3 favourite players (past or present) from your biggest international rival and your 3 least favourite.

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ME: Wales
RIVAL: England

FAV: Lewsey, Wilko, Funbus.
NOT SO FAV: Austin, Tuilagi (because he's not Welsh), Easter (4 tries).

You must have some relative favourites

Nup, wasn't enough room in my least favs for flutey, paul, waldrom

Perhaps I was a bit mean, I'll have a think, ummm.....

Maybe wilkinson as a fav, he always comes across with humility. That I've always admired, even though he kicks funny

And maybe Haskell for having the ballz to play in NZ

And then maybe Johnson for doing the same and having good taste in woman

There, that's 3. Bit like squeezing blood from a stone though

NZer, and consider the convicts as our main rival

favs: JO'C, Burke, Horan
lest fav: gregan, mortlock, sailor

If SA is our rival, then the favs would be Joost, Habana and Percy Montgomery, although VM gets an honorable mention

Our traditional rival in Rugby is SA:

Joost, N Botha and Pienaar I thought were the best 3 since Ive been watching. Joost my pick of halfback ever.

Bakkies is the only I despise. His hits on the juggernauts Aplon and Cowan were cowardly, let alone the eye gouging blah blah. No respect at all for the clown as a player or person.

Aus have been the only team who have in periods 'dominated' us on the field. Particularly the Eales and Campese era's.

Campese, Eales and Beale best 3 for me.

Beale I think is the most talented player in world rugby at the moment with Goosen the best ptential. That guy is going to light up the stage in years to come.

Can't pick a dislikeable player though I loved the name Cameron Lillicrap- kind of an oxymoron surname.

Campese I can't see named much here at all and can't see why. The guy typified the open free spirit of rugby. Went against the grain and made havoc of defences by dancing through and around them with the greatest level of cheekiness I think I've ever seen. Stunning with ball in hand.

Some people don't like sportsmen to be too cheeky or outspoken though. I think that's what some people have against Campese

My team:

Biggest Rivals: .... hmm... not sure, right now maybe but could have gone for England or France either.

Don't really like or dislike any of their players, I'd have lot of respect for most of them but I'll go for:

Favourites: Shane Williams, Scott Gibbs, Alan Bateman
Least favourites: Gavin Henson, Bradley Davies, Mike Phillips

Me: Australia

Foe 1 - NZ:
Favourite: Sean Fitzpatrick, Jonah Lomu, Zinzan Brooke
Least Fav: Hika Reid, Richard Loe, Carlos Spencer

Foe 2 - SA:
Like: Joost v.d.Westhuizen, CJ v.d. Linde, Bobby Skinstad
No like: Butch James, Bryan Habana, Schalk Burger

Being English and at heart a rugby traditionalist, I think our biggest regular match is the Calcutta Cup, and so Scotland are our historic rivals.

Favourites - Gavin Hastings, John Jeffrey, Tom Smith (although my father had a soft spot for the Hawick players of the Jim Renwick era - a story of travelling down to Morley for a club game. Arrive Friday, drink the bar dry. Play Saturday and give a very decent Morley team a lesson in rugby, then drink the bar dry. Pop back in on Sunday before travelling back north, and consume a small quantity from the bar)

Least favourite - Dan Parks, Graeme Morrison, Nick Di Luca - with that midfield, it doesn't matter how good your pack and outside backs are, you'll struggle to create anything.

Me England
Them Scotland

Favourites Gavin Hastings, Doddy Weir and Andy Irvine (and homage to Bill)
Dislike John Jeffrey, David Sole, Tony Stanger (for that try AND going out with a Newcastle Lass at the same time – b#sterd!)

ChequeredJersey wrote:Some people don't like sportsmen to be too cheeky or outspoken though. I think that's what some people have against Campese

Really?
Blinded by envy or insecurity?
Talent is talent and wrap it any which way you prefer. Still doesnt take away the talent.
The guy was genius. Full stop.

