Your all time greatest Irish XV

Snickers Man

I know there's a DVD out about this in which a panel of experts pick the best Irish XV of the TV era but what the hell would they know? i'm sure we can do better.

Here's my XV with justifications below. They come from the era that I have spent watching Irish rugby, in my case this dates back to the late 1960s. (I'm old).

Points to note: although not operating a quota system, my team is fairly widely representative. Six Leinster, four Ulster, three Munster and one each from Connacht and the Exiles.

No Munster backs (I know some people will insist on playing Tom bloody Kiernan but they're just wrong) and NO Corkmen at all. (Hey Keano!! Swivel!!)

Whatever about claims of an unfair bias against Cork soccer players on the Irish team, just think back to all those ****e players who got a few caps for no other reason than they played for Cork Constitution and you'll realise that there are some sporting areas where Cork really punches above its weight. (Well to be fair, some people might insist on Donal Lenihan in there which would be justifiable but I would have three others ahead of him).

Anyway here's mine. Let's see what other people would make of their selections. Let's set the only criteria as being players you have seen (in the flesh or on TV) at the time they played. i know this will restrict most people to recent decades but it's as fair as I can make it.

Full Back: Hugo McNeill (Leinster)
Not the fastest or most elusive full back there has ever been but one of the most solid. Never faltered under a high ball and was a solid tackler. Although lacking a bit of pace he was a superb entrant into the backline and knew how to time a pass to perfection. See Keith Crossan's great try v Wales in 1985 [sorry, I originally had this as 1983. Mea culpa] as an example of McNeill at his best.

Right Wing:Dennis Hickie (Leinster)
He's played on both sides but I would stick him on the right because of his massive left boot, which is always a useful thing for a no 14 to have for defensive purposes. But that's not the reason he gets on the team. It's simply because there are not a lot of fast twitch fibres in the Irish gene pool and this guy seems to have most of them. Blisteringly quick, and even now that he's lost a yard or two as he moves into his 30s he has become more of a creator with a cute rugby brain.

Left Wing:Simon Geoghegan (Exile)
One of the few reasons to watch Irish rugby with any degree of hope in the miserable 1990s. A never say die bundle of energy who never gave up. Brilliant to watch, a devastating strike runner and a fantastic attitude based on knowing exactly where the try line was. One of my all time heros.

Inside Centre:Mike Gibson(Ulster)
Considered by many to be one of the most complete players of all time. He had just about everything. Pace, skill, passing, defensively very strong and the uncanny knack of being in the right place at the right time. A wonderful player who just got better when the demands got harder.

Outside Centre:Brian O'Driscoll (Leinster)
Not really much to add that you don't already know. Pace, power, strength in the tackle and faster hands than a world champion welterweight. The best centre I have ever seen. Bar none.

Out half:Ollie Campbell (Leinster)
the most complete out half I have ever seen. Think Ronan O'Gara with flair or Johnny Wilkinson with a bit of pace. Immaculate kicker off either foot. Deadly place kicker, set an Irish points scoring record in one third of the number of matches it took his predecessor to achieve it. Also a devastating runner with a great eye for the gap and the ability to carve open defences to create tries for others.

Scrum half:Colin Patterson (Ulster)
Our problem position. Patterson didn't play for very long before getting crocked but he was probably the best Irish scrum half I have seen. Could pass and kick but was at his most devastating as a nine man scrum half. Brilliant at the blind side break. Scored several tries by being just too small to tackle.

Loose head:Ray McLoughlin (Connacht)
A rare combination of brawn and brain. Iron strength and an intellect that was intimidating for many people. Could scrummage like an earth mover and was also pretty devastating with ball in hand. Remember his try against France in Paris in 1972? I do.

Tight head:Peter Clohessy (Munster)
Although I don't approve of stamping on people's heads, the first and foremost requirement for a tight head is that he be an utter savage. Step forward Claw. No better man.

Hooker:Keith Wood (Munster)
Just a bit special. The pace of a back with the physique of a front row forward. And a born leader too. One of the first names on the team sheet.


Lock:Paul O'Connell (Munster)
Already a legend. Great lineout man, Fast around the park and a demon in the rucks and mauls. A true great

Lock:Willie John McBride (Capt) (Ulster)
A must have. A great all round lock forward and an inspiring leader who led by example. One of the greatest captains of all time and one of the toughest forwards.

