World XV

zAbbo

Taken from here - http://sport.scotsman.com/rugby.cfm?id=1752342006

Full-back

Mils Muliaina’s performance against England was a sensational mix of power running and bewildering footwork. In fact, Muliaina’s performances against most teams are jaw-droppingly good. So he’s the best full-back? Actually, no. Chris Latham can do most things Muliaina can and he can do them while playing behind a pack of toilers. The All Black beasts upfront routinely give their full-back a delicious attacking platform. Latham gets little of that. Honourable mention to Juan-Martin Hernandez of Argentina. Pure class.
Right wing

Joe Rokocoko. Played on the left wing against England and scored. He played on the right wing against France in both Tests and scored in both. Ireland’s Shane Horgan is a drastically under-rated player outside his own country but as good he is, he’s no Joe. Rico Gear none too shabby either.
Outside centre

The New Zealand media quaintly describe this as one of their “problem positions”. In fairness, it is probably one of the few that is genuinely up for grabs in the All Blacks side, Henry still flitting between Ma’a Nonu, Conrad Smith and Muliaina, all three getting a start at 13 on tour. You’d hardly pick any of them ahead of Brian O’Driscoll, though. The Ireland captain remains a wondrous player and an improving leader.
Inside centre

France’s back play has become a travesty, their jewel Yannick Jauzion a humble plodder these past weeks. The Kiwis have a small battalion of contenders but one guy stands above all others – Gordon D’Arcy. Capped just out of school, D’Arcy went into the wilderness for years after. He is now, unquestionably, as important to Ireland’s backline as O’Driscoll. A strong, elusive and intelligent player. Defensively brilliant.
Left wing

You could make a case for Wales’ Mark Jones but not ahead of Sitiveni Sivivatu, whose step around Aurelien Rougerie for the first try in the 47-3 blitz of the French in Lyon was one of the highlights of the autumn. Unstoppable.
Fly-half

The greatest formality of all. What a shame it was that New Zealand didn’t come to Scotland this time around for if there is one man who has the power to fill stadiums it is Dan Carter. He’d probably even have managed it in Murrayfield.
Scrum-half

Matt Giteau was electrifying at the Millennium and is a player who will thrill his nation for years to come. Mike Blair has a right to be considered in this company, as has the stricken Chris Cusiter. It comes down to Byron Kelleher and Dwayne Peel. On the basis that he does phenomenal work behind a scrum that is good but hardly of All Blacks class, we go for Peel.
Loosehead prop

He’s not a recognisable name – yet – but Carlos Ayerza is a mighty Puma in the making. Against England, in particular, he was frighteningly good in the scrum but for now Tony Woodcock remains the pre-eminent loosehead. In the team primarily for his grunt, he’s not the worst ball-carrying prop you’ve ever seen.
Hooker

Tempting to keep the New Zealand front-row intact by going with Keven Mealamu but the hooker’s lineout throwing is not world class and therefore he loses out to the finest thrower (and warrior) in the position in the world, Argentina’s Mario Ledesma. One of the hardest nuts in the game. Brilliant technician and wonderful with ball in hand.
Tighthead prop

Carl Hayman. As dominant in his position as Dan Carter is at fly-half. Tall for a prop, the Otago Highlander is a destructive animal. Breaking even against Hayman is a hell of an achievement. Bettering him is an achievement that few, if any, Test looseheads can claim.
Second-row

If the All Blacks have a weakness it is in their lineout play. They have good second-rows but not great ones and one of the best of recent seasons, Chris Jack, is beginning to be talked about as yesterday’s man at home. Right now, there isn’t a better lock in the world than Donncha O’Callaghan, the zany giant from Cork. His non-stop aggression and prodigious ball-carrying mark him out as one of Ireland’s main men
Second-row

They work in tandem for their province and for their country so why split them here. Paul O’Connell became a lock of genuine world class in the summer when he performed sensationally in the series in New Zealand. He hasn’t quite been at that fever pitch this autumn but he’s still better than any rival. Nallet and Pape came close for France
Blindside flanker

What a shame about Jason White (and Ally Hogg for that matter at openside). Some would pick Jerry Collins without thinking. Well, think! There’s somebody better. Neil Best’s performances against the Springboks and the Australians were studies in controlled madness. He was everywhere. Hitting big and carrying big. He could be one of the great Irish back-rows.
No. 8

Denis Leamy. A beast of a rugby player. A monstrously effective performer in attack and defence. Impossible to remember his last average game for Munster or Ireland. Elvis Vermeulen is worth a mention for his gallant French display.
No. 7

Honourable mention for Martyn Williams and David Wallace but even they would vote for Richie McCaw, who brings the same level of intensity to his game whether it’s a major nation he’s playing or a minnow. A remarkable talent.

A bit of craic, but does mention the Irish Centre and Lock pairings, and Neil Best.

I'd agree about the backline.

Heisenberg.

