New Zealand Vs. The Rest of the World

If the rest of the world were to club together and put their combined best XV out and gave them ample preparation time to train together would they then be able to beat New Zealand?

Personally I'd pick:

15. Stuart Hogg (he's off form a bit I know but all the other full-backs, Ben Smith aside, are too, and I'm Scottish so I'll pick him)
14. Bryan Habana
13. Jesse Kriel
12. Matt Giteau
11. George North
10. Jonny Sexton
9. Rhys Webb
8. Vermuelen
7. Hooper
6. Pocock
5. Etzebeth
4. Alun Wyn Jones
3. Nel
2. Du Plessis
1. Mtawarira


My knowledge of front rows is negligible so I've gone for Nel as he has transformed the Scottish scrum, as for full-backs I'd lump Le Roux, Folau, Hogg, Brown, Halfpenny, Williams and Brown in the same class but Hogg has a bit of magic and he's Scottish so he wins. There's no more that needs to be said for Habana, and North is there because his clash with Savea could be titanic, in the centres Kriel looked brilliant when he played, narrowly missing out would be Kuridrani, Bennett, and Joseph, same applies for Roberts and Brad Barritt in the 12 shirt as well . Sexton has almost single handedly won two six nations for Ireland and Webb played very well against the All Blacks in November if I remember rightly.

The pack is about combining South African power with Australian mobility with Alun Wyn Jones in there who I believe has been the best Northern Hemisphere forwards in the last four years. I'd be tempted to drop Vermuelen and move Pocock to 8 and then play Warburton at 6 and go all out to stop them at the break down.

Nice idea.

1. Scott Sio (Aus)
2. Augustine Creevy (Arg)
3. Sekopi Kepu (Aus)
4. Eben Etzebeth (SA)
5. Lood de Jager (SA)
6. Sean O'Brien (Ire)
7. David Pockock(Aus)
8. Duane Vermeulen(SA)
9. Connor Murray(Ire)
10. Nicholas Sanches (Arg)
11. Bryan Habana (SA)
12. Damien de Allende (SA)
13. Jesse Kriel (SA)
14. Imhoff (Arg)
15. Folau (Aus)

Scott Sio oz
Creevy Arg
Johnson Sam
Etc berg SA
AWJ Wal
Lydiate Wal
Hooper Oz
Vermulan SA
Murray Ire
Sanchez Arg
DTH VDM Can
Giteau Oz
Bennet Scot
Nagusa Fiji
Tucalet Arg

I'd have Biggar over Sexton currently and why is North getting picked still?

bedfordwelsh wrote:I'd have Biggar over Sexton currently and why is North getting picked still?

I agree but I would have Sanchez over Biggar...

What would you XV be Bedford?

1. Sio
2. Creevy
3. Nel
4. Etzebeth
5. AWJ
6. Pocock
7. Warburton
8. Vermeulen

9. Matawalu
10. Biggar

11. Habana
12. De Allende
13. Joseph
14. Imhoff

15. Tuculet

To be honest I don't think we're good enough to warrant a thread like this unless it's a centenary or something! Just because NZ's more consistent than other teams doesn't mean that they're miles ahead of the rest. I think we'll see that reinforced tomorrow.

Not sure this squad would win, but it would definitely play some entertaining rugby! Tried to make sure it's not just a SA/Australia select as well.

1) Ayerza (Argentina)
2) Horie (Japan)
3) Nel (Scotland)
4) Etzebeth (SA)
5) De Jager (SA)
6) Burger (SA)
7) Pocock (Aus)
8) Gorgodze (Georgia)
9) Matawalu (Fiji)
10) Sanchez (Argentina)
11) Imhoff (Argentina)
12) De Allende (SA)
13) Bennett (Scotland)
14) DTHVDM (Canada)
15) Nanai-Williams (Samoa)

