your nations best 15 since 1980

[inteNZity]

hi, for those of us who like to reminisce over a few beers, list what you see as your nations best 15 since and including 1980. cheers
mine for NZ
15. Cullen. 14. Kirwin. 13. Stanley. 11. Lomu. 10. Carter. 9. Loveridge
8. Zinzan Brooke. 7. McCaw. 6. Michael Jones. 5. G. Whetton. 4. Haden. 3. McDowell. 2. Fitzpatrick (capt). 1. Knight

 

[nickdnz]

1. Jamie Mackintosh, 2. Darren Witcombe 3. Neemia Tialata, 4. Mark Cooksley, 5 Bryn Evans, 6. Troy Flavell, 7. Osaiasi Visinia 8. Steven Bates, 9. Jason Hewitt 10. Stephen Donald, 11. Tim Trigden, 12. Mark Ranby, 13. Ben Atiga 14. Caleb Ralph 15. Colin Farrell (1977 is probably close enough).

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

15. Kearney
14. Bowe
13. O'Driscoll
12. D'Arcy
11. Hickie
10. Sexton
9. Stringer
8. Heaslip
7. Wallace
6. Ferris
5. O'Kelly
4. O'Connell
3. Hayes
2. Wood
1. Healy

 

[Mikel92]

1. Jamie Mackintosh, 2. Darren Witcombe 3. Neemia Tialata, 4. Mark Cooksley, 5 Bryn Evans, 6. Troy Flavell, 7. Osaiasi Visinia 8. Steven Bates, 9. Jason Hewitt 10. Stephen Donald, 11. Tim Trigden, 12. Mark Ranby, 13. Ben Atiga 14. Caleb Ralph 15. Colin Farrell (1977 is probably close enough).

Should have tossed Sione Lauaki in at 8. His performance in the black jersey was .... something else.

 

[Draggs]

15 Halfpenny
14 Evans
13 Bateman/Shanklin
12 Gibbs/Henson
11 Williams
10 Jenkins
09 Howley
01 Jenkins
02 Rees
03 Jones
04 AW Jones
05 ? Haven't really had an established lock. Llewellyn was around for a while, but not really a great player overall
06 Charvis
07 Williams
08 Quinnell

 

[Canuck]

My nation of birth South Africa

1 Os du Randt
2 Bismarck du Plessis (one of the hardest positions to choose from between BDP, Uli Schmidt and John Smit)
3 Cobus Visagie
4 Mark Andrews (Botha was an excellent compliment to Matfield but Andrews was terrific in every phase of the game)
5 Victor Matfield
6 Schalk Burger (Pienaar was an iconic figure for Springbok rugby but his impact was not equal to that of a young Burger or Rassie Erasmus)
7 Andre Venter (another highly competitive position, Ruben Kruger, Juan Smith and Thuens Stofberg would all be deserving as well)
8 Duane Vermeulen (Teichmann was a great leader and highly skilled but Thormeulen is too destructive to leave off)
9 Joost Van der Westhuizen
10 Naas Botha
11 Bryan Habana
12 Jean de Villiers
13 Danie Gerber
14 Carel du Plessis
15 Andre Joubert (close one over Percy Montgomery)

 

[Big Ewis]

Anyone. Anyone at all, anyone just as long as they're not being coached by Phillipe Saint-André and Lagisquet. Seriously.

 

[ENZED-88]

1) J Afoa
2) K Mealamu
3) O Brown
4) B Mika ( no others come to mind)
5) S Luatua
6) J Collins
7) M Jones
8) J Kaino/R So'oialo
9) G Bachop
10 I Toeava/S Bachop
11) J Savea
12) M Nonu
13) T Umaga/B Williams/Stanley
14) V Tuigamala/SBW
15) M Muliaina

This is my team of Former or current AB all of samoan heritage pretty decent team apart from second row an 1st 5. Before I edited my team I had Chris Masoe at 7 completely forgot about MJ.not a bad team, a couple of AB greats a former captain and 2 centurions.

 

[dullonien]

15 Halfpenny
14 Evans
13 Bateman/Shanklin
12 Gibbs/Henson
11 Williams
10 Jenkins
09 Howley
01 Jenkins
02 Rees
03 Jones
04 AW Jones
05 ? Haven't really had an established lock. Llewellyn was around for a while, but not really a great player overall
06 Charvis
07 Williams
08 Quinnell

I'd personally go for Jiffy at 10. Went to league, but I don't think another 10 comes close in terms of raw talent.

 

[Rich Taff]

Damn, we've had such a wealth of talent at centre, that it really shows up how shallow we are in that position right now.

The Gibbs-Taylor partnership was hard to beat though.

Also really hard to choose between Evans and Thomas for the 2nd wing position.

 

[dullonien]

Bateman at 13 all day long for me. Such a classy player. Another lost to league. The 80's side could have been something quite special had it not been for all the best players switching codes.

 

[Draggs]

I'd personally go for Jiffy at 10. Went to league, but I don't think another 10 comes close in terms of raw talent.

Jiffy only played five tests in the 90s, so it wouldn't really be fair, otherwise I'd agree.

Bateman and others were hindered by the overall poor state of the national squad.

 

[dullonien]

Jiffy only played five tests in the 90s, so it wouldn't really be fair, otherwise I'd agree.

