Your Team of the Year (No IRB shortlist)

First topic message reminder :

Lets be honest a lot of the people on the shortlist this year were unworthy of the list  because of lack of games time or even knowledge e.g. Jamie Roberts, Debaty, Mccaw, Carter.

Pick a team from both international and club sides, pick more on consistency than current form (team of the year). Just a fun way to sum up the year.

1. Marcos Ayerza - The core of Leicester and the most dominant loosehead scrummager at the moment. Corbiseairo was awesome for the lions but is always injured, same with Gethin and Domingo as well. But Ayerza does deserve a say I think
2. Bismark Du Plesis - Strong, quick, great at the break down and lets be honest just a tank
3. Adam Jones -  one of the best we wouldn't be Six Nations Champions or winners of the Lions series without him
4. Alyn Wyn Jones - Great player and always consistent for club and country, really stood up as Captain for the last Lions test
5. Brodie Retalick -  really has been outstanding for the All Blacks a very similar player to Alyn Wyn. Been consistent all year for the All Blacks
6. Willem Alberts -  isn't praised enough in my eyes, he i s brick wall in defense, always get over the gain line and has a great work rate for a man of his size
7. Michael Hooper -  Pocock hasn't played, Dusatoiur hasn't stood out in a weak French team, Mccaw hasn't played that much, Warburton not consistent enough. all the big known 7's in world rugby have been outstanding this year, the worst decision ever to drop him form that last ions test (for an Aussie supporter anyway  )
8. Kieran Read -  No other option in my eyes, i haven never really thought much of him until this year. A lot of other great 8's such as Picomoles and Parrise haven't been at their best either. Not IRB player of the year for no reason.

9. Fourie Du Preez -  no 9 has really stood out to me throughout the while year, pick Du Preez because he has been the most effective for his team when he played.
10. Aaron Cruden - I would put him ahead of Carter now, has been the most consistent 10 though the year and has used Ma Nonu really well.
11. Geore North -  Awesome for the Lions, Six Nations and when he actually gets his hands on the ball in a welsh jersey (can take a few games) he is lethal.
12. Jean De Villiers - he has been one of the best this year with Read and Halfpenny, i really think he can lead his current team of saffers to a great future. Greta captain and great all round player. Captain of the year.
13. Johnathan Davies/ Conrad Smith - I really couldn't choose, no other 13 has stood out as much as these two and both played about as much game time an another.
14. Julian Savea - a machine lets be honset, i don't see how the New Zealanders keep breeding these great wingers. Best Finisher in the world atm i think.
15. Leigh Halfpenny - Six Nations player of the tournament, Lions man of the series, just lost out to player of the year. He has been our best player by a county mile. The best thing for us is that it was only his second year as a fullback. Only better thing can come form him now.

16. Moore, 17. Tony Woodcock, 18. Juan Figallo, 19. Eben Etzabeth, 20. Chris Robshaw, 21. Johnny Sexton, 22. Ben Smith,23. Israel Folou

Imagine a Barbarians team like that, it would be lethal

George Carlin wrote:

Notch wrote:My honest pick;

1. Marcos Ayerza
2. Bismarck Du Plessis
3. Adam Jones
4. Brodie Retallick
5. Eben Etzebeth
6. Liam Messam
7. Richie McCaw
8. Kieran Read
9. Fourie Du Preez
10. Aaron Cruden
11. Julien Savea
12. Jean De Villiers
13. Conrad Smith
14. Ben Smith
15. Israel Folau

16. Stephen Moore 17. Alex Corbisiero 18. Owen Franks 19. Alun Wyn-Jones 20. Michael Hooper 21. Aaron Smith 22. Quade Cooper 23. Willie Le Roux

I was going to tap out my team. Then I realised Notch basically did it for me.
 
Hard to disagree with this - standout players of the year for me are Ben Smith, Falou and Read - nobody else really comes close (even McCaw). I was going to query Messam until I remembered his monster Super Rugby season and how pivotal he was to the Chiefs winning. Cruden has to take the 10 shirt - from a testicular cancer diagnosis to All Blacks incumbent in 4 years is amazing.

my team too. Dagg and Halfpenny, Corbiesera, Cian Healey, North maybe unlucky to miss out on this 23. Only 1 x 6 nations player with 14 rugby championship players.  

doctor_grey wrote:

Biltong wrote:The pure disparity of having the best team being represented with 7 players, the second best team with two players, the third best team with zero players, and yet a team below them has four players, suggests the fallacy of these lists.

Well......my Northampton Saints have two players on the IRB list.  Does that mean we are one of the best teams in the world?  
The sovereign nation of Northamptonshire..............
Nice.