Open Side:Fergus Slattery (Leinster)
One of the all time greats. Blistering pace. Ferocious tackler and a great link man in open play. Watch the tape of the Barbarians v All Blacks 1973 for the epitome of his skills. you will see the All Blacks passing the ball down the line being harried at every step of the way by this frantic young tearaway with the big hair. Once the ball gets to the wing, you find that Slattery has got there already and nailed him. Terrific!

Blind Side:Willie Duggan (Leinster)
OK here's where I;m being a bit sneaky. Duggan was usually a number eight, although he did win a few caps on the flank. I would put him there because he was not our greatest number eight but he was one of our greatest ever forwards. Iron strength and bottomless courage. Had the same indifference to getting thumped that Trevor Brennan had and formed one third of Ireland's greatest ever back row. Brilliant in ruck and maul, not the fastest or most creative away from close quarters. Which is why I would put him at six, not eight.

Number Eight:Ken Goodall (Ulster)
Another of the all time greats. Career cut short when he went to play Rugby League and got injured. Huge, for his time, he was a brilliant lineout jumper. but also had great pace in the loose and scored several tries. The most memorable was in his last match against Wales when he kicked ahead and then outpaced a backline which included Gareth Edwards, Barry John and JPR Williams to make the touchline.

So there you have it. Let's hear what you all have to say about your top XV.

Chucky the tree

Was Geoghan not a right winger?

buck65

OP can't argue with your selection, however just a point I reckon alot more of the current crop who maybe have 3/4 seasons left (O Gara Leamy Wallace D'arcy Dempsey and even Hayes (maybe 2 years) may appear in that side in tiime).
A great position to be in.

Chucky the tree

dempsey will never make an all ireland 15. And neither will O'gara.

Snickers Man

Chucky the tree wrote:

Was Geoghan not a right winger?

Usually. Although he did win some caps on the left. Especially if Richie Wallace played. Have a look at perhaps his most famous try v England in 1994 when he burned Underwood off for pace and scored in the corner ( I know cos I was there) He played on the left that day.

I don't think you could leave either of those two wingers off an Irish side of the past 30 years. We have had a few useful wingers eg Crossan, Horgan (S) Ringland but none of the same class as Geoghegan or Hickie.

Snickers Man

buck65 wrote:

OP can't argue with your selection, however just a point I reckon alot more of the current crop who maybe have 3/4 seasons left (O Gara Leamy Wallace D'arcy Dempsey and even Hayes (maybe 2 years) may appear in that side in tiime).
A great position to be in.

Well I actually first did this a few years ago and remembered thinking that Geordan Murphy would probably force his way into the full back position once he got a run in the team. Never really happened for him though.

When I first picked it, I had Moss Keane in there as a lock. I just loved the way he used to rip the ball out of a maul and hare off down the field like a Kerry footballer, which of course he was.

But I reckon O'Connell has surpassed him now.

Linford

Chucky the tree wrote:

dempsey will never make an all ireland 15. And neither will O'gara.

I don't know if Dempsey will ever make an all time Ireland 15, but if you look at what the OP has to say about Hugo McNeill, they are almost word for word what you could say about Dempsey, but I will agree that while Dempsey may not be the number one or two FB in the world at the moment, McNeill probably was when he was playing.

I wouldn't be so sure about O'Gara not being Ireland's greatest ever out-half, Ollie Campbell playing is one of my earliest rugby memories and his career was cut short with injury/illness, he was without doubt one of the most naturally talented, but I don't know whether he was better than O'Gara is now.

Snickers Man

Linford wrote:

I wouldn't be so sure about O'Gara not being Ireland's greatest ever out-half, Ollie Campbell playing is one of my earliest rugby memories and his career was cut short with injury/illness, he was without doubt one of the most naturally talented, but I don't know whether he was better than O'Gara is now.

I think Campbell was a more creative player than O'Gara. He could create breaks out of nothing and set up tries for others. He only ever scored one try for Ireland and it was far from spectacular. But his specialty was running through an entire defence and then popping the ball out to somebody else to run it in.

And he was every bit as good a kicker as O'Gara, if not better.

Linford

Snickers Man wrote:

I know there's a DVD out about this in which a panel of experts pick the best Irish XV of the TV era but what the hell would they know? i'm sure we can do better.

So there you have it. Let's hear what you all have to say about your top XV.

I like your team Snickers man, especially with there being so many Blackrock College players .

