Dan Carter, World Rugby Player of the Year 2015
Gregor Paul selects his World XV for 2015 which features 6 All Blacks, 3 Australians and Argentinians, and 1 Fijian, Georgian and Scotsman — and nobody from South Africa, England, Ireland, Wales or France.
15 Ben Smith (New Zealand):
Ben from all accounts had an outrageously good season. He captained the Highlanders to the most unlikely Super Rugby title and then inspired the All Blacks to a World Cup victory. His aerial skills and footwork are unbelievable.
14 Adam Ashley-Cooper(Australia):
Ashley-Cooper is the Wallaby version of Smith. He’s a superb all-round footballer who continually does the right thing. Has pace, footwork, awareness and the ability to covert half-chances. Was deadly at the World Cup.
13 Mark Bennett (Scotland):
A rugged, tough ball runner with innate timing. Picked off the intercept try in the World Cup quarter-final that should have sunk Australia and contributed some big tackling and deft passing.
12 Ma’a Nonu (New Zealand):
Ended his All Black career in the best possible way. Most direct and destructive midfielder world rugby has known. And yet he’s more than bash and dash – throws a cracking long pass, has soft hands and a clever short kicking game.
11 Juan Imhoff (Argentina):
He found his best form at the World Cup and it was impressive. He’s got natural predatory instincts and the pace and power to make good on them. Scored a try against Ireland that was hugely under-appreciated – his timing, decision making and skill were all first class.
10 Dan Carter(New Zealand):
The old class returned once he had the confidence in his body. Vintage Carter. No one else could have snapped those critical goals, or kicked as accurately under pressure as he did. Ten years after he beat the Lions with his running game, he won a World Cup with his kicking game.
9 Aaron Smith (New Zealand):
Was electric for much of Super Rugby and while his passing and running were the headline acts, his kicking game developed into a world-class component of his armoury. Does anyone in the game have a better step?
8 Mamuka Gorgodze (Georgia):
This dude played only 45 minutes against the All Blacks at the World Cup and he was the official man of the match. He’s huge, agile, smashes people off the ball and, despite being the size of a house, motors around and keeps up with the ball.
7 Richie McCaw (New Zealand):
The old master played as well as ever and while some of his Aussie backrow mates won rave reviews, neither David Pocock nor Michael Hooper offered the same range of skills and overall influence as McCaw. He cleaned them both up in the World Cup final.
6 David Pocock (Australia):
He was shown up in the World Cup final for having only the one trick, but it is a magnificent skill he has. No one is as effective at the breakdown as Pocock and his ability to win as much ball as he did had a major impact on the World Cup.
5 Leone Nakarawa (Fiji):
The big Fijian showed an incredible ability to offload and yet not shirk his core roles. He won lineout ball, tackled like a loose forward and carried the ball like an outside back. Was named as the Pacific Island Players’ Association Player of the Year.
4 Sam Whitelock(New Zealand):
The more he played, the better he got. Was a towering force at the lineout and took some critical steals in the World Cup semifinal win over South Africa. What impressed most about him, though, was his tackle count. Whitelock racks up the same sort of numbers as the best loose forwards and he’s also become a world-class ball carrier.
3 Ramiro Herrera (Argentina):
Anchored an impressive Pumas scrum and also thumped about. A huge man but he wasn’t in any way lumbering. Gave the Argentines an air of intimidation.
2 Agustin Creevy (Argentina):
The Pumas captain is a late convert to the hooking role and there is still much of the loose forward about him. He gave Argentina much of their go-forward and added a sparkle to their play with his clever offloads. Threw well at the lineout and got his body into great positions over the tackled ball.
1 Scott Sio (Australia):
A strong, agile, mobile prop with the technical ability and skills to hold his own in the set piece and yet play a meaningful role elsewhere. The Wallabies haven’t had a player likes this for decades.
nzherald
To all of you who already there and those who still will get there may you have a great 2016! Hopefully it will be a good one for all rugby fans out there.
There are so many great versions of this song out there hope you get why I chose this one :
Happy New year everyone. Have a brilliant 2016.