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daveirl

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Sangre

Kudos to Neil Best's performances but ahead of Jerry Collins? Lets get some perspective people.

davyjose

6 Irish and only 5 Kiwi's? Seems unlikely. But, in fairness, not too far off the mark. O'Connell and O'Driscoll are no-brainers, leaders in every way. O'Callaghan and D'Arcy - perhaps being generous, yes. There is perhaps no greater line-breaker than D'Arcy (AND I'm a Leinster man) but i'd still pip for the French 12, Jauzion... Maybe! Ask me again tomorrow and i might not. O'Callaghan lives in the shadow, rather unfairly, of POC - how our line-outs have improved since he became a regular is hard to quantify with words. I don't think Best has done enough to be picked ahead of Collins at No.6. It's hard to argue with the NZ back-row at the moment, unless your surname is Leamy.

Other disputable positions: Scrum-half, Peel is overrated and doesn't interest me. Giteau by a mile - made a show of Scotland. Along with Latham, who is possibly the best Full-back EVER, and certainly since I've been watching Rugby - an embarrassment to watch.

Don't know much about front row so I won't comment there.

Folks when you put it on paper like that it's quite heartwarming. I think we have quite a coherent first 15, perhaps not with the depth of others (although what depth have England got 30 substandard players as opposed to 15, sorry 29 - I pardon Lewsey, of course). But we certainly have every position covered. O'Gara has been immense in the AI's and Stringer made vast improvements at Scrum-half, but I think boss is the man there. A lot more all-round ability than Stringer, whose passing is impeccable, but that isn't much use when the other side expect it EVERY single scrum or Ruck.

Bring on the French, the rest ... Pah!!!!

zAbbo

It's only a bit of craic, based mainly on the AI's

Jouzon based on his previous form would be a no brainer, he locked like a lost child playing at FH though, and didn't fare much better when moved back to the centre.

Stringer I thought was average yesterday.

daveirl

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Webbs

Bring on the French, the rest ... Pah!!!![/QUOTE]


Be careful for what you wish for, it wasn't that long ago that was Englands cry!!

cian8

Two more world XVs, apart from I think Richie McCaw every position seems up for discussion.

Taken from here

Kiwis and Irish dominate our World XV
Stephen Jones

On current form, England, France and South Africa do not warrant a single player in a composite international team


YOU COULD say that the old order in rugby has changed, but only in the sense that there is no order. New Zealand stand so far and away at the top of the game that the rest lie in a position which can only be described as joint nowhere.
Our World Cup XV, traditionally revealed after the autumn international series every year, and based squarely on form during those Tests, probably does not reflect the Kiwi superiority in that only six New Zealanders make the line-up. Yet the hidden point is that almost every All Black contended for a position, and such is the collective will of that team that there is a case for simply choosing the whole lot.



Yet that would be unfair to the many individuals who have played to world class in other jerseys this month. We will never know if Ireland could have done any damage to the All Blacks this autumn but, following their performances against South Africa and Australia, they qualified for a putative silver medal. They also have five players in our World XV — an Irish record.

Another record lies in the identity of the countries not represented. It is remarkable that none of England, France or South Africa have a single player, but what is more remarkable still is how very few players from these great rugby nations were live contenders.

There was intense competition for places and our XV reflects the strength of the Pumas. They may be ignored by the international rugby community at large, but not by this newspaper. Even allowing for the glut of fine hookers around the world — Keven Mealamu, Raphaël Ibanez and Dimitri Szarzewski spring to mind — the runaway winner was the marvellous veteran, Mario Ledesma of Argentina. His brilliant performance at Twickenham will live long in the memory and there could even have been a fourth Argentinian in the team, with Ignacio Fernandez Lobbe on the verge. The glorious talent of Juan Martin Hernandez edged out Wallaby full-back Chris Latham, whose sublime performance in Wales almost defied belief.

The omission of Daniel Carter obviously takes some explaining but does not mean he isn’t the world’s best fly-half. It is just that he took an armchair ride this autumn, in a magnificent team. In our view, by a small margin, the more praiseworthy achievement was that of Ronan O’Gara, the living denial of the theory that an old dog cannot learn new tricks. O’Gara’s steady advancement toward rugby’s defensive traffic has transformed Ireland’s options and made the centre partnership of Brian O’Driscoll and Gordon D’Arcy look even more deadly as a result.

Similarly, our selection at scrum-half does not represent the most talented player in the position of the era. Dwayne Peel and Matt Giteau, for starters, might have more of a range of talent than Byron Kelleher. But Kelleher is such a significant influence with his power and danger at close quarters that he often appears to be the engine of the whole New Zealand team.

European youth gets a look-in in the back row. Ryan Jones was one of the few 2005 British Lions to play to world class on that tour and his return to full fitness has transformed the Wales pack. The hard yards gained by Jones this autumn were a testimony to power and class. In a different style, the mobile Gonzalo Longo of Argentina was also effective.

The fastest bolter is Ireland’s Neil Best. Best, in many respects, is a thoroughly modern player, but at a time when too many coaches cannot make up their minds about flanking roles, Best makes up Ireland’s mind on his own. Here we have an archetypal, ferocious, hard-hitting blindside flanker. You station him on the blindside, and suddenly the problems of balancing your back row simply fade away.

