Welcome to the first post on my new blog.
I love rugby. It has been my favourite sport since my Dad started taking me to games when I was 5.
I’ll be posting thoughts about the game, the rules, the competitions, the players and anything else that pops in my head and seems worth talking about.
After some thought I’ve eventually decided that my first post would be my all-time XV. When I say “all time” I mean the best XV (in my opinion) made up of players who have been on the scene during the 30 years or so I have been watching the game.
This came to mind when I was watching one of the thousands of ice-bucket challenges on facebook, and I got to thinking about Joost van der Westhuizen. The legendary South African Scrum Half suffers from ALS, and I was wondering where he stands in the all time pecking order of scrum halves. My conclusion was “Well he is the best scrum half during the time I have been watching rugby” and I started wondering who else would be in that team.
I also think that as a first post this works as it will give anyone who reads this an idea of the rugby I have watched throughout my life enjoying the sport and perhaps a little insight into what I like in a player.
So before we go a couple of caveats. I realise these things are all based on personal opinion and their will be few, if any, people who agree with the whole team so please feel free to comment and suggest your changes. Secondly this is based, to a degree, on how good a player was/is at the time they were playing. Obviously I realise that with the huge physical specimens you find all over the pitch these days, Jonah Lomu wouldn’t have half the impact he had back in the mid-90s but the way he stormed through defences at the time justifies his selection in this team.
So anyway- here goes
Full Back- Christian Cullen
I was very close to putting a certain frenchman at full back, but the all black legend was, for a couple of years, almost unplayable. An incredible step off both feet and electric pace. Suffered later in his career when being picked at outside centre for the All Blacks he wasn’t able to do himself justice playing out of position
Honourable mention- Serge Blanco
Right wing- Jason Robinson
The best rugby league convert so far. Incredible acceleration, and a step that made many a defender look ridiculous
Left wing- Jonah Lomu
“A freak” said Will Carling. Jonah Lomu is often called rugby’s first global superstar and that is understandable. I’ve never known excitement or expectation just because of one player like there was whenever Lomu was given the ball in the 1995 rugby world cup in South Africa. He was an absolute beast.
Honourable wing mentions- Joe Rocokoko, Ben Tune, Rupeni Caucaunibuca, Shane Williams
Outside Centre- Jerry Guscott
I know the vast majority of readers will not agree with this selection. In fact most will say that it is a load of rubbish, but people forget what a player “the prince of centres” was. An outside break as good as any I’ve ever seen. Guscott made series-winning contributions on two lions tours, in Australia in 1989 and in South Africa in 1997. Since he retired, many people will tell you that Guscott was good in attack but wouldn’t tackle. Well I can tell you that is just not true- an excellent defender, people who say otherwise simply never watched him play.
Honourable mention- Brian O’Driscoll (obviously)
Inside Centre- Tim Horan
An absolutely class operator and all round player. Also, unlike his centre partner in this selection, is now a decent pundit on television in Australia
Honourable mention- Phillipe Sella
Fly Half- Dan Carter
It’s not just how good Dan Carter is- it is how easy he makes everything look. As an England fan it pains me not to pick Jonny Wilkinson, but even I have to admit that Carter just has the edge in class over JW, even the 2001-03 vintage.
Honourable mention- Jonny Wilkinson
Scrum half- Joost van der Westhuizen
Simply the most dangerous scrum half around for the decade he was on the scene- a phenomenal try scoring rate and an ability to take on and beat opposition back rows. No slouch in terms of distribution either, put simply- Mike Phillips is a poor-man’s JvdW.
Honourable mention- George Gregan
Loose head prop- Jason Leonard
The Jason Leonard from 1991-96 is the one I am referring to. People will remember him as the lovable funbus who was on the bench throughout the 2003 world cup campaign, but he was the outstanding loosehead in the world for five years in the 90s.
Honourable mention- Craig Dowd
Hooker- Bismarck du Plessis
An absolute monster- I cannot ever remember there being a more cut and dried answer to the question “Who is the best hooker in the world” than there is right now
Honourable mention- Keith Wood
Tight head prop- Carl Hayman
A beast when in his pomp and still one of the top tightheads in europe at the age of 34
Honourable mention- Phil Vickery (2003 vintage) Adam Jones
2nd row- Martin Johnson
Because of his time as captain, when his leadership was so highly rated, and his unsuccessful stint as the England coach, people forget just how good a player he was. Could do it all.
2nd row- John Eales
I’ve just said that Martin Johnson could “do it all”, well- Jon Eales really could do it all, including goal kicking.
2nd row honourable mentions- Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha
Blindside flanker- Richard Hill
One of those players that you only really noticed how good he was when he wasn’t playing. His injury late in the first half of the second test was probably the biggest reason behind the Lions series defeat to Australia in 2001.
Honourable mention- Lawrence Dallaglio (before moving to 8)
Number eight- Zinzan Brooke
The textbook number eight. Hard tackling, ball carrying, off-loading, and a brilliant reader of the game.
Honourable mention- Kieran Reed
Openside flanker- Richie McCaw
The boss- no more needs to be said.
Honourable mention- Josh Kronfeld
So there you go- as said above this is just my opinion, and I realise that there are some particularly controversial selections in there, but it would be great to hear from people about where they think I have gone drastically wrong.
I’ll blog about other, hopefully more orginaly rugby issues next time, but for now, thanks for reading.
Cheers
The Outside Half
theoutsidehalf 