16) Creevy (Argentina)
17) Dickinson (Scot)
18) Malherbe? Not sure about TH props so would be open to changing this one!
19) Nakarawa (Fiji)
20) O'Brien (Ireland)
21) Tanaka (Japan)
22) Foley (Aus)
23) Tuculet (Argentina)

15. Mike Brown
14. Bryan Habana
13. Jesse Kriel
12. Robbie Henshaw
11. Imhoff
10. Sanchez
9. Murray
8. Vermuelen
7. Pocock
6. Burger
5. Etzebeth
4. O'Connell(c)
3. Figallo
2. Moore
1. Ayerza

Just for jokes I have gone for a proper rest of the world - not just a combo of SA,Australia and Argentina.

Rest of the world:

1.Ayerza (Argentina)
2.Hartley (England)
3.Nel (Scotland)
4. Manoa (USA)
5.AWJ (Wales)
6.Gorgodze (Georgia
7. Burger (Namibia)
8.Parisse (Italy)
9.Matawalu (Fiji)
10.Sexton (Ireland)
11. Habana (South Africa)
12.Fofana (France)
13.Pisi (Samoa)
14.Folau (Australia)
15.Goramaru (Japan)

Surely you only should pick one from each nation as it's not going to happen and everyone can get a player, sort of!
Oh yeah I'm a long long time reader and have decided to join! Wales and Ospreys supporter but living in Ireland!

I've put together a team with one player from each country in the top sixteen (except New Zealand, of course). The only departure is to replace a US player with a Canadian because... well, because he's DTH and because I can.

1. Healy
2. Creevy
3. du Plessis
4. Nakarawa
5. AW Jones
6. Gorgodze
7. Latu
8. Parisse

9. Tanaka
10. Ford
11. DTH Van der Merwe
12. Fofana
13. Bennett
14. Ashley Cooper
15. Nanai-Williams

1. Beast (RSA)
2. Moore (OZ)
3. du Plessis (RSA)
4. Nakarawa (FIJI)
5. R. Gray (SCO)
6. Gorgodze (GEO)
7. JMF Lobbe (ARG)
8. Vermuelen (RSA)

9. Parra (FRA)
10. Foley (OZ)
11. DTH Van der Merwe (CAN)
12. Fofana (FRA)
13. Moroni (ARG)
14. Habana (RSA) Cordero is very unlucky
15. Folou (OZ)

1.Cian Healy
2.Stephen Moore
3.Du Plessie
4.Nakarawa
5.Etzbeth
6.Pocock
7.Hooper
8.Gorgodze

9.Matawalu
10.Sanchez
11.Cordero
12.Giteau
13.Kriel
14.Watson
15.Brown

1.  Ayerza
2.  Hartley
3.  Nel
4.  Manoa
5.  De Jager
6.  Gorgodze
7.  Warburton
8.  Parisse
9.  Matawalu
10. Foley
11. Huget
12. Henshaw
13. Joseph
14. DTH
15. Nanai Williams

Didn't fancy any of the Tongans so cheated by including 2 English players

1. Ayerza (Arg)
2. Moore (Aus)
3. du Plessis (SA)
4. Etzebeth (SA)
5. De Jager (SA)
6. Pocock(Aus)
7. Hooper (Aus)
8. Vermuelen (SA)
9. Parra (Fra)
10. Foley (Aus)
11. Habana (SA)
12. Giteau (Aus)
13. Kriel (SA)
14. Imhoff (Arg)
15. Folau (Aus)

One NH player. That just about sums it up 

I might hold off until 8 days time. I suspect it's all superfluous if the AB's get eliminated/beaten.

blackcanelion wrote:I might hold off until 8 days time. I suspect it's all superfluous if the AB's get eliminated/beaten.

No.

Quite frankly winning the world cup is something your team deserve if only to gain a record befitting of its brilliance, your record up to, during and particularly after has confirmed that this is the best rugby team of all time, perhaps the best in the history of team sport. A defeat in the next two weeks will not change the fact that last weeks New Zealand performance was probably the best in the history of rugby.