I loved it when Pieter Hendriks ran around Campese in the 95' opener, as easy as pie, that was!

Campese was infuriatingly good on attack. Was his D sound though? Can't recall, my memory is fading a bit. Vaguely remember him shirking a bit.

Nope, not the greatest defender.

Very good gents. Sums campese up well. No good at tackling. Aha.
Very...very good analysis.

Me: Scotland
Rival: Eng-er-lund

Favourites: Duckham, Winterbottom, Hill, Underwood, Robinson, Funbus, Wilko, Johnson (all the finest in the world in their positions)

Idiots: Bumface, Dawson, Youngs, Tualagi, Dayglo, Ashton (you can probably work out why for each of these fine individuals )

Taylorman wrote:Very good gents. Sums campese up well. No good at tackling. Aha.
Very...very good analysis.

Sorry taylorman, he was a great sure, did the old swervy hips thing, tormented lomu, but was a bit wimpy. Just not my cuppa and struggling to blow smoke up his b*m, that's all.

I'm English, favourite current Aussies have to be:
1. Quade Cooper
2. Digby Ioane
3. David Pocock

Although I must admit I do like the whole side they are building. Youthful, exciting, attacking rugby and some serious individual talent. I guess in a few years once we've had to play them a few times I might not be saying the same...

Na Jeff you should still be happy about it mate. You can do that and still support your team to play better than them-think if England plays the same youthful, exciting attacking rugby even better than Aussie do. Then your team wins and the spectacle is great for the game. Think the 35-18 win at Twickenham. Great for rugby.

Favourites:

1 Joost van der Westhuizen
2 James Small
3 Henry Honnibal/Chester Williams/Kobus Weisse (can’t decide)

Least Favourite

1 James Small
2 James Dalton
3 Johan le Roux

To clarify –

Joost was the greatest halfback of his era and one of the best ever
James Small – I realise he is in my list twice, upon reinstatement he was the one who was made out to be the rockstar player. Loved giving the crowd a windup, I even took a long a banner to Athletic Park once saying “James Small is a W*nker”...not particularly subtle but the reason why I liked him was he didn’t care. The reason why he’s on my least favourite list is because he was prone to idiotic moments ie tripping up Cullen on the way to a great try in 97 and other stupid things which did achieve a wind up....
Honnibal – great flyhalf I think, quite possibly underrated but he was miles better than Jannie de Beer and Bram van Straaten
Chester – the people’s champion really
Kobus – at 15 is was fascinated with the size of Sth African forwards and their square heads. Kobus was the epitome of the Sth African forward, big, bulky and would mince you up for dinner if he could. Just can’t get over that huge noggin of his....
James Dalton – scored the try that never was in 1998 and he knew it.
Johan le Roux – only Mike Tyson can match him for infamy

Me : Wales
Rival : England

3 Favourite players seen : Duckham, Ripley, Dean Richards.

3 Least favourite players : Abdrew, Carling, Dooley.

ME : Ireland
RIVAL : England

FAV : Moody, Wilkinson, Carling.

NOT SO FAV : Guscott, Richards, Johnston

Most respected : Richards, Johonston, Back

Me: England
Rival: France

favs, Chabal, Mas, Medard
Least favs: Hairy Donkey, Parra, Clerc

biltongbek wrote:I loved it when Pieter Hendriks ran around Campese in the 95' opener, as easy as pie, that was!

Very true biltong. And peter who's? sparkling attacking career went on to rival that of campeses in every respect...

was he the one that got suspended in the fight against the Canucks? At least it allowed Chester to return

Yeah, him and Dalton got suspended.

Me, Wales
Them, Engerland

Favs: Hill (best 6 I ever saw)
Winterbottom (loved the way he payed)
Johnson (brilliant capain)

Least favs: Healey (an odious little man)
Ackford (rubbish player, rubbish journo)
Andrew (boring player, refuses any accountability)