Favourite Player XV

First topic message reminder :

I've just been thinking about the type of players I would like my club to sign for next season (wasn't sure if this should go in International or Club, but put it here). It led me on to think about my favourite XV of players - different from a World XV, but instead a team made up of players who you just love to watch play Rugby, regardless of their perceived weaknesses. I would be interested in seeing who else is a fan favourite. For the purposes of this (and to make it a bit more interesting) I have excluded all players from my club (London Irish):

1. Sona Taumalolo
2. Bismarck du Plessis
3. Martin Castrogiovanni
4. Mamuka Gorgodze
5. Damien Welch
6. Willem Alberts
7. Steffon Armitage
8. Sergio Parisse

9. Morgan Parra
10. Bernard Foley
11. Napoloni Nalaga
12. Wesley Fofana
13. Rene Ranger
14. Charles Piutau
15. Jesse Mogg

Subs: Augustin Creevy, Steve Kitshoff, Ben Tameifuna, Lappies Labuschagne, Sione Kalamafoni, Ruan Pienaar, Willie le Roux, Alpati Leuia

I realise this is probably quite subjective, so doesn't make for the best discussion, but I was bored! 

Bluedragon wrote:No one has picked Will Carling or Rob Andrew in their team ?

Bill McClaren famously selected Andrew ahead of a lot of others in his best XV!!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tv_and_radio/rugby_special/1842121.stm

Went the all-time route as well
A.Jones - Wood - Os
Wiese-Matfield
Winterbottom-Harinordoquy-J.Smith
Joost-Porta
Lomu-Horan-Gerber-Geoghan
Cullen

I actually think I am too old to draw up a favourite list

How do you try and choose between Mike Gibson and Tim Horan for example.

Great idea for a thread, SirBurger.

Here's my XV:

1 Craig Dowd
2 William Servat
3 Adam Jones
4 Abdel Benazzi
5 Chris Wyatt
6 Dan Lydiate
7 Josh Kronfeld
8 Scott Quinnell

9 Joost van der Westhuizen
10 Thomas Castaignede
11 Christophe Dominici
12 Jerry Guscott
13 Allan Bateman
14 David Duckham
15 Christian Cullen

There are so many players I could have included instead of those XV!

Sophie's Choice. Which one will you lose less sleep over? The choice has been forced upon you.

I like CC's blast from the past. You are taking it further back but no one is going to judge you for making your picks. Only the people you culled and they'll be dead to you so won't be able to judge you, except from the grave.  

XV of my personal favourites:

1.Tom Smith 2.Sean Fitzpatrick 3.Pieter De Villiers 4.Bakkies Botha 5.John Eales 6.Abdelatif Benazzi 7.Michael Jones 8.Sergio Parisse 9.Joost VDW 10.Gregor Townsend 11.Jason Robinson 12.Tim Horan 13.BOD 14.David Campese 15.Christian Cullen

I could pick about five XVs mind you!

That's a nice eclectic team FES. Not sure about Smith but to my eye does your one token Scot in Townsend suggest that Scotland has given you practically a joyless time in supporting your team? Or you are so impartial you can appreciate the beauty in others?

There have been some very good Scotland players in my time. Gavin Hastings was a hero of my childhood, but I just can't leave out Christian Cullen. Watching Cullen in the Tri-Nations in his pomp was sublime. Similarly Scott Murray and Doddie Weir. Two great locks for Scotland, but remembering Eales banging over that kick to win the Bledisloe is something I'll never forget.

In fact I thought I was being pretty partial by including two Scots!!

My favourite Scotland XV would look like this:

1.Smith 2.Bulloch 3.Murray 4.Weir 5.Murray 6.White 7.Rennie 8.Taylor 9.Armstrong 10.Townsend 11.Stanger 12.Leslie 13.Tait 14.Maitland 15.Hastings

Some good names there. Always liked the Great White because of his cool nickname. Gavin Hastings along with Serge Blanco were my favourite players until Gav spoke and I always thought he sounded
like he was drunk or stoned.

You were very generous limiting yourself to two. My favourite team was dripping with ABs!