Best players from your club (Celtic/Pro 12)

This is a reciprocal thread to sit alongside the excellent one set up by our esteemed colleague mckay1402:
https://www.606v2.com/t57244-best-players-from-your-club-ap

Who are the best home grown ("Home") and non-national qualified ("Foreign") players that our clubs have had?

When I mean best, I mean (a) the players who have played their best for the club and (b) during the past 20 years (so the pro era and just prior to this).

What I don't mean is players who were once great but did not demonstrate that world class form whilst playing for the club. That's the reason I chose Justin Marshall instead of Jerry Collins at the Ospreys and Doug Howlett instead of Christian Cullen for Munster, for example. We are sticking to the pro-era (ish) too which is why I didn't pick Mike Gibson for Ulster, for example.

One player only, so pony up and commit to just one. No todger comparisions. No sledging. No jingoism.

It's a tough one. Let me engage my pea brain and start this off:

Benetton Treviso
Home: Sergio Parisse
Foreign: Jayden Hayward

Cardiff Blues
Home: Martyn Williams
Foreign: Xavier Rush

Connacht
Home: Simon Geoghegan
Foreign: Bundee Aki

Edinburgh
Home: Mike Blair
Foreign: Cornell du Preez

Glasgow Warriors
Home: Jason White
Foreign: Nikola Matawalu

Leinster
Home: Brian O'Driscoll
Foreign: Rocky Elsom

Munster
Home: Paul O'Connell
Foreign: Doug Howlett

Newport Gwent Dragons
Home: Taulupe Faletau
Foreign: Percy Montgomery

Ospreys
Home: Shane Williams
Foreign: Justin Marshall

Scarlets
Home: George North
Foreign: Simon Easterby

Ulster
Home: David Humphreys
Foreign: Ruan Pienaar

Zebre
Home: Mauro Bergamasco
Foreign: Brendon Leonard

https://www.606v2.com/t57247-best-players-from-your-club-pro-12

I didn't think there were any clubs in the Pro12, other than perhaps Treviso. Don't people get their knickers in a knot when they are refered to as such?

Seriously impressed that you managed to down select to two players from Glasgow. An almost impossible task given the vast array of quality/players from Ayr....

Agree with your Edinburgh picks. I think Blair is a relatively straightforward call. An argument could be made for Visser as "foreign" given the number of tries for us before he turned SQ, and I think Talei deserves an honourable mention for his exploits in our Heineken Cup run.

For Leinster I'd have to go for
Home: BoD
Foreign: Nacewa

Elsom was class but Nacewa was class for several years.

HammerofThunor wrote:https://www.606v2.com/t57247-best-players-from-your-club-pro-12

I didn't think there were any clubs in the Pro12, other than perhaps Treviso. Don't people get their knickers in a knot when they are refered to as such?

No idea, to be honest.
Maybe if I was more intelligent I would be more upset.

But I'm not.

Scarlets
Home: The Count
Foreign: George North

Scarlets

Home - Best would be Steve Jones, at one point Wales' most capped player, the top points scorer for Llanelli/Scarlets, and also a top bloke too. I would say honourable mention to Jon Davies, Morgan Stoddard and Liam Williams.

Foreign - Best would be Regan King, no explanation needed. Honourable mentions to Sal Finau and Deacon Manu, even though they may not have been the worlds best players, they were true Scarelts.

Just for records I did create a Pro 12 thread but this will do...these are the players I selected...

Connaght
Home:
Foreign:

Leinster
Home: Brian O Driscoll
Foreign: Isa Nacewa

Munster
Home: Paul O Connell
Foreign: Jim Williams

Ulster
Home: Andrew Trimble
Foreign: Nick Williams

Treviso
Home: Alessandro Troncon
Foreign:

Zebre
Home: Josh Sole
Foreign:

Edinburgh
Home: Chris Paterson
Foreign: Todd Blackadder

Glasgow
Home: Chris Cusiter
Foreign: DTH Van De Merwe

Dragons
Home: Kevin Morgan
Foreign: Percy Montgomery

Blues
Home: Gethin Jenkins
Foreign: Ben Blair

Scarlets
Home: Scott Quinnell
Foreign: Sean Lamont

Ospreys
Home: Shane Williams
Foreign: Jerry Collins

No argument regarding Humphreys, maybe would out Johann Muller ahead of Pienaar.

Touch and go between Shane Williams and Alun Wyn Jones for the home based player, the foreign player would be Filo Tiatia if it was down to our forum contributors, and for me Tommy Bowe and Marty Hola would run him very close.

Great thread but also a tough one for my memory so excuse me if some of those players are from recent times.