Further forward, there is not a front row in the game that would relish packing down against Marcos Ayerza and Carl Hayman. Both have been immense. Admittedly, Ayerza was pushed all the way for selection by Tony Woodcock of New Zealand and also, remarkably, by Phil Vickery, despite him returning to the fray in a new role at loosehead.

Perhaps our two locks are players from the same mould, but as a pairing Paul O’Connell and Chris Jack would give nightmares to any opposition and, especially, to the opposition thrower-in. Jack may have been slightly muted but he remains one of the most important figures in the game. New Zealand do not have great locks at present, and any injury to Jack might cause a small realignment of the current world order.

Only on the wing was there a paucity of strong contenders. Our selection of the New Zealand pairing owes a little to the service they received but, in general, it was not a vintage autumn for dazzle down the flanks.

Selection is always subjective. What is not subjective, currently, is the conviction that New Zealand are way out ahead, and that few of their players would let down our team of all the talents.

Best in the world

Full-back: Juan Martin Hernandez (Argentina)
Wondrous footballer keeps out Chris Latham

Wing: Joe Rokocoko (New Zealand)
Defences are still trying to cope with his raw genius

Centre: Brian O’Driscoll (Ireland)
A hard-nosed competitor and part-time fl anker

Centre: Gordon D’Arcy (Ireland)
A colossus despite a smallish build

Wing: Sitiveni Sivivatu (New Zealand)
Extravagant attacking talent, not worried by his defence

Fly-half: Ronan O’Gara (Ireland)
Chosen for orchestrating Ireland to an all-time best

Scrum-half: Byron Kelleher (New Zealand)
For sheer, fronton, barrelling exuberance

Loosehead prop: Marcos Ayerza (Argentina)
This latest noble Puma beasted England

Hooker: Mario Ledesma (Argentina)
The easiest selection. Foursquare, clever and ageless

Tighthead prop: Carl Hayman (New Zealand)
A giant is still improving as an all-round force

Lock: Paul O’Connell (Ireland)
A reputation now restored after a quiet 2005 Lions tour

Lock: Chris Jack (New Zealand)
Possibly not quite at his best, but influential

Blindside flanker: Neil Best (Ireland)
Has power and potential in Ireland’s back row

No 8: Ryan Jones (Wales)
Tumultuous display against Australia

Openside flanker:
Richie McCaw (New Zealand) Most celebrated player in the world, arguably the best

Taken from here

LONDON, Nov 26 (Reuters) - The all-conquering All Blacks provide eight of the 15 players selected in the representative "team of the month" by Reuters reporters who have covered November's 20 internationals.

Flyhalf Dan Carter and flanker Richie McCaw, one of whom is likely to be named the International Rugby Board's (IRB) player of the year later on Sunday, were obvious inclusions, though Argentina's Federico Todeschini was in contention for the flyhalf berth.

Wingers Joe Rokocoko and Sitiveni Siviatu have proved unstoppable but could easily have been replaced by team mate Rico Gear.

Argentina's impressive tour, which included a first win at Twickenham and a one-point defeat by France, is recognised by the inclusion of livewire fullback Juan Martin Hernandez, who edges out Australia's Chris Latham and South African youngster Francois Steyn at fullback.



The Pumas' powerful scrum provides hooker Mario Ledesma and prop Marcos Ayerza, New Zealand's ever-reliable Carl Hayman completing an awesome front row.

Ireland, the most impressive of the European teams with their wins over South Africa, Australia and the Pacific Islands, have lock Donncha O'Callaghan, number eight Denis Leamy and centre Gordon D'Arcy with flyhalf Ronan O'Gara and ferocious flanker Neil Best also in contention.

Denis Leamy gets the nod at number eight ahead of Argentina's Gonzalo Longo and South Africa's Juan Smith.

Mat Giteau's impressive conversion to scrumhalf was one of the few bright spots in Australia's tour and he edges out Argentina captain Agustin Pichot for the number nine shirt.

World champions England, who lost three of their four games, and France, twice thumped by New Zealand, have no players in the team.

Reuters team of the month - 15-Juan Martin Hernandez (Argentina); 14-Joe Rokocoko (New Zealand), 13-Conrad Smith (New Zealand) 12-Gordon D'Arcy (Ireland), 11-Sitiveni Sivivatu (New Zealand); 10-Dan Carter (New Zealand), 9-Matt Giteau (Australia); 8-Denis Leamy (Ireland), 7-Richie McCaw (New Zealand, captain), 6-Jerry Collins (New Zealand), 5-Ali Williams (New Zealand), 4-Donncha O'Callaghan (Ireland), 3-Carl Hayman (New Zealand), 2-Mario Ledesma (Argentina), 1-Marcos Ayerza (Argentina).

thebaz

I'd say Steve Jones must either have been drunk or eating large chunks of humble pie to rate O'Gara ahead of Carter -- Jones has spent the past few years lambasting O'Gara (and Irish rugby ) .

daveirl

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