Worlds best player...

Fishtits

From an interview at the press conference announcing his three year signing for Racing-Metro, Frans Steyn was asked whether he agreed with many in France who declared him as the best player in the world (!)

His reply: "I think you've got me mixed up with Brian O'Driscoll."

Go BOD!


For the record, I'm a huge fan of FS, anyone that can slot a penalty from 65 yds at ease is special. But that's it IMHO.

twinytwo

damn straight....

"They call him God, well i reckon hes a better player than that"

-Stuart Barnes on O'Driscoll, after the genius tore the best SH team of pro era 2001 Australia a brand new "A" hole with break after break for the Lions. In 2000 O'Driscoll single handedly beat France in their own backyard in Six nations with hat trick of tries in Paris...8 weeks earlier same French team MAULED new zealand in '99 WC semi

.

[Jackass]

Right now he has a strong case for the best player in the world.

Won player of the 6 nations, captained Ireland to grand slam, top try scorer in 6 nations, scored IRFU "Try of the season" v Australia, won Heineken Cup along with Rocky as the instrumental player, top try scorer in the Heineken Cup, scored arguably try of the season in the Heineken Cup v Wasps, dead cert for Lions first 15.....

World player of the year coming his way? If he has a good Lions Tour and good Autumn series, I don't see how he can't win it.

jank

The thing is the SH dont rate him. They think mortlock is a better 13.

bamboozle

well last years world player of the year Williams has been replaced by a small man who runs sideways and doesnt pass, he's having a shocker of a lions tour.

corigi

bamboozle wrote: »

well last years world player of the year Williams has been replaced by a small man who runs sideways and doesnt pass, he's having a shocker of a lions tour.

+1

No way he should start any of tests at the moment.

keane2097

jank wrote: »

The thing is the SH dont rate him. They think mortlock is a better 13.

Jesus I'm so sick of hearing that - they don't fcuking rate anyone down there.

Evil_Clown

jank wrote: »

The thing is the SH dont rate him. They think mortlock is a better 13.

I'm not sure the SH would rate Superman if he was from the NH.

keane2097

Evil_Clown wrote: »

I'm not sure the SH would rate Superman if he was from the NH.

Or at least they'd say he's not as good as Sterling fúcking Mortlock :rolleyes:

Nelson Muntz

He is having a great year. As much as i didn't like him before, I would pick him ahead of Mortlock & I am from Aus.

Lots of chips on shoulders of NH rugby fans.

keane2097

Nelson Muntz wrote: »

He is having a great year. As much as i didn't like him before, I would pick him ahead of Mortlock & I am from Aus.

Lots of chips on shoulders of NH rugby fans.

Lots of condescension from SH rugby fans :rolleyes:

Surprise surprise

Nelson Muntz

So me saying he is the best centre in the world is being condescending?

keane2097

Nelson Muntz wrote: »

So me saying he is the best centre in the world is being condescending?

The other bit obviously.

Nelson Muntz

What I meant was that I didn't like the role he had to play under Eddie.

Since Kidney has taken over & he is allowed to run lines & be creative rather than run crash ball, he is playing his best rugby in years.

toomevara

Objectively, between Mortlock and BOD there's precisely nothing. Two rugby legends at the peak of their powers..leave the 'mine is bigger than yours' stuff to the mongs..

Here's a more interesting question, who's the best piano-shifter in the world?..don't you just hate the way the "best player in the world" always has to be a member of the LBBLU (Lady Boys Back Line Union) glamour squad, just because they get to dot the bleedin' ball down a lot and have fizzogs that don't frighten babies and please the laydees....no justice in rugby at all...

Was it Parisse? Has his crown slipped? What about Martyn Williams the Welsh Wizard? or our own POC, peace be upon him...the magnificent Mr. Matlock? The Wonderful Kiwi Williams?

keane2097

Matlock imo

Serenity Now!

jank wrote: »

The thing is the SH dont rate him. They think mortlock is a better 13.

Really? Where can you quote this entire hemisphere from? (if its Campese, Zavos or Fitzsimmons, put it in the bin with your claim).

TarfHead

On recent form, Elsom.

As for Mortlock - I think the Brumbies shunted him out to the wing a few weeks ago ? If current form is a criterion, then Mortlock isn't a contender.

The Lions test series and NZ/AUS matches against France may change some views. Is Spies the real deal ? Can Du Preez sustain his Bulls S14 form ?

subfreq

Elsom and Giteau are ahead of Mortlock in the Aussie squad but if you want to see a world class player make his debut then watch tomorrow morning to see O'Connor start at fullback. Un-natural talent for a guy who is not even 20 yet!

