FULLBACK - Greatest XV Ever voted by 606v2

606v2 selects the Greatest Rugby XV of all time.

Today’s choice - FULLBACK.

Please play nicely.

Cullen, by a mile.

I really wanted to say Cullen but i honestly feel that Percy edges it.

Its always gonna be Blanco v Cullen and then its probably down to your personal preferance....Blanco for me...

Some good FB's in that list though. Noteable mention to Falcons favorite Matt Burke....an awesome player....

The Aussies used to have a fullback that i thought was better than Matt Burke, i am not sure but i think that his name was Marty Roebuck? Help me out here breaker...

Almost always boils down to a Blanco v Cullen debate. I have to side with the flair of the Frenchman.

Blanco for me.

Cullen was my favourite attacking player, immense runner of the ball.

I went for Lewsey, I always liked the way he played, it was safe yet aggressive that’s what I want from my fullback.

Skill wise there are better fullbacks on the list but I like to be different.

eirebilly wrote:The Aussies used to have a fullback that i thought was better than Matt Burke, i am not sure but i think that his name was Marty Roebuck? Help me out here breaker...

hahahaha

Cullen, by the way

big fat blanco but then am biased.

Hersh - best of luck with these polls. I ran exactly the same one on the old 606 and it was handbags all the way.

Just blinking my one eye for a moment, not to have Andy Irvine in there is criminal - an amazing servant for the Lions and an astonishing strike runner for Scotland.

Cullen was the best though - genuinely unplayable in his prime.

I have to be honest I sometimes think people go for Blanco and Cullen because they feel they have to!

Don't get me wrong they are great players but by today’s standards of defensive play I think these two would get turned over an awful lot.

chewed_mintie wrote:

eirebilly wrote:The Aussies used to have a fullback that i thought was better than Matt Burke, i am not sure but i think that his name was Marty Roebuck? Help me out here breaker...

hahahaha

Okay ?

To be honest, I can't remember that far back, so Blanco's generation is far gone in my memory.

There is an obvious choice in cullen, however he was an attacking player who wasn't the complete Full back package.

Percy isn't a bad call, but for me the prince of full backs isnt on the list.

Andre Joubert of the 1995 world cup springbok squad.

He was electric in joining the line, but the safest full back of his era.

Some real quality on that list, and am a massive Cullen fan, his attacking ability was just phenomenal.

However, I have to go for JPR. Just a fantastic player and am a little surprised that nobody has mentioned him before me.

eirebilly wrote:The Aussies used to have a fullback that i thought was better than Matt Burke, i am not sure but i think that his name was Marty Roebuck? Help me out here breaker...

You thinking of Monty Python?

eirebilly wrote:

chewed_mintie wrote:

eirebilly wrote:The Aussies used to have a fullback that i thought was better than Matt Burke, i am not sure but i think that his name was Marty Roebuck? Help me out here breaker...

hahahaha

Okay ?

Sorry Billy, just trying to get over you rating Roebuck as a player. Roebuck was a poor player in a great team.

Christian Cullen was the best I've seen by a mile...best attacking player I've ever seen.

Honorable mentions to Matt Burke, Mils Mulihiana (sp?) and Andre Joubert.

Roger Gould - described by Bill McLaren as like the rock of Gibralter

Serge is the only one who could sprint on the outside overlap run 50 metres, chip over the oncoming defence, catch and dive in the corner - Then run back to his own posts, sit down have a fag and then do it all over again. Naturelllllllllllllllllllll or what

chewed_mintie wrote:

eirebilly wrote:

chewed_mintie wrote:

eirebilly wrote:The Aussies used to have a fullback that i thought was better than Matt Burke, i am not sure but i think that his name was Marty Roebuck? Help me out here breaker...

hahahaha

Okay ?

Sorry Billy, just trying to get over you rating Roebuck as a player. Roebuck was a poor player in a great team.

If its the same guy (late 80's early 90's) that i am thinking of then i thought that he was a great player.

What no Jonathon Webb?

Billy Whizz by a mile.

Keith Jarret

I didn't vote because Geordan Murphy isn't on there. Though there could be a very good arguement for the legend Dusty Hare as well (Hare currently holds the world record for points scored in a first class rugby career with 7,337 points).

Dusty was FB at the Gnoll in the early 80's - top bloke

No Muliaina in the list? Was this an oversight? general concensus that he was limited (cough) or just omitted after six failed attempts to spell either of his names correctly?

After winning the world secondary schools championship, the world U19 championship, the world U21 championship. Kicked off his senior career against England, putting in a stunning performance as NZ once again robbed England of a deserved victory by scoring 30 more points than us. From there he completed 3 home nations grandslams, won a commonwealth rugby 7's gold medal, won the world 7's world series 3 times, full back during the clean sweep of the long format tri-nations, was part of the team that held the Bledisloe cup with a record number of consecutive vicories over Australia, contributed to the whitewash of the Lions and capped it all off with a world cup gold medal. In the process he played in three world cups, completed an historic 100 All Black caps and captained the All Blacks whilst in the mean time being a humble, egoless character and genuine roll model?

miteyironpaw wrote:No Muliaina in the list? Was this an oversight? general concensus that he was limited (cough) or just omitted after six failed attempts to spell either of his names correctly?

close call mitey, this will fall under humourus.

