Brian O Driscoll

Bugnug

Is Brian O Driscoll the greatest rugby player of all time?

Noffles

no

chris85

He is high on the list as far as i am concerned. bit bias maybe being Irish and all. He has improved so much in the last number years when people said he was overrated. He improved his defence and built up very well and he a fantastic team player and an immense leader and a great playmaker.

Greatest one ever is a hard one.

Ciaran-Irl

Who is?

From my time watching the game, I might go for Lomu. Not just for how he played, though that was great, but because he brought Rugby into the mainstream. He made rugby cool for many, many people.

bamboozle

he's one of the greatest attackers but probably not the best, he's certainly one of the greatest defenders, there are very few players of his size who can put manners on far bigger players & steal so much ball on the ground
As a captain his record of victories is amazing.
so when i look at it that way i cant see many players who 'pound for pound' are more rounded rugby players than him.

thomond2006

Lomu made the greatest impact on the sport and was an icon of rugby all over the world.

BOD is an excellent player and the best centre of the professional era but he doesn't have the worldwide iconic status that Lomu had.

Jack Kyle has always been reputed as the best player ever.

Risteard

It's too hard to say who the best player ever is in Rugby as positions are so varied. e.g. can you really compare a silky running back to a bruising bulky forward? Not IMO.

Brian O'Driscoll is certainly the best centre in my relatively short life time, but that's my opinion.

zAbbo

BOD's importance transcends what he does on the pitch or how he's placed in the all time list.

His importance will be seen over the next generation of players (8-10 years), who have grown up watching a home grown superstar giving them belief that they too can become captain of Province, Country, the Lions, win leagues, win HCups, go to RWC's, win Grand Slams etc.

Shoota

Yes he is, I am totally biased though That try against Australia for the lions, is still my favorite sporting moment ever............

OldJay

Risteard wrote: »

Brian O'Driscoll is certainly the best centre in my relatively short life time, but that's my opinion.

In my opinion, Tim Horan has that title. With Helmet as an inside centre, Brian O'Driscoll would be my top outside centre of the game since the open pro-era began anyway.
He's probably the most iconic Irish sporting personality and has captained the most successful Irish professional team.
Long may this continue (this is where you say 'Amen' )

Little, Bunce and Stanley were also phenomenal centres.

Risteard

Justind wrote: »

In my opinion, Tim Horan has that title. With Helmet as an inside centre, Brian O'Driscoll would be my top outside centre of the game since the open pro-era began anyway.
He's probably the most iconic Irish sporting personality and has captained the most successful Irish professional team.
Long may this continue (this is where you say 'Amen' )

Little, Bunce and Stanley were also phenomenal centres.

Never saw Tim Horan play. Only started watching Rugby when I started playing which was about 9/10 years ago. So basically this current generation is the first one I'd be that familiar with.

thomond2006

Good call on Horan* justind, probably the most underrated centre in the pro era.







*Sorry Marcus, but you just can't cut it in the backline. :pac:

OldJay

thomond2006 wrote: »

Good call on Horan* justind, probably the most underrated centre in the pro era

He was a sight to behold either with Bernie Larkham at 10 on one side of him and Dan Herbert on the other at outside centre, complimenting a back three of Tune, Roff and Burke or earlier with the almost faultless Michael Lynagh at 10 and Jason Little at 13.

corny

Greatest rugby player of all time?

I've seen lots of polls on this and Gareth Edwards always tops the poll. Scored the greatest try ever too!

OldJay

corny wrote: »

Scored the greatest try ever too!

Forward pass . . .

bamboozle

Justind wrote: »

He was a sight to behold either with Bernie Larkham at 10 on one side of him and Dan Herbert on the other at outside centre, complimenting a back three of Tune, Roff and Burke or earlier with the almost faultless Michael Lynagh at 10 and Jason Little at 13.

yeah him and Little in the centre were awesome, similar to BOD and Darcy in that they were not big men

d'Oracle

thomond2006 wrote: »

Jack Kyle has always been reputed as the best player ever.

Or Gibson. Or Edwards.

And Someone else said Lomu. Really?
Somebody define great player here, because IMO one would have to be actually generally good to take that.
Rather than a juggernaught with sorely limited defensive ability.

OldJay

bamboozle wrote: »

yeah him and Little in the centre were awesome, similar to BOD and Darcy in that they were not big men

Jason Little was actually a big fella. Was definitely over 6" tall and definitely over 90kg. And I'd say Tim Horan wasn't far off him.

gcgirl

Nearly sure i heard somewhere that BOD say that he thought Tim Horan was the center to aspire to ! It'll be fun to look in time 10yrs to see who we'll be talking about !

