Your nation's MASS XV

[Big Ewis]

Most susceptible of carrying strong, hardest to put down...

FRANCE MASS XV

1 - Vincent Debaty
2 - Chris Tolofua
3 - Luc Ducalcon
4 - Romain Taofifenua
5 - Vahaamahina
6 - Chouly
7 - Burban
8 - Picamoles
9 - Doussain
10 - Talès
11 - Grosso
12 - Lamerat
13 - Bastareaud
14 - Huget
15 - Gaetan Germain


lol the team of monsters. Tackle that, mofos.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Like literally biggest (weight) or hardest to put down which is difficult to really get a handle on and can be quite open to interpretation or biased by one's assumptions/perceptions? For instance for SA a guy like Alberts is a clear inclusion when talking about weight but I reckon Boom Prinsloo at 16kg lighter is actually more difficult to bring down; he just.. runs out of tackles like he is made of tevlon or something seemingly. It sometimes looks as though he is playing in a different dimension but is still visible in space-time. Hougaard also more difficult to bring down than the bigger Pienaar at 9 for instance; just stronger and the low center of gravity that is also a bonus for being difficult to bring down in concert with weight.

I mean, give me clear parameters; I'm not the type of guy to half-arse a (whatever) XV selection!

 

[Big Ewis]

I reiterate: difficult to tackle/best carrier. No, not just raw statistical superiority.

I mean, give me clear parameters; I'm not the type of guy to half-arse a (whatever) XV selection!

oh, I know that !!

 

[Patchey]

Well, lets give this a go:

1 Andrew Sheridan (or has he officially retired now?)
2 Tom Youngs
3 Paul Doran-Jones (terrible prop, large man)
4 Dave Attwood
5 Ed Slater
6 Ben Morgan
7 James Haskell
8 Billy Vunipola
9 Ben Foden
10 Andy Goode
11 Sam Burgess
12 Brad Barrit
13 Manu Tuilagi
14 Matt Banahan
15 Alex Goode

I feel I've been a bit cheeky picking Burgess (not a union player yet) and Foden (no longer a scrum-half) but whatever.

 

[Big Ewis]

Well, lets give this a go:

1 Andrew Sheridan (or has he officially retired now?)
2 Tom Youngs
3 Paul Doran-Jones (terrible prop, large man)
4 Dave Attwood
5 Ed Slater
6 Ben Morgan
7 James Haskell
8 Billy Vunipola
9 Ben Foden
10 Andy Goode
11 Sam Burgess
12 Brad Barrit
13 Manu Tuilagi
14 Matt Banahan
15 Alex Goode

I feel I've been a bit cheeky picking Burgess (not a union player yet) and Foden (no longer a scrum-half) but whatever.

Mako Vunipola. Sheridan is both French and retired now. And Sam Burgess isn't/won't be a winger, nor is he part of England officially yet (is he) ?!

Foden at SH...well SH is the hardest position to fill up on this thread. Luckily we have Doussain, who really should be a Tighthead prop. The Welsh have Phillips, but for other teams this'll be tough to pick someone credible.

 

[TRF_heineken]

I reiterate: difficult to tackle/best carrier. No, not just raw statistical superiority.




oh, I know that !!

But then MASS has nothing to do with it...

Heinrich Brussouw is the perfect example of this...

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

I reiterate: difficult to tackle/best carrier. No, not just raw statistical superiority.

whooo... I'll have to meditate on this one..

Apologies for making you repeat yourself.

I'll edit here as I decide on my picks below:

1
2 Bismarck du Plessis - not fast and goes too high into contact but is strong on his feet with a HUGE hand-off
3
4
5
6
7
8
9 Cobus Reinach - tempted to pick Hougaard but Reinach is a real bull terrier 9
10 Frans Steyn - just a block of meat for a fly half and always makes meters ball in hand
11
12
13
14
15

 

[TheSaffycen]

1.Marler
2.George
3.Sinkler
4.Garvey
5.Attwood
6.Slater
7.Haskell
8.Vunipola
9.They're all small !!
10.Goode
11.Banahan
12.Turner-Hall
13.Pohe
14.Tuilagi
15.Foden

 

[Patchey]

1.Marler
2.George
3.Sinkler
4.Garvey
5.Attwood
6.Slater
7.Haskell
8.Vunipola
9.They're all small !!
10.Goode
11.Banahan
12.Turner-Hall
13.Pohe
14.Tuilagi
15.Foden

Good call on George, Garvey and Turner-Hall. Although JTH is big but never seems to make much ground...

Mako Vunipola. Sheridan is both French and retired now. And Sam Burgess isn't/won't be a winger, nor is he part of England officially yet (is he) ?!