Couple of comments:

Was Slattery not a blind-side? I thought in the video of the 1982 triple crown, where he managed to get the match ball after each game, that he was wearing a number 6.

I would switch the two wingers.

I haven't grown up in an era of world class scrum halves, was Paterson really the best we have had in the last 40 years.

I would consider putting O'Gara over Ollie Campbell.

padser

interesting that from what is currently regarded as one of the best back lines in the world you only pick 2 players.

That said I am far too young to argue with you.....:D

Snickers Man

Linford wrote:

I like your team Snickers man, especially with there being so many Blackrock College players .

That, I assure you, is by accident and not design!!!

I am NOT a Rock boy and never was.

Anyway, you're talking O'Driscoll, worthy of his place on any team. Slattery, ditto. McNeill and Duggan, well I've made my case for both of those.

Linford wrote:

Couple of comments:

Was Slattery not a blind-side? I thought in the video of the 1982 triple crown, where he managed to get the match ball after each game, that he was wearing a number 6.

He did wear six but the other flanker on that team was John O'Driscoll who was also a pretty orthodox blind side. I think that at that stage they actually played left and right rather than open and blind. But Slattery was well into his 30s by then. In his younger days, he was very much an open side. And one of the fastest ever.

Linford wrote:

I haven't grown up in an era of world class scrum halves, was Paterson really the best we have had in the last 40 years.

Who else was there? Here;s the full list of irish scrum halves since 1970.

Fergus Aherne
Isaac Boss
Michael Bradley
Kieron Campbell
Donal Canniffe
Tony Doyle
Guy Easterby
Niall Hogan
Robbie McGrath
Conor McGuinness
Steve McIvor
John Moloney
David O'Mahony
Brian O'Meara
Colin Patterson
John Robbie
Alain Rolland
Rob Saunders
Christian Saverimutto
Ciaran Scally
Peter Stringer
Tom Tierney
Roger Young


Of those the only ones i would put on a short list would be Moloney, Young Robbie and Stringer. i think Patterson is the best of them.

linford wrote:

I would consider putting O'Gara over Ollie Campbell.

It would be a dull world if we all agreed on everything.

Chucky the tree

Linford wrote:

I would consider putting O'Gara over Ollie Campbell.

Why? O'gara has rarely impressed me on a regular basis in an Irish jersey. He was poor this 6 nations. I have never seen Campbell as i am of a younger generation, but from what i have heard he was a class above O'gara.


As for Padsers comment, apart BOD we dont have a any other player in our backline who would make it into a world XV. As good as D'arcy has been, hes done it for enough years to be considered in an Irish all time XV.

Sandwich

Not my own opinion since too young to have seen him play, but the outhalf issue could be solved by playing Gibson there. Have heard knowledgable folk who followed his career say he was super there and would have been even better had Ireland not needed him more in the centre at the time. Ask people who really watched his career and ask them Gibson or OGara, I think they might go for Gibson. The space in the centre would happily be filled by Darcy (or Mullin who went whole seasons for Ireland without getting a decent pass?)

AFAIR Paterson got very few caps but he was good. Underrated I felt was Saunders(missed touch kick against Aus and all!) and would think him the only other contender to Paterson. If you think Stringer's pass is the quickest going, look at some old footage of Saunders.

Linford

Snickers Man wrote:

That, I assure you, is by accident and not design!!!

I am NOT a Rock boy and never was.

Anyway, you're talking O'Driscoll, worthy of his place on any team. Slattery, ditto. McNeill and Duggan, well I've made my case for both of those.

And Ray McLoughlin played for Blackrock College RFC too.

To make it almost 50% rock, you could put Mike Gibson into outhalf on your team (as sandwhich suggested) and put Brendan Mullin in the centre.:D But perhaps I am being a little too biased.

Snickers Man

Linford wrote:

And Ray McLoughlin played for Blackrock College RFC too.

To make it almost 50% rock, you could put Mike Gibson into outhalf on your team (as sandwhich suggested) and put Brendan Mullin in the centre.:D But perhaps I am being a little too biased.

McLoughlin was from Galway. Did he go to school in Blackrock? Even I'm not old enough to remember that!!! And Willie Duggan is from Kilkenny. I'm not sure that he went to school in Blackrock either. Though they could have both been borders.

Mind you, if they both played in the same pack, for all that it was from the bete noir of posh south Dublin schools, nobody but nobody would ever dream of referring to that pack as "lady boys".