Bateman and others were hindered by the overall poor state of the national squad.

It includes the 80's as well....

 

[Pampas]

Argentina

1. Rodrigo Roncero
2. Mario Ledesma
3. Patricio Noriega
4. Pedro Sporleder
5. Patricio Albacete
6. Ignacio Fernandez Lobbe
7. Juan Fernandez Lobbe
8. Gonzalo Longo
9. Agustin Pichot
10. Hugo Porta
11. Ignacio Corletto
12. Felipe Contempomi
13. Lisandro Arbizu
14. Gonzalo Camacho
15. Juan Martín Hernandez

 

[Kapa O Pango]

1. Tony Woodcock/Steve McDowell
2. Sean Fitzpatrick
3. Carl Hayman/Olo Brown
4. Brad Thorn/Brodie Retallick/Chris Jack
5. Ian Jones/Sam Whitelock/Ali Williams
6. Jerome Kaino/Jerry Collins
7. Richie McCaw/Michael Jones/Josh Kronfeld
8. Kieran Read/Zinzan Brooke/ Buck Shelford
9. Aaron Smith/Graeme Bachop
10. Dan Carter/Andrew Mehrtens/Carlos Spencer
11. Jonah Lomu/Julian Savea/Joe Rokocoko
12. Walter Little/Ma'a Nonu/Aaron Mauger
13. Tana Umaga/Conrad Smith/Frank Bunce
14. John Kirwan/Jeff Wilson/Doug Howlett
15. Christian Cullen/Mils Muliaina

 

[Jaguares]

1. Tony Woodcock/Steve McDowell
2. Sean Fitzpatrick
3. Carl Hayman/Olo Brown
4. Brad Thorn/Brodie Retallick/Chris Jack
5. Ian Jones/Sam Whitelock/Ali Williams
6. Jerome Kaino/Jerry Collins
7. Richie McCaw/Michael Jones/Josh Kronfeld
8. Kieran Read/Zinzan Brooke/ Buck Shelford
9. Aaron Smith/Graeme Bachop
10. Dan Carter/Andrew Mehrtens/Carlos Spencer
11. Jonah Lomu/Julian Savea/Joe Rokocoko
12. Walter Little/Ma'a Nonu/Aaron Mauger
13. Tana Umaga/Conrad Smith/Frank Bunce
14. John Kirwan/Jeff Wilson/Doug Howlett
15. Christian Cullen/Mils Muliaina

Can you be more specific?

Argentina

1. Rodrigo Roncero
2. Mario Ledesma
3. Patricio Noriega
4. Pedro Sporleder
5. Patricio Albacete
6. Ignacio Fernandez Lobbe
7. Juan Fernandez Lobbe
8. Gonzalo Longo
9. Agustin Pichot
10. Hugo Porta
11. Ignacio Corletto
12. Felipe Contempomi
13. Lisandro Arbizu
14. Gonzalo Camacho
15. Juan Martín Hernandez

Good team. I love it

 

[Canuck]

13) T Umaga/B Williams/Stanley

This is my team of Former or current AB all of samoan heritage pretty decent team apart from second row an 1st 5. Before I edited my team I had Chris Masoe at 7 completely forgot about MJ.not a bad team, a couple of AB greats a former captain and 2 centurions.

Bit surprised you don't have Bunce in there but I suppose there is a bit of a logjam at outside centre

 

[ENZED-88]

Bit surprised you don't have Bunce in there but I suppose there is a bit of a logjam at outside centre

Even though frank bunce played for samoa before he played for the all blacks he's actually not samoan. He's from a small island called Niue.

- - - Updated - - -

1. Tony Woodcock/Steve McDowell
2. Sean Fitzpatrick
3. Carl Hayman/Olo Brown
4. Brad Thorn/Brodie Retallick/Chris Jack
5. Ian Jones/Sam Whitelock/Ali Williams
6. Jerome Kaino/Jerry Collins
7. Richie McCaw/Michael Jones/Josh Kronfeld
8. Kieran Read/Zinzan Brooke/ Buck Shelford
9. Aaron Smith/Graeme Bachop
10. Dan Carter/Andrew Mehrtens/Carlos Spencer
11. Jonah Lomu/Julian Savea/Joe Rokocoko
12. Walter Little/Ma'a Nonu/Aaron Mauger
13. Tana Umaga/Conrad Smith/Frank Bunce
14. John Kirwan/Jeff Wilson/Doug Howlett
15. Christian Cullen/Mils Muliaina

Now you're just showing off

 

[CarferFragen]

15. Martín Sansot (IMHO)

- - - Updated - - -

1. Rodrigo Roncero
2. Mario Ledesma
3. Patricio Noriega
4. Pedro Sporleder
5. Patricio Albacete
6. Ignacio Fernandez Lobbe
7. Juan Fernandez Lobbe
8. Gonzalo Longo
9. Agustin Pichot
10. Hugo Porta
11. Ignacio Corletto
12. Felipe Contempomi
13. Lisandro Arbizu
14. Gonzalo Camacho
15. Martín Sansot

 

[Rich Taff]

Bateman at 13 all day long for me. Such a classy player. Another lost to league. The 80's side could have been something quite special had it not been for all the best players switching codes.

I must admit I do enjoy the delicious irony of League clubs complaining about Union poaching their players these days.