@ Puma: Ditto. And to you too Pumes. I was a good boy last night. In bed and dossing by 9. Up at 5 this morning and on the bike enjoying the empty roads to Simonstown to take in a beautiful sunrise over the yacht basin before cycling home while most folk were sleeping off a hangover. Cricket tomorrow at Newlands. Lekker.
Sarries 19/6 Leicester so far. 3 tries 2 of which penalty tries to Sarries
By default commenting is disabled for a week…
Jfk.
Plenty of peoe is leaving, scientists, doctors etc, we are trully a society in decline, definitely not meyers fault young people are leaving.
By default commenting disables on week old threads.
@ MacroPolo:
Ah, okay, we’ll carry on on this thread then.
Root must be seething – he is desperate for a big century, and the match was taylor made for him, and he has missed out – and I doubt there will be a second innings for him to have another go!
haha @ Bumble
“van Zyl enters the attack – just the man for a crisis”
I see the tactic is now to frustrate the batsmen out again.
@ Just For Kicks:
Match was not taylor made for James Taylor!
Again Bumble “at least he won’t get a pair”
When Stokes can cart your premier bowler over the ropes with ease, you know you are in trouble
IAAS wrote:
You’ve got to love Bumble! Characters like that make cricket.
500 plus runs on the board and England could declare now and probably not have to bat again.Who is going to get our runs??Poor AB has had enough fighting the battles,then ends up losing the war.The ENG bowlers are not going to bowl a smorgasbord “help yourself” kak like ours.
We’ll bat like rabbits in the headlights with guys going out with the mindset of trying to save this.It’s SHOCKING, disgraceful and embarrassing,the once powerhouse of test cricket that is South African cricket.Their is no LEADER for this disorganized unit,not on the field and certainly not off it.
So dear MORONIC,IMBECILIC selectors of South African cricket:
Dane Piedt is not the bowler he once was,that which got him selected in the 1st place…England struggled in the UAE against leg-spinners,don’t take my word for it go look the series in high definition…hence Tahir,the leg-spinner,would’ve have been a far better choice and is in form too,so why wouldn’t you select him???Piedt is way too slow,probably because he’s mind is stuck in India.
I said before that Morris is not an all-rounder,but the selectors claims that he is and selected him and OMG he gets taken to the cleaners with the new ball.
Morris has no variety in his attack and does as much with the ball as Domingo does coaching and the selectors electing a side…JUST FOKKOL…The captain’s field setting and use of his bowlers is shocking.the deck is flat and yet they pick a specialist spinner and for what to do what???
They hold onto Faf,Bavuma and van Zyl(opening),and how do you think that will pan out,considering that we might have to score 550 plus…I wont be holding my breath on that scenario.
Included on the list of great commentating characters must be Henry Blofeld and Brian Johnston
The greatest comment of all – ‘The batsman Holding, the bowlers Willy’
Stokes on for 300?
@ provincefan:
I don’t think we should be too harsh on our bowlers – apart from Morne, the rest of the frontliners have virtually no experience between them, and no leadership to help them. The future of SA bowling is just being killed here. I really feel for all 3 of them.
Well done Barstow. England can now settle once and for all on the future of their test keeper. Great century to back up Stokes at the other end.
Our most successful bowler seems to be Elgar. All guile and intrigue!!!!
Now thats desperation. Going upstairs for that.
Theres a lot of talk about the declaration now. When will it come? I am sure they will let Stokes get to 250 at least.
Problem is, when Stokes gets to 250, Bairstow will be nearing 150 – where do you stop????
Are the commentators reading my comments?
England should go for 700 or declare before gea. Whichever comes first.
MacroPolo wrote:
I am sure that that will be the case, although, if ‘gea’ is on offer, I am not sure that they will want to break for it!!!
Watching now, Barstow (or Besto, if my mate from SA has just written to me) could win the race
….and Morkel has just summed up the match
OMG
Morkel drops a sitter
I have to say, this has been the most entertaining cricket match I have seen in a long while. I have a list of chores as long as my arm to do before work begins in earnest tomorrow, and I haven’t moved yet in 2 days of cricket.
Thats Stokes 250. Well done that lad
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