As for playing Gibson at out half: yes he was brilliant there. Check out the "Ireland's greatest rugby victories" DVD for his debut against England in 1964 when he instigated one of the all time great tries (the famous zig zag one rounded off by Pat Casey) from the out half position and you will see what a class player he was. But Gibson was a wonderful centre as well, whereas Campbell when he played there, to accomodate Tony Ward at out half, was a disaster.

Campbell was a class act at out half. Even though i readily confess that at the time in the full flush of romantic youth I preferred the more unpredictable dazzling play of Ward, Campbell was the more astute, the better thinker and tactician, the better kicker, and when he chose to run, the more incisive and efficient attacker.

All bias aside, he was streets ahead of O'Gara. Even George "Ronan is my love child" Hook says so.

Sandwich

You can probably fill in the blank I cant think of:

McNeill
Brophy
Mullin
O'Driscoll
Cussen
??
Rolland
Langbroek
Byrne
Byrne
Francis
Cullen
Kavanagh
Costello
Slattery

Snickers Man

What is this? A XV made of of Blackrock College boys??

And you;ve left Duggan and McLoughlin off it!!!!!!

Does this prove that they didn't go to school there?

Anyway, you seem to be missing an out half. The only international out half that I know of who played for Blackrock College was Alan McGowan, who won one cap against the USA in 1994.

What a team eh?

Could you make up one of Kilkenny College old boys?

Snickers Man

BTW, who the hell is Cussen?

The only record i have for an Irish international of that name is a chap from Trinity who played in the 1920s. And I don't think 'rock boys went to Trinners in that era, do you?

If you're looking for a winger might I suggest Niall Woods? Poofy non-tackler he might have been but boy could he run.

Of course you could even take a punt on Luke Fitzgerald if you're feeling confident.

zokrez

Sandwich wrote:

Underrated I felt was Saunders(missed touch kick against Aus and all!).

I seem to recall a story that after the game in the dressing room, it is alledged that he shrugged his shoulders and said something along the lines of at least we got an Australian jersey.....to which Dessy Fitzgerald went mad and had to be restrained from giving him a slap.

RuggieBear

JACK KYLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
By far this countries greatest ever flyhalf.
I've seen him play on TV...so does that count;)

Snickers Man

Well according to my Dad who saw him play often (he had retired before I was born) Kyle has never been surpassed. but I did say that the team should only be from people you had seen as contemporaries.

So unless you're a grandad too.......

Linford

Snickers Man wrote:

McLoughlin was from Galway. Did he go to school in Blackrock? Even I'm not old enough to remember that!!! And Willie Duggan is from Kilkenny. I'm not sure that he went to school in Blackrock either. Though they could have both been borders.

Mind you, if they both played in the same pack, for all that it was from the bete noir of posh south Dublin schools, nobody but nobody would ever dream of referring to that pack as "lady boys".

I am not sure either of them went to school in Blackrock, but both played for Blackrock College RFC.

LostinBlanch

Just for the hell of it, I'll throw Steve Silvermint into the mix. He did score a few tries for us you know? :eek:

I'd agree with Paterson as scrumhalf though.

As for Campbell at outhalf, why no calls for Ward to replace him? *stops stirring and watches to see what happens*

Amyway as you were this is good fun.

Snickers Man

LostinBlanch wrote:

Just for the hell of it, I'll throw Steve Silvermint into the mix. He did score a few tries for us you know? :eek:

I'd agree with Paterson as scrumhalf though.

As for Campbell at outhalf, why no calls for Ward to replace him? *stops stirring and watches to see what happens*

Amyway as you were this is good fun.

It's in the nature of an exercise such as this that we're going to have to leave good players off, and Brendan "Steve Silvermint" Mullin was an excellent player. I don't think he had the same all round ability of either of the two centres I've picked though. He was a beautiful silky runner but not really a scrapper or as much of a demon defender as both of the others could be.

As for Tony Ward, I loved him in my youth and I loved the unpredictability and skill that he could pull out of the hat, but sometimes he was too unpredictable and he got lost. The play "Alone it Stands" makes that point beautifully and in a very funny way.

I don't think Ward was as good a decision maker as you need to have at out half. In that sense, both O'Gara and Campbell are ahead of him. As is Eric Elwood, who was even slower than Wardie but knew how to win a game while living on scraps.

tHE vAGGABOND

this is one of these things where you would get 10 different teams from 10 different people..

