Rugby all-time best 2 per position

[irocfan]

I was just thinking about the football thread of 'Greatest of all time" an wondered what the all time bests would look like - why bests? Simple who are your best 2 in each position, the idea being to have a 'dream teams' match-up - 30 players in total.

Would Colin Meads get in against John Eales, Martin Johnson, Victor Matfield nd Fabien Pelous (for example)?


Come chaps - get thinking...

[cherryowen]

Go on, I'll have a punt at a couple.

Stand Off : Barry John / Dan Carter

Full Back : Serge Blanco / Leigh Halfpenny

Flanker : Richie McCaw / Jean-Pierre Rives

Scrum Half : Gareth Edwards / George Gregan

[Jamie VTS]

Quite contrasting but..

Wing - Jonah Lomu / Shane Williams

[DocJock]

Centre: Phillipe Sella, Mike Gibson

[cherryowen]

Jamie VTS said:

Quite contrasting but..

Wing - Jonah Lomu / Shane Williams

Great call!

Centre : Jason Robinson / Brian O' Driscoll

[irocfan]

there is a wealth of options at '#8

Sergio Parisse
Buck Shelford
Dean Richards
Mervyn Davies
Keiran Reid

choices, choices....


Buck and Deano

[FunkyGibbon]

Flanker: George Smith / Neil Back

[DocJock]

Hooker: Sean Fitzpatrick / Keith Wood

[the tribester]

cherryowen said:

Great call!

Centre : Jason Robinson / Brian O' Driscoll

Did Jason play at centre much?

[Jamie VTS]

irocfan said:

there is a wealth of options at '#8

Sergio Parisse
Buck Shelford
Dean Richards
Mervyn Davies
Keiran Reid

choices, choices....


Buck and Deano

Sergio was the first that came to my head!

[Jamie VTS]

I feel my back line would look something like this;

George Gregan / Joost Van Der Westhuizen
Dan Carter/ Wilkinson
BoD/ Sonny bill
Lomu / Shane Williams
1/2p / Dagg

Edited by Jamie VTS on Tuesday 9th July 09:16

[blueant27]

My attempt...

1. Jason Leonard
2. Keith Wood
3. Phil Vickery
4. Martin Johnson
5. John Eales
6. Francois Pienaar
7. Richie McCaw
8. Zinzan Brooke
9. Gareth Edwards
10. Jonny Wilkinson
11. David Campese
12. Tim Horan
13. Brian O'Driscoll
14. Jonah Lomu
15. Serge Blanco

Now to pick a second 15

[Piha]

blueant27 said:

My attempt...

1. Jason Leonard
2. Keith Wood
3. Phil Vickery
4. Martin Johnson
5. John Eales
6. Francois Pienaar
7. Richie McCaw
8. Zinzan Brooke
9. Gareth Edwards
10. Jonny Wilkinson
11. David Campese
12. Tim Horan
13. Brian O'Driscoll
14. Jonah Lomu
15. Serge Blanco

Now to pick a second 15

Aaaargh, impossible task....

But good shout there blueant27.

I would have to find a place for Colin Meads, Sean Fitzpatrick and (controversially) I would try to fit Sergio Parisse in.

I would give a special mention to Micheal Jones and George Nepia too.

[irocfan]

Piha said:

Aaaargh, impossible task....

where's the fun in making things easy?

[DocJock]

Indeed. Prop is a really difficult one due to the changes in the laws over the years.

He'd spend every match on the naughty chair these days, but Jeff Probyn was the most awkward bugger in the scrum that I can recall.

[Magic Merlin]

How about:

1. T Woodman / G Jenkins
2. K Wood / B Moore
3. P Vickery / M Castrogiovanni
4. M Johnson / V Matfield
5. I Jones / M Itoje
6. R Hill / J Collins
7. R McCaw / D Pocock
8. Z Brooke / M Teague
9. J Marshall / G Greagan
10. J Wilkinson / J Stransky
11. B Habana/ J Lomu
12. M Nonu / SB Williams
13. BOD / J Guscott
14. P Saint-Andre / J Robinson
15. S Blanco / A Joubert

[Inverness]

This is why Shane Williams would never make any team of mine!

https://youtu.be/KF0s-qiMyLY

You can skip to 5minutes 45secs for why I never understood the Shane hype!

[irocfan]

Inverness said:

This is why Shane Williams would never make any team of mine!

https://youtu.be/KF0s-qiMyLY

You can skip to 5minutes 45secs for why I never understood the Shane hype!

have you seen some of the howlers from Campese (and indeed Lomu had his moments too)

[Cheib]

Very,very difficult because of how the game has changed over the years;....look at what a front row player is asked to do now compared to 20 or 30 years ago. Probyn is a great example..amazing scrummager but he would get near a team these days because he’s not big enough/fast enough/didn’t have the hands of say Kyle Sinckler. Doesn’t mean he wasn’t a great of his time though. From a similar era to Probyn I’d probably go with David Sole as a better prop.

There are those that trascend time though...John Eales, Martin Johnson, Richard Hill....can’t think of anyone I’d rather have than any of those three.

[irocfan]

1. Fran Cotton / Os Du Randt
2. Steve Thompson / Sean Fitzpatrick
3 Jean-Pierre Garuet / Robert Paparamborde
4. Martin Johnson / Victor Matfield
5. John Eales / Paul O'Connell
6. Jerry Collins / Richard Hill
7. Richie McCaw / Jean Pierre Rives
8. Buck Shelford / Lawrence Dallaglio

9. Joost van der Westhuizen / Gareth Edwards
10. Dan Carter / Phil Bennett

11. Jonah Lomu / David Campese
12. Phillipe Sella / Brian O'Driscoll
13. Danie Gerber / Tim Horan
14. Rupeni Caucaunibuca / Jason Robinson
15. Serge Blanco / JPR Williams