Foden at SH...well SH is the hardest position to fill up on this thread. Luckily we have Doussain, who really should be a Tighthead prop. The Welsh have Phillips, but for other teams this'll be tough to pick someone credible.

How dare you claim Sheridan for your own!!

Burgess is likely to be a centre, so I thought I'd do a Lancaster and shift him to the wing...

 

[big ginger 8]

So in terms of pure carrying before I start pack sould be easy but backs are a bit harder in terms of running through people as we don't really do that with our centres. Anyway:

1. Healy - pretty obvious
2. Cronin - same
3. Furlong - not seen too much senior action but definitely best carrying tighthead we have I'd say
4. Henderson - possibly more comfortable in the backrow, a stretched Ferris
5. Tuohy - his flying elbows lend him this win..
6. Ruddock - in terms of taking static ball near the ruck and creating good go forward hard to top him
7. O'Brien - the real best 7 around....
8. Copeland - not too many carrying 8's in Ireland, had it between him, Murphy (not really an 8) and Conan
9. McGrath - very left field pick. Murray or TO'L might actually be it but McGrath is surprisingly powerful http://youtu.be/beFQXAboses
10. Madigan - stocky lad with good footwork no outhalf is particulary bestly
11. Trimble - can certainly run people over
12. Marshall - as I'm taking it as ability to run over people, D'arcy is surprisingly hard to bring down
13. Henshaw - big fecker by our standards well able to carry hard
14. Bowe - a lot of power in the hips to break through half tackles
15 Kearney - regulary runs over forwards

 

[nickdnz]

For New Zealand I'd go with ( / if there is a player I'd prefer but can't select as he plays overseas)

1. Ben Afeaki/John Afoa
2. Liam Coltman/Aled de Malmanche
3. Ben Tamieafuna
4. Patrick Tuipulotu
5. Brodie Retallick
6. Jerome Kaino
7. Luke Braid
8. Kieran Read
9. Augustine Pulu
10. Daniel Carter/Luke McAlister
11. Julian Savea
12. Ma'a Nonu/Sonny Bill Williams
13. Malakai Fekitoa/Rene Ranger
14. George Moala/Hosea Gear
15. Jason Woodward

 

[Peat]

Turner-Hall is a big girl's blouse. There is no way he should be ahead of Burrell or Hill.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

In terms of weight I would go for. (/ means player is harder to put down but lighter) lot of players out of position.

1) Vunipola
2) Hartley/Youngs
3) Wilson/Sinkler
4) Garvey
5) Kitchener
6) Morgan
7) Fearns
8) Vunipola
9) Youngs (he is chunky)
10) Twelvetrees
11) Banahan
12) Pohe
13) Burgess
14) Manu
15) Foden

 

[Canuck]

For New Zealand I'd go with ( / if there is a player I'd prefer but can't select as he plays overseas)
8. Kieran Read
9. Augustine Pulu
10. Daniel Carter/Luke McAlister

Not a NZL fan myself but if I had to choose a Kiwi 9 it would be TJ Perenara. He's a hard runner with terrific size for the position, reminds me a bit of a young Joost van der Westhuizen. Also I have to give a shout out to Ardie Savea, not the biggest flanker but an incredibly strong runner that's so hard to bring down.

 

[iINDOMINUSxx]

In terms of weight I would go for. (/ means player is harder to put down but lighter) lot of players out of position.

1) Vunipola
2) Hartley/Youngs
3) Wilson/Sinkler
4) Garvey
5) Kitchener
6) Morgan
7) Fearns
8) Vunipola
9) Youngs (he is chunky)
10) Twelvetrees
11) Banahan
12) Pohe
13) Burgess
14) Manu
15) Foden

Yarde ?

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Yarde ?

4st lighter than tuilagi, 2.5st lighter than banahan.
He's less than 15st, not exactly massive.

 

[iINDOMINUSxx]

4st lighter than tuilagi, 2.5st lighter than banahan.
He's less than 15st, not exactly massive.

what about Pohe out if banahan move's to centre ?

 

[TRF_Olyy]

what about Pohe out if banahan move's to centre ?

Pohe's almost two stone heavier than Yarde.

 

[iINDOMINUSxx]

ok,

 

[Big Ewis]

just learned Yarde was 95kg earlier when I checked the stat on wiki. Got em at that weight also on the RFU website. That's a lot, doesn't look that heavy, but he does look surprisingly rough to pin down though, so it does make sense in the end. And he's not too tall, so pretty low center of gravity without being tiny, very nice specimen for a winger...hopefully France can poac...okay I'll stop, I'll stop.