Without doubt for me BOD is currently the best player in the world. Based on sustained form for club and country since the beginning of the year.

This round of Internationals might throw Elsom or Matfield into the frame but BOD is in that vintage part of his career where he has so much experience added to form that he has kind of gone beyond his position and doing something new with the jersey at times.

nerophis

TarfHead wrote: »

On recent form, Elsom.

Without doubt

Serenity Now!

This is all very Ali v Tyson, isn't it?

How the hell is it is possible to say who is the 'best rugby union player in the world' given all these names are all in different positions doing entirely different things (and during a pre-intl season set of friendlies too).

toomevara

Serenity Now! wrote: »

This is all very Ali v Tyson, isn't it?

How the hell is it is possible to say who is the 'best rugby union player in the world' given all these names are all in different positions doing entirely different things (and during a pre-intl season set of friendlies too).

QFT....cue yet another World's best XV thread...how about a world's worst XV thread,limited to top tier unions (6N and SH) now that'd be fun...

subfreq

My two points for judgement were sustained form for club and country plus whether they were simply good in there position or taking it somewhere new.

I totally agree with you though that with the timings of the NH and SH season being out of sync it's almost impossible.

BOD has 6 months behind him so gets the nod but after a round of games in the next 3 weekends we will have a better point of comparison.

Tomtom364

i dont think you can name any one player as the best in the world as all the postitions are so different.

for example. go compare BOD to the best prop in the world. BOD would always seem to be the best player due to the simple fact that backs are more flashy and score more tries then brusing forwards

ALH-06

toomevara wrote: »

Objectively, between Mortlock and BOD there's precisely nothing. Two rugby legends at the peak of their powers..leave the 'mine is bigger than yours' stuff to the mongs..

Here's a more interesting question, who's the best piano-shifter in the world?..don't you just hate the way the "best player in the world" always has to be a member of the LBBLU (Lady Boys Back Line Union) glamour squad, just because they get to dot the bleedin' ball down a lot and have fizzogs that don't frighten babies and please the laydees....no justice in rugby at all...

Was it Parisse? Has his crown slipped? What about Martyn Williams the Welsh Wizard? or our own POC, peace be upon him...the magnificent Mr. Matlock? The Wonderful Kiwi Williams?

LBBLU? Come out of it, there's a lot of people here that would say Elsom is the best player in the world. Likewise McCaw / Burger etc in the recent past. How many times has BOD won Player of the Year? And for the latter, by the way - it's not just the fact that he scores a disproportionate number of tries on the pitch. It's as much about his leadership, influence on the pitch, workrate and, of course, the all-round top drawer excellence of his game. There's also that rare ability to grab a match by the scruff of the neck, which I think is absolutely unmatched by any other player in the world now. Ireland v England this year was as much a one-man-show as I can ever remember in rugby union. Inspiring stuff.

Here's a recent Gerry Thornley article pertaining to the same point.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2009/0609/1224248415696.html

'Precisely nothing' between BOD and Mortlock? Sounds like you've carried out scientific experiments and have come up with an indesputable, fact-based conclusion. I'll beg to differ, for the reasons mentioned above.

anonymous_joe

Unlike say football it's almost impossible for rugby to have a 'best' player.

Certainly not this season, but in recent years Richie McCaw's been the world's best openside. But that's got bugger all to do with the world's best full back (I'd suggest Muliaina way ahead of a chasing pack of Lee Byrne, Rob Kearney, Murphy, Armitage and that 18 year old Aussie kid. ).

From a back's perspective, I'd say that you could make an argument for O'Driscoll being the best outside back in the world. Defensively he's unreal, he's got flair and runs fantastic lines.

Stev_o

Parisse for me. I defy you to find me a picture where a rugby player mixes awkwardness with awesomeness at the same time.

toomevara

ALH-06 wrote: »

'Precisely nothing' between BOD and Mortlock? Sounds like you've carried out scientific experiments and have come up with an indesputable, fact-based conclusion. I'll beg to differ, for the reasons mentioned above.

Arrah jaysis...ferfecksakkes, I give up, why must all these threads end up with folk taking mortal offence at innocuous lighthearted comments..BOD is the best in the world, he's a God, there ya go...think I made my opinion on BOD abundantly clear when I started the following thread....

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055573045

Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to get back to my lab, I've got Schalk Burger, Ali Williams and Rocky Elsom in a wind tunnel, testing their aerodynamic properties...Ali Williams' colossal ear flaps are playing havoc with his readings....