I would pick Girvan Dempsey at full back, for the sole reason that Im also a 'Nure past pupil, and totally biased! I think he is very under rated, and his solid consistancy is a gigintic asset for any team!

I would pick Jack Kyle at 10; he was the best player in our only grand slam team ever, that must stand for something [and 4? tripple crowns]. He was regarded as one of the very best players in the world in his day, and when spoken about one of the first words is always genius. My dad always said he was the best player he ever saw, and he was watching rugby for his whole life..

I keep thinking that we must have had better wingers than those two, but cant think of anyone else atm

Never heard of the No 8, which cant be a good thing in such a team? What about Axel Foley? Move Moss Keane or Gallamh out of position and play them there maybe

Sandwich

Snickers Man wrote:

BTW, who the hell is Cussen?

The only record i have for an Irish international of that name is a chap from Trinity who played in the 1920s. And I don't think 'rock boys went to Trinners in that era, do you?

Thats they same guy, and he did go to Trinners. Cant remember why. Got about 15 caps which was a bucketload back then.

He had two or three brothers, all multiple SCT winners with Rock but dont think they were won caps for Irl

Snickers Man

tHE vAGGABOND wrote:

I keep thinking that we must have had better wingers than those two, but cant think of anyone else atm

Many would say tony O'Reilly at his best but he doesn't fit my criteria of having seen him play at the time. Well, actually, I did see him play in his last game against England in 1970 when he was old, fat and slow.

tHE vAGGABOND wrote:

Never heard of the No 8, which cant be a good thing in such a team? What about Axel Foley? Move Moss Keane or Gallamh out of position and play them there maybe

Never heard of Ken Goodall??? Ask your dad, if he's still with us. Goodall isn't, sadly. He passed away last year quite young.

Goodall turned pro at the end of the 1970 season, thereby missing out on the Lions tour to NZ in 1971. That was the first time the great Mervyn Davies came to the fore. Perhaps the greatest complement paid to Goodall was that by an English commentator who said that if he hadn;t turned pro, we might never have heard of Mervyn Davies.

cobrophy

So here's a question to throw into the mix, there's a lot of leaders on that team sheet, who would captain this side?

Snickers Man

cobrophy wrote:

So here's a question to throw into the mix, there's a lot of leaders on that team sheet, who would captain this side?

Well I gave it to McBride. Only three Irishmen have captained 5 Nations championship winning teams since the war. Karl Mullen in 1948, 49 and 51; McBride in 1974 and Ciaran Fitzgerald in 1982 and 1985.

All three captained Lions tours but McBride was the only one whose team won a series (v SA in 1974). He was also pack leader of the 1971 team which won a series in New Zealand.

He would be my choice.

Goodluck2me

i replace clohesey with the new improced hayes.

tHE vAGGABOND

i replace clohesey with the new improced hayes

I think Phill Orr or Syd Millar would eat both of them for brekkie tbh - its a coin toss over which one would get in, and I would pick Millar - but its really 50/50..

Hayes [or Horan] would not be fit to hold tackle bags for that team imho. Like it or not, they are two of the worst props in the top 6 or 7 teams in the world. When you get to the crappie teams like England [hehe!] they do ok. The new scrum rules do them a few favours, but the big teams [and Italy + Argies] still murder our scrum..

For refrence, watch Munster and Leicester a few months ago

Snickers Man

tHE vAGGABOND wrote:

I think Phill Orr or Syd Millar would eat both of them for brekkie tbh

Orr was always a loose head. I've picked Clohessy as tight head, because although he played on both sides of the scrum for Ireland, he started off as a tight head and that was where he was best IMHO.

Orr would certainly be on my bench but I don't think he was quite up there with McLoughlin.

Dave Van Ronk

Snickers Man wrote: »

I know there's a DVD out about this in which a panel of experts pick the best Irish XV of the TV era but what the hell would they know? i'm sure we can do better.

I don't know about a panel of experts but I found one expert picking his best XV>

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekl0LC6Auqk

who the fug

Snickers Man wrote: »

McLoughlin was from Galway. Did he go to school in Blackrock? Even I'm not old enough to remember that!!! And Willie Duggan is from Kilkenny. I'm not sure that he went to school in Blackrock either. Though they could have both been borders.
.