Jim Staples

biltongbek wrote:

miteyironpaw wrote:No Muliaina in the list? Was this an oversight? general concensus that he was limited (cough) or just omitted after six failed attempts to spell either of his names correctly?

close call mitey, this will fall under humourus.

Great post again Biltong! Congrats on your promotion again Couldn't think of a better mod.

Absolutely Christian Cullen. In his prime he was majestic!! His balance, speed, kicking and handling were immense, he was a real threat. Being as safe as houses at the back also helped!!

He was the best player I ever saw play rugby...until Carter and the 05 Lions...

For me it's between Cullen and JPR, from what I hear of Blanco he was naturally gifted but was never a team player, although I don't really know.

Mils and Geordan Murphy are good calls, Murphy has had a rough career for being too loyal, but both are far greater shouts then Lewsey. Good player but very much out of his depth in this list, I'm not sure Robinson should be there either, very quick and agile but not an all round FB, but I'll surrender him as I like him a lot.

I was also never a huge fan of Percy either, great attacker but did get run over a few times!!!

I picked Blanco - not because I feel I have to but from remembering the few times I saw him play. I remember the expectation everytime he got the ball - other players do create a similar expectation but not to the extent Blanco did. I was quite young and maybe that could have been down to the exuberance of youth!!

Outside of that would be Cullen a close second. The guy was amazing and had the physical strenght that I believe he would still stand out today.

I voted for Cullen. JPR and Blanco not being far behind. WTF are Lewsey and Robinson doing on the list? They should be replaced with Mils Muliaina and Girvan Dempsey.

I've voted for Jason Robinson as a lot of people on that list I've never seen play!

For me Percy Montgomery didn't do anything other than kick goals so don't think he should be it.

Jason Robinson is one of the best attacking fullbacks I've ever seen IMO.

By reputation though I'd assume Cullen or JPR will win it.

Did people really see Percy as just being a goal kicker?

yeah, they should watch his earlier years with Nick Mallet, he had a huge turn of speed and used to come into the back line very succesfully.

He was a big part of the Springboks 17 match winning streak in 1997/98

Well I did, but suppose I've only really watched him in the latter stages of his career where he may not have been as attack minded as he used to be.

Still think there's better fullbacks on that list though!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tErDSz3Wrk

Fair enough guys - stand corrected and looks like he has been quite an attacking stand off in his day. In that 1997 season I was only 10 years old so had no idea!

It is a difficult question though as the only people really able to judge who the best has been are the people that are old enough to have seen everyone on that list play!

I have many many memories of JPR.One oustanding performance was for the BaaBaas v Fiji.All afternoon the defence was based on the Parting of the Red Sea.I have never seen a player put in so many tackles.He was immense!

Gee thanks RDW, now I really feel my age today.

We are getting old apparently biltong

I remember Percy as being the most dangerous player in international rugby for about 3 years. He was outstanding.

This is easiest category for me it has to be JPR, true legend and my hero when watching him lplay growing up.

Jason Robinson was a very good rugby player, but he wasn't a great full back.

His return running game was compelling, but he lacked height and aerial skills, his kicking from hand was not spectacular and his defense was not the best. Whilst his counter-attack was proficient, I'd hesistate to rank him above JPR, Cullen or Blanco. Essentially this is a dead fish option and a poor choice in my view.

I'd happily see him included on a list of potential great wingers although in honesty I doubt he'd be the best there either in a very competitive category. Campese, Shane Williams, Rupeni Caucaunibuca and Lomu spring to mind as options who would pip him in that department. But I digress.

If you're going to include two Englishmen in the list of all time greats, then surely one has to be England's world cup winning full back, Ian Balshaw MBE?

note to HERSH: The diplomatic way of running this poll was to include three credible Welsh options across different eras, one English and two options for every other country (one historical, one present) with a potential winner. This would have split the vote and ensure an Englishman won. I believe this is the way SCW presented the Lions squad options to his selectors in 2005.

So it looks like a two horse race between Cullen and JPR, looks like the cigs have caught up with Blanco as he looks puffed out in 3rd.

The cut off will be 4pm today and the winner will get the No15 Jersey in the 606v2 XV

For me Blanco.

As ever there will be many players who members just cannot recall, or who we had only limited TV coverage. For instance: John Gallagher, fantastic player who had remarkable lines. He would come in second for me. My third best fullback isn't even on the list - Chris Latham.

Yeah Chris Latham was a great player.

HERSH will these results be post-processed to take into account the stats returned from the "where are you from" thread?

That seemed to reveal that the majority of posters on 606v2 were Welsh. This will inevitably lead to an entire Welsh XV being named through parrochial bias. Unless of course it was your strategy for a super-WUM.

My decision is final.