Watch this space for yet more Indisputable, fact based conclusions....tomorrow its the "BOD v Gavin Henson, which is the bigger gay icon" face-off...I'll be showing naked images of both to a cross section of the gay population of San Francisco, wired up, of course to a tumescence detector....at last an empirical response to rugby's most crucial question....

Stev_o

toomevara wrote: »

Watch this space for yet more Indisputable, fact based conclusions....tomorrow its the "BOD v Gavin Henson, which is the bigger gay icon" face-off...I'll be showing naked images of both to a cross section of the gay population of San Francisco, wired up, of course to a tumescence detector....at last an empirical response to rugby's most crucial question....

Nah they;v both lost to Ben Cohen.

anonymous_joe

toomevara wrote: »

Arrah jaysis...ferfecksakkes, I give up, why must all these threads end up with folk taking mortal offence at innocuous lighthearted comments..BOD is the best in the world, he's a God, there ya go...think I made my opinion on BOD abundantly clear when I started the following thread....

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055573045

Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to get back to my lab, I've got Schalk Burger, Ali Williams and Rocky Elsom in a wind tunnel, testing their aerodynamic properties...Ali Williams' colossal ear flaps are playing havoc with his readings....

Watch this space for yet more Indisputable, fact based conclusions....tomorrow its the "BOD v Gavin Henson, which is the bigger gay icon" face-off...I'll be showing naked images of both to a cross section of the gay population of San Francisco, wired up, of course to a tumescence detector....at last an empirical response to rugby's most crucial question....

I'd reckon Henson. Or the entire Stade Francais squad. ^^

Crash

toomevara wrote: »

tumescence detector....

Thats just made my day in work that teeny bit more disturbing.

handsomecake

muliaina.
matfield.
giteau.
mccaw
nonu.

close between the above 5.


daniel carter when fit is the best.

Amabokke

I don't think you can say for definite who the best player in the world is. Yea sure Shane Williams currently holds the IRB player of the year trophy but on current form not playing well.

How can you compare a very good outhalf in Dan Carter or Matt Giteau to a flanker in Rocky Elsom's position? Both players in their positions are great but one isn't necessary better than the other.

BOD was at one time the best centre but at the moment there are some other good ones too. Again, how can a good centre in BOD be compared to a fullback's position like Lee Byrne or best scrumhalf in Fourie du Preez.

When you ask for the best 15 then it is easy to put a team on sheet unless there is a rugby player out there who has played from 1 -15 and succeeded at each position.

toomevara

Amabokke wrote: »

When you ask for the best 15 then it is easy to put a team on sheet unless there is a rugby player out there who has played from 1 -15 and succeeded at each position.

That would be me , but tragically my career was cut short by drink and women...sigh, if only the rugby world knew what it missed out on...

Amabokke

toomevara wrote: »

That would be me , but tragically my career was cut short by drink and women...sigh, if only the rugby world knew what it missed out on...

Were you a good hooker then?

davyjose

toomevara wrote: »

..don't you just hate the way the "best player in the world" always has to be a member of the LBBLU (Lady Boys Back Line Union) glamour squad, just because they get to dot the bleedin' ball down a lot and have fizzogs that don't frighten babies and please the laydees....no justice in rugby at all...

Like Wood, McCaw and Burger? (I'm almost certain this has been pointed out already, but I haven't read the whole thread)

Besides, I'm not too sure the SH don't rate BOD. When I was in NZ during the '03 WC, a number of people expressed their admiration for him. And 2 years later they clearly saw him as a threat on the Lions tour.

I think it would be crimnal if the award never went to O'Driscoll, and considering he actually does deserve it, why not actually give it to him this year, rather than make it a sympathy award (a bit like giggsy in the English premiership this year). I'll be stunned if he's overlooked.

ALH-06

toomevara wrote: »

Watch this space for yet more Indisputable, fact based conclusions....tomorrow its the "BOD v Gavin Henson, which is the bigger gay icon" face-off...I'll be showing naked images of both to a cross section of the gay population of San Francisco, wired up, of course to a tumescence detector....at last an empirical response to rugby's most crucial question....

Has to be Freddy Michalak. Not in my opinion like... Just from eh what I've heard, eh.. yeah.

Dumbledore

gcgirl

Ben Cohen is the Biggest Gay icon!! according to most of my gay pals!

twinytwo

Amabokke wrote: »

I don't think you can say for definite who the best player in the world is. Yea sure Shane Williams currently holds the IRB player of the year trophy but on current form not playing well.