Duggan was Rockwell

Dave Van Ronk

George Hooks top XV

15. Tom Kiernan
14. Tony O'Reilly
11. Simon Geoghegan
12. Mike Gibson
13. Brian O'Driscoll
10. Jack Kyle
9. Colin Patterson
1. Tommy Clifford
3. Ray McLoughlin
2. Karl Mullen
4. Willie John McBride
5. Bill Mulcahy
6. Bill McKay
8. Willie Duggan
7. Fergus Slattery

GerM

The funny thing about Hook's selection is that he says he's talking about some players most won't have seen when he couldn't have seen much of some players he selects either. Hook would have been a school kid until about 1958 and, in the days before televised games, would have seen absolutely shag all of several choices. Mullen, McKay and Clifford were all finished with international rugby when Hook was 10. It would be like me advocating the talents of Paul Dean (and there was nearly no footage available of him playing) despite barely remembering him. The chances are that we've all seen as much of them as Hook has. I doubt he saw too much of Kyle either in fairness given that he was in school in Cork throughout Kyle's career.

Seems, just as I would expect with Hook, that he simply extols the virtues of those who played back in the day. He's way too fond of quoting history and displaying a knowledge of it and that heavily colours his side. Nostalgia picks his team somewhat I would think.

durkadurka

Certainly the older players weren't scrutinised to the degree that the modern Players are. These things are a bit of Craic but totally unrealistic. The game has changed so much as well as fitness levels, nutrition, professionalism with all that entails.

Plus calling someone the greatest when you've maybe seen him play 5 times vs say ROG who you've seen play 100 times from every angle.

A bit of fun that's all.

Bod being the only one from the last decade or do when we've had an excellent team is a touch 'nostalgic' it must be said.

Aidric

Where's Philip Danagher on those lists? Complete farce.

Reloc8

Phil Danagher v Gibson/O'Driscoll ?

Seriously ?

Danaher was a class act as a rugby player and a leader he's just unfortunate to have togged out in the same jersey as two of the global superstars of the game.

Re scrum half - you'd have to have a certain consideration for the 1985 vintage Michael Bradley - he had a fabulous season probably helped by the super-quick and accurate hands of Paul Dean outside him.

But yeah Patterson is hard to argue against all in all.

Mine :-

Hugo MacNeill
Tony O'Reilly
Brian O'Driscoll
Mike Gibson
Denis Hickie

Jack Kyle
Colin Patterson

Nick Popplewell
Keith Wood (c)
Peter Clohessy

Willie J McBride
Paul O'Connell

Philip Mathews or John O'Driscoll or Willie Duggan (for some reason I can't decide on this one) (6)
Ken Goodall (8)
Fergus Slattery (7)

Lacking a 'modern' goal kicker (you know one from the era where they actually expect to land more than they miss) though.

Subs :-

(on the basis that in Kyle and Gibson I have two potential 10's on the pitch I'll go for a 5 - 2 swap in the subs bench)

Peter Stringer
Simon Geoghegan (ok I'm in a bit of trouble if 15 gets crocked - I'll swap Hickie into fullback)

Phil Orr
Ken Kennedy
John Hayes
Donal Lenihan
Jamie Heaslip

Billy86

I think this could use another bump with the continued upsurge in talent and performances in recent years...

- O'Connell is an absolute (pardon the awful pun) lock by now.
- Has D'Arcy done enough down the years to merit conversation for the 23 (though obviously never beating out BOD or Gibson)?
- What about Bowe (now only one behind Hickey as our second leading try scorer) on the wing, or Heaslip at #8?
- Also two younger players in Cian Healy and SOB might well be knocking on the door - the latter being slowed a bit by injuries lately (and a damn shame about Ferris, on that note) - but their 'total package' combination of strength, speed, stamina and ball carrying abilities is something we don't produce very often.

blinding

Colin Paterson was very very good in a sadly all too short career (injury)

I am glad that someone mentioned Paul Dean as I think he was a very good out half and deserves a mention. His career was also curtailed by injury.

Stan27

I'll give a shot though I wouldn't know much before 8 years ago.
1 healy world class

2 wood world player of the year in 2001 I think

3 Hayes. A guess but around a long time 100+ caps

4 and 5 poc and willie j mcbride. Though I think Henderson could be in here if he keeps to his potential

6 ferris best 6 in the world at one stage. If he had no injurys and retired at 30 ( another 2 years still) would have been a ledge

7 don't know but I'll say sob as he won the European player of the year and 3 heineken cups but prob not the most natural 7.