Not after yesterday, why haven't Ireland played more like Leinster these past few years with such a large portion of players in the set up
Imagine how dangerous they would be, maybe Schmidt will introduce it to the national team; i'm going to be very wary of the Irish next year, i think thye will have a very strong year. Anyway as far as i;m concerned all other team in the Heineken Cup might as well give up when Leinster are that good. Absolutely great rugby to watch

Although theres a difference between playing a dominant club style to win and replicating that on the International scene where everyone else is not from the same pasture, but it does look promising.

NZ and Ireland's favourite hack Stephen Jones's World XV (picked up a Rugby World because I'd read everything in my Kindle):

1 Alex Corbisiero
2 Bismarck du Plessis
3 Nicolas Mas
4 Eben Etzebeth
5 Alun Wyn Jones
6 Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe
7 Richie McCaw
8 Kieran Read
9 Aaron Smith
10 Dan Carter
11 George North
12 Jean de Villiers
13 Wesley Fofana
14 Ben Smith
15 Leigh Halfpenny

Not much to complain about there really-Fofana's better at 12 and Carter I think may be lucky with Cruden and Cooper shining. Mentions Bowe, Habana, Hibbard, Gray, Retallick, Messam among others. On Aaron Smith-" Smith is giving New Zealand the missing piece of the jigsaw. Their recent nines have only been journeymen; Smith-sharp and fast and wise-is anything but that." Actually fully agree with him here-we haven't had a contender for best 9 in the world in years. Carter's time on the ball is all the more remarkable given he wasn't receiving bullets. The pack is responsible for his protection and other nines would have had the same struggles in his position when he's had some bad games. Just getting better and better.

AWJ is a lucky boy to be there

disneychilly wrote:NZ and Ireland's favourite hack Stephen Jones's World XV (picked up a Rugby World because I'd read everything in my Kindle):

1 Alex Corbisiero
2 Bismarck du Plessis
3 Nicolas Mas
4 Eben Etzebeth
5 Alun Wyn Jones
6 Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe
7 Richie McCaw
8 Kieran Read
9 Aaron Smith
10 Dan Carter
11 George North
12 Jean de Villiers
13 Wesley Fofana
14 Ben Smith
15 Leigh Halfpenny

Not much to complain about there really-Fofana's better at 12 and Carter I think may be lucky with Cruden and Cooper shining. Mentions Bowe, Habana, Hibbard, Gray, Retallick, Messam among others. On Aaron Smith-" Smith is giving New Zealand the missing piece of the jigsaw. Their recent nines have only been journeymen; Smith-sharp and fast and wise-is anything but that." Actually fully agree with him here-we haven't had a contender for best 9 in the world in years. Carter's time on the ball is all the more remarkable given he wasn't receiving bullets. The pack is responsible for his protection and other nines would have had the same struggles in his position when he's had some bad games. Just getting better and better.

Ah Stephen, you naughty boy. You know that he is regarded as something of a one-eyed polemecist in the UK, Chilly?

Team is not bad. Corbs played well this year but Ayerza has been better all season. I could not pick Halfpenny over Folau regardless of the former's'pressure goalkicking. Toss up between Smith and Genia. Messam has been better than Lobbe - think, although perhaps I am being influenced by the fact that LM has played in teams that have won everything.

Corbisiero
Harley
Cole
Lawes
Launchbury
Woods
Robshaw
Morgan
Youngs
Farrell
North
12trees
Tuilagi
Ashton
Brown

           

Well North is really English   

WELL-PAST-IT wrote:Corbisiero
Harley
Cole
Lawes
Launchbury
Woods
Robshaw
Morgan
Youngs
Farrell
North
12trees
Tuilagi
Ashton
Brown

           

Well North is really English   

Well, half English haha

On the out and out 7 thing, it seems telling to me that Hooper and McCaw were very quiet indeed in their games against Robshaw and SOB.

Anyone else see Rugby Tonight this week? Robshaw had an interesting answer on the topic - essentially, it's about doing the job that the game situation needs, rather than always trying to do one thing. Food for thought?

Ha yes I do GC, being a Kiwi who's lived in the UK and is currently in Ireland...

PF that's pretty accurate from Robshaw and something the NZ pack can learn from in terms of how they approach numbers to the breakdown. It's all well and good having provision in the line for quick phase ball but if you're getting dominated and cut off at source then it means sweet FA doesn't it? Hopefully NZ can learn that lesson going forward into next year.

No. I think that interview should be classified as a military secret and never exported to NZ. And Wales, if possible.

doctor_grey wrote:

Biltong wrote:The pure disparity of having the best team being represented with 7 players, the second best team with two players, the third best team with zero players, and yet a team below them has four players, suggests the fallacy of these lists.

Well......my Northampton Saints have two players on the IRB list.  Does that mean we are one of the best teams in the world?  
The sovereign nation of Northamptonshire..............
Nice.

Nice but the Highlanders have two players as well and they were poor - mind you the Crusaders have 2 as do the Chiefs so the Mainland of New Zealand with 4 players is the best nations in the world followed closely by the North Island with 3 players.