How can you compare a very good outhalf in Dan Carter or Matt Giteau to a flanker in Rocky Elsom's position? Both players in their positions are great but one isn't necessary better than the other.

BOD was at one time the best centre but at the moment there are some other good ones too. Again, how can a good centre in BOD be compared to a fullback's position like Lee Byrne or best scrumhalf in Fourie du Preez.

When you ask for the best 15 then it is easy to put a team on sheet unless there is a rugby player out there who has played from 1 -15 and succeeded at each position.

I think you can... because it is the truly great players the win games.. that do things most other couldnt... players like Carter and O'Driscoll etc are head and shoulders above the rest... O'Driscoll at his best would have walked onto any test side on the planet as would Carter and McCaw

twinytwo

handsomecake wrote: »

muliaina.
matfield.
giteau.
mccaw
nonu.

close between the above 5.


daniel carter when fit is the best.

Come out of the SH much?

jank

Serenity Now! wrote: »

Really? Where can you quote this entire hemisphere from? (if its Campese, Zavos or Fitzsimmons, put it in the bin with your claim).

From watching the media here in NZ the last 7 months. BOD is playing the best rugby of his life, yet I have not heard it once here that he was playing well. Then when they talk about Australia its Mortlock this Mortlock that....

TBH I agree that the SH dont really rate anyone from the NH.

ManoCornuta

I dunno, how do you compare all the different positions to one another? There's some crossover between the positions, but can you really compare a centre to a hooker?

I never liked BOD before this year, I dunno why, he just irritated me, but so long as I don't have to listen to him speak, I'd say he's definitely up in the top rankings.

twinytwo

jank wrote: »

From watching the media here in NZ the last 7 months. BOD is playing the best rugby of his life, yet I have not heard it once here that he was playing well. Then when they talk about Australia its Mortlock this Mortlock that....

TBH I agree that the SH dont really rate anyone from the NH.

Ah you see ur in NZ.. they dont care if he isnt an all black.. besides the likes of Drico etc have made **** of some of the best the SH have to offer.. Chris Jack returned to NZ after a spell up here because he didnt do much at all but moans to the NZ press about how easy it is even though he was a joke but u look at players who played well like elsom and howlett and they say the opposite so what can ya do.. Besides if the SH was as awesome as they like to think they are why is it the likes of NZ recieve a kick in the nuts from France every four years

twinytwo

ManoCornuta wrote: »

I dunno, how do you compare all the different positions to one another? There's some crossover between the positions, but can you really compare a centre to a hooker?

I never liked BOD before this year, I dunno why, he just irritated me, but so long as I don't have to listen to him speak, I'd say he's definitely up in the top rankings.

Your from Galway can you comment?

ALH-06

handsomecake wrote: »

muliaina.
matfield.
giteau.
mccaw
nonu.

close between the above 5.


daniel carter when fit is the best.

Nope.

Nonu? Come on...

jank

Well Nonu is regarded by the kiwis as the best back in the world....

eagle eye

McCaw is a fanstastic player. I don't think you can just pick out a player who is the best on the planet.

For me Brian O'Driscoll for what he has done in his career stands atop an all time Irish list and contends for best NH player of all time. This season the man has been exceptional and inspirational as a leader.

In many ways McCaw reminds me of O'Driscoll even though they play totally different positions. The guy gives 110% to the cause in every game and has that natural ability to do things unexpected. He is also a great leader just like BOD.

Without doubt Steyne is the best kicker in the world, he is just unreal, and he is a fantastic player as well.

davyjose

ManoCornuta wrote: »

so long as I don't have to listen to him speak

What a ****ing idiotic thing to say, particularly on a Rugby forum.

<<<<< AH is that way

NickNolte

ManoCornuta wrote: »

I never liked BOD before this year, I dunno why, he just irritated me, but so long as I don't have to listen to him speak,

It probably has something to do with the vast increase in obnoxious malcontentism which has seen a huge jump in the number of numpties who are happy to berate somebody as long as it's from the safety and anonymity of the internet.

My suggestion is that, if you don't even know why you don't like someone, just keep your mouth shut less everyone thinks you're a complete jackass.

GymJim

NickNolte wrote: »

It probably has something to do with the vast increase in obnoxious malcontentism which has seen a huge jump in the number of numpties who are happy to berate somebody as long as it's from the safety and anonymity of the internet.

My suggestion is that, if you don't even know why you don't like someone, just keep your mouth shut less everyone thinks you're a complete jackass.

+1

Well put.