8. Don't know but heislip must be up there.

9 murry could be world class. Stringer has 98 caps. Don't know other than that.

10. Rog has 100+ caps and records. Sexton a lions 10 and a complete game and world class. Don't know much before but I read jack Kyle was great.

11 and 14. I'll say hicky and bowe. Lots if try's and bowe 1st choice for 2 lions tours but I don't know more after that. I think it's simon geagan who was good.

12. Don't know.

13 bod

15. I don't know.

who the fug

RuggieBear wrote: »

JACK KYLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
By far this countries greatest ever flyhalf.
I've seen him play on TV...so does that count;)

Thank you I never saw him play , he retired before was born. But all the rugby heads I know who saw him say he was the best , even Welsch gits who saw him say this.

Opening poster you should put Anthony O Reilly on the other wing to Geoghan, Sadist thing I ever saw was geoghans kids found out about him on you tube he was that fuked off with irish rugby

Snickers Man

Wow! I'd forgotten I'd posted this here. Seven years ago!!! Where did the time go?

I would update it now to replace McNeill with Rob Kearney. (Thereby reducing the disproportionate Blackrock College contingent which worried some people ) And Patterson is hanging on by a thread. If Murray plays another season at the same standard he'd make it as scrum half.

Wouldn't change any of the others though.

But that's very much a personal choice.

Fireball07

I think there is no doubt that Murray will be our best ever scrum-half. You could probably already argue it, he is world class and I don't think we've ever had a 9 operating on that level before.

Flipper22

My team (based on roughly the pro era):
1) Cian Healy. No contest.
2) Keith Wood.
3) Mike Ross. A close decision with Hayes. Two durable and highly important players in their respective eras. I think, however, that even at his peak Hayes was more of a 'survival' scrummager, whereas Ross is generally solid and occasionally destructive.
4) Mal o'kelly. Honourable mention for Donncha. Hopefully Henderson will be in this spot in a few years time.
5) POC. No contest
6) Ferris. Honourable mention for O'Mahoney and Leamy.
7) SOB. It's tough to leave Wallace out, but I think Seanie can do everything Wallace did and more besides.
8) Heaslip. Nod to Anthony Foley, but I don't think it's much of a contest really.
9) Murray. I loved Stringer but Murray is clearly an upgrade.
10) Johnny. Nod to ROG, obviously, but again Johnny is clearly better.
11) Hickie. Other good options here in Fitzgerald and Earls, who could both have pushed for inclusion were they not permanently hurt.
12) Darcy. No contest.
13) Hmmmm.....
14) Bowe. Nod to Shaggy but it's Bowe for me.
15) Kearney. Murphy was fantastically talented but flaky. Strong competition from Girve but I think, (as with SOB v Wally) Kearney can do everything girve did and more.

Bridge93

Flipper22 wrote: »

My team (based on roughly the pro era):
1) Cian Healy. No contest.
2) Jerry Flannery. Tight one here, not much to separate them in most facets of the game. Go with Flannery based on much better throwing.
3) Mike Ross. Another close one, this time with Hayes. Two durable and highly important players in their respective eras. I think, however, that even at his peak Hayes was more of a 'survival' scrummager, whereas Ross is generally solid and occasionally destructive.
4) Mal o'kelly. Honourable mention for Donncha. Hopefully Henderson will be in this spot in a few years time.
5) POC. No contest
6) Ferris. Honourable mention for O'Mahoney and Leamy.
7) SOB. It's tough to leave Wallace out, but I think Seanie can do everything Wallace did and more besides.
8) Heaslip. Nod to Anthony Foley, but I don't think it's much of a contest really.
9) Murray. I loved Stringer but Murray is clearly an upgrade.
10) Johnny. Nod to ROG, obviously, but again Johnny is clearly better.
11) Hickie. Other good options here in Fitzgerald and Earls, who could both have pushed for inclusion were they not permanently hurt.
12) Darcy. No contest.
13) Hmmmm.....
14) Bowe. Nod to Shaggy but it's Bowe for me.
15) Kearney. Murphy was fantastically talented but flaky. Strong competition from Girve but I think, (as with SOB v Wally) Kearney can do everything girve did and more.

Keith Wood would defo be ahead of Flannery.

Flipper22

Bridge93 wrote: »

Keith Wood would defo be ahead of Flannery.