrier in the forwards/backs?

[superprop]

Both have different requirments for me it's pretty easy in the forwards with Sean O'Brien . I think the backs and just edging it for me is Quade Cooper with close competition from some other Aussies such as Beale and Mitchell. Of course their are many others what do you guys think?

 

[lucky number 7]

Hosea Gear in the backs
SoB up front

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I think there are more Irishmen on here than any other nationality, therefore Sean O'Brien will get the most votes

 

[Aedaphon]

Well I take ball carrier as crash-ball type running, so I'd still have to go with Nonu for the break and mispass.

 

[superprop]

I think there are more Irishmen on here than any other nationality, therefore Sean O'Brien will get the most votes

Amazingly I didn't make a poll.

 

[lucky number 7]

I think there are more Irishmen on here than any other nationality, therefore Sean O'Brien will get the most votes

Valid point , but really there is no ball carrier as destructive and effective at crashing it up and making yards.
People go on about him having a negative six nations when in fact there are numerous occassions where he swats off numerous defenders making ground that no man really has a right to.

My heart skips a beat everytime he trucks someone...Sean has full permission for my sisters hand in marriage at any time

 

[nickdnz]

This is a strange thread. To say best ball carrying backs is strange, as all backs should be good ball carriers. Do you mean most dangerous back with ball in hand? Don't know if there's a way to answer it, as wingers are dangerous given space on the wing, and centres are dangerous in midfield, it's not a one size fits all.

In terms of forwards, it's different again. Croft, Messam, Vito, Spies, Kankowski and Higginbotham are probably quicker than many backs when given plenty of room to move can be very dangerous. Read, O'Brien, Heaslip, Burger, Harinordoquy, Tonga'uiha, Parisse and Thomas Waldrom all make a lot of metres per game, the latter of which made the forth most metres in the Premiership behind four fullbacks. The question doesn't really make much sense.

 

[superprop]

How about this most dangerous with ball in hand, beats loads of defenders and busts loads of tackles. Also able to do well in traffic as you say plenty of wingers can hurt you in space but it's the ones who do well with very little space who are truelly good e.g. Drew Mitchell

 

[Cacambo]

I'd go with SOB for forwards for his brute ability to get over the advantage line and just destroy defenders. He's been responsible for completely flattening more would be tacklers than any other player I've seen this year. I think there are more 'dangerous' forwards in terms of creating tries off their running, who have a better combo of speed, handling, vision, ect. but just pure go-forward ability he's been awesome. He's definitely not the best ball carrier, but I think Bismarck du Plessis would be one of the most unpleasant to tackle. He seems so damn angry all the time and is strong as hell. You seem bound to be elbowed, kneed, forarmed, and hit with every possible bone getting him down.

Digby Ioane in the backs for me. He's destructive as hell popping up all over the field and bursting all sorts of tackles. As pure runners, in form Masaga, Ranger, Sivivatu, old Rokococo, ect ect are all monsters. Pretty impossible to really pick a best.

 

[Seaton]

Tsk, Tsk, Tsk

For the backs, I think we all know that we need look no further than a certain, or rather the number 9...

For the forwards, I always bite my pillow trying to accept that Keiran Read is going to gain the yards

 

[antipodean]

I'd select Jerry Collins to defend against any ball carrying forwards.

 

[coonor]

I think Stephen Ferris is very much up there with Sean O'Brien and Wilhelm Alberts in the forwards.