Benetton Treviso
Home: Allessandro Zanni
Foreign: Brendan Williams

Cardiff Blues
Home: Martyn Williams
Foreign: Xavier Rush

Connacht
Home: Robbie Henshaw
Foreign: Brett Wilkinson

Edinburgh
Home: David Callam
Foreign: Tim Visser

Glasgow Warriors
Home: Jason White
Foreign: Mike Cusack/DTH

Leinster
Home: Brian O'Driscoll
Foreign: Isa Nacewa

Munster
Home: Paul O'Connell
Foreign: Jim Williams

Newport Gwent Dragons
Home: Ian Gough
Foreign: Ben Castle

Ospreys
Home: AWJ
Foreign: Jerry Collins

Scarlets
Home: Scott Quinnell
Foreign: David Lyons

Ulster
Home: Stephen Ferris
Foreign: Ruan Pienaar

Zebre
Home: Leonardo Sarto
Foreign: Sinoti Sinoti

asoreleftshoulder wrote:For Leinster I'd have to go for
Home: BoD
Foreign: Nacewa

Elsom was class but Nacewa was class for several years.

100% Agree

But for Munster it would have to be Jim Williams. Although Doug Howlett is a very good shout.

Ben Castle was often highly criticised by Dragons fans. Tom Willis was at least captain, if we are going from that era.

Personally

Welsh: Aled Brew or Steve Jabba Jones (provably leaning more towards the latter).
Non Welsh: I'm tempted to say Rynard Landman already, as people like Percy were predominately Newport players. Rod Snow was good too. In terms of impact made, it has to be (for me) Duncan Bell though for singlehandedly shoring up our scrum last season (out of retirement too).

VinceWLB wrote:Great thread but also a tough one for my memory so excuse me if some of those players are from recent times.

Edinburgh
Home: David Callam
Foreign: Tim Visser

Shortlist for Leinster for me would be;

Home: Brian O'Driscoll
Foreign: Contepomi, Nacewa, Elsom

Filipe was a massive servant to Leinster and really was part of the champagne rugby that was flowing in Leinster for his entire career. Nacewa was a real marquee player for us at our peak. Elsom was the final piece of the puzzle that drove a steely pack, streetwise breakdown and gave the up and set the bar for up and coming players on the required performance levels at the truly top level. I honestly wouldn't pick one above another, all three have been critical to the Leinster 'golden era' (Filipe bring us up near the pinnacle, Elsom for putting us on the summit and Isa for holding us there for so long).

HammerofThunor wrote:https://www.606v2.com/t57247-best-players-from-your-club-pro-12

I didn't think there were any clubs in the Pro12, other than perhaps Treviso. Don't people get their knickers in a knot when they are refered to as such?

They do though don't they though?

Edinburgh non scottish qualified must be Todd Blackadder surely?

Don't think 4/5 games qualifies bundee aki .

For Connacht I'd say:
Home: Muldoon
Foreign: Warwick/Wilkinson

Fur Ulster Stephen Ferris by a country mile ditto Riuan Pienaer

As for someone putting in Nick Williams - he wouldn't make the top 10 NIQ

I'd like to throw Ben Blair in the mix for the Blues best foreign player. Top all time point scorer and a talisman for us for years. Xav was class and until this season we still hadnt replaced him. But Blair just pips him for me.

thebandwagonsociety wrote:Shortlist for Leinster for me would be;

Home: Brian O'Driscoll
Foreign: Contepomi, Nacewa, Elsom

Filipe was a massive servant to Leinster and really was part of the champagne rugby that was flowing in Leinster for his entire career.  Nacewa was a real marquee player for us at our peak.  Elsom was the final piece of the puzzle that drove a steely pack, streetwise breakdown and gave the up and set the bar for up and coming players on the required performance levels at the truly top level.  I honestly wouldn't pick one above another, all three have been critical to the Leinster 'golden era' (Filipe bring us up near the pinnacle, Elsom for putting us on the summit and Isa for holding us there for so long).

Hines and Thorn pretty valuable too, I guess, albeit for a lesser period of time.

George, I know you said no jingoism, but anybody that puts Jerry Collins as one of our better overseas players is having a laugh, and 2 already have, I don't think he would make my top 10, he had a decent first season, and then wasn't interested thereafter.

wayne wrote:George, I know you said no jingoism, but anybody that puts Jerry Collins as one of our better overseas players is having a laugh, and 2 already have, I don't think he would make my top 10, he had a decent first season, and then wasn't interested thereafter.  

There's a 'fair comment' exception to that rule.

Cardiff and Welsh: Martyn Williams
Cardiff and not Welsh: Dan Baugh

I made a statement that Ulster have had 10 better NIQ players than Williams - they are:

Pienaar, Muller, Kempson, Sexton, Mason, Botha, Afoa, Harrison, Steinmitz, Constable
I would also add - Danielli, Terblanche
If you include the players that were NIQ when they arrived you can add Ward and Payne

Williams doesn't even register

geoff999rugby wrote:Fur Ulster Stephen Ferris by a country mile ditto Riuan Pienaer

I'd be inclined to agree with that geoff...... not including Neil Best ( ) of course.....