Bugnug

I cannot subscibe to the idea that Jonah Lomu is the greatest player of all time and I suspect the people who say this know very little about rugby. These are the kind of people that say Mohammed Ali is the greatest sports person of all time. Tired and predictable.

The professional era of rugby is what has made the game what it is not Jonah Lomu. Lomu was a powerhouse rugby player with phenominal speed. His reading of the game and his defence were poor. He did not have a great rugby brain.

Brian O Driscoll in my opinion is the greatest rugby player certainly of the last 10 years for his skill, speed, defence, tenacity and outstanding leadership.

By the way Mike Gibson is regarded as the greatest player of all time not Jack Kyle.

In time his place will be taken by Brian O Driscoll.

OldJay

Bugnug wrote: »

Tired and predictable

'Greatest Ever' or 'Top 10' lists are tired and predictable.
Usually just develops into oneupmanship backed up by nothing but endless wikis or 'facts' (in other words, opinions).

For many, Lomu was the greatest player they'd seen. No biggie.
He's not mine but the popular myths about his defence are about as true as him being a 'Tongan' poached by NZ.
Lomu wasn't 'slow on the turn' or a doofus in his back-three patterns. His left shoulder was the side to go for but following his move to the Waikato Chiefs from Auckland Blues, he improved on using the sideline as extra forcing his opponent outside all the time. He was very strong on his right-hand side. Some of the career best tries that he scored or set up were counter-attacking moves from kicks overhead so forgive me if I laugh when people say he was 'found out' with the kick-over.

His best ever seasons in my view were in 1999 and 2000 seasons for both the All Blacks and his S12 teams of that time, the Chiefs then the Hurricanes. He was only around 19 or 20 yrs old when he hit the stage running in 1995. Lomu learned heaps as he progressed encountering some great coaches, and his career was only cut down by his kidney disease.

Greatest ever player?
Who knows? Who cares?

Sangre

I don't care if he is the greatest ever; I'm just bloody glad he is ours.

danthefan

Best Irish player I've seen, I haven't been around since ~1850 so I couldn't say if he's the best of all time.

boksmashoffice

Horan was an awesome centre but more importantly a class guy off the pitch. BOD lacks class outside the pitch (refusing a drink with oppisition after game). Need I say more?

yosser hughes

boksmashoffice wrote: »

Horan was an awesome centre but more importantly a class guy off the pitch. BOD lacks class outside the pitch (refusing a drink with oppisition after game). Need I say more?

You know that do you? Seems like a nice guy to me.
Phil Bennett was a great player,JPR Williams, Mike Gibson as well. Too many to mention. O'Driscoll is in that company for sure. His all round game is superb and he is fearless.

Judgement Day

boksmashoffice wrote: »

Horan was an awesome centre but more importantly a class guy off the pitch. BOD lacks class outside the pitch (refusing a drink with oppisition after game). Need I say more?

Please don't if that is the limit of your contribution!

Greatest player or not he is defintely the most exciting Irish player that I have ever seen and I've been watching the game here since the late 1960's. A good comparison from another sport would be England cricketing star Ian Botham - perhaps the latter was a bit wilder but both outstanding players and when they were on the pitch/wicket anything is/was possible.

OldJay

Judgement Day wrote: »

A good comparison from another sport would be England cricketing star Ian Botham - perhaps the latter was a bit wilder but both outstanding players and when they were on the pitch/wicket anything is/was possible.

A good contrast however is that Brian O'Driscoll is an excellent skipper. Botham wasn't.

subfreq

I don't even think BOD is the greatest player of the professional era. That honour goes to George Gregan for me.

From recent times both Horan and Frank Bunce were amazing centres, Umaga also rates.

Tp push himself into the class of real all time legend he must lead a team to victory against the All Blacks and make a serious dent in his swan song at the the next World Cup.

Bugnug

subfreq wrote: »

I don't even think BOD is the greatest player of the professional era. That honour goes to George Gregan for me.

From recent times both Horan and Frank Bunce were amazing centres, Umaga also rates.

Tp push himself into the class of real all time legend he must lead a team to victory against the All Blacks and make a serious dent in his swan song at the the next World Cup.

Please please do not get involved in a debate that you cleary know nothing about. George Gregan wasn't even one of the best ever scrum halves never mind the greatest player of all time. You're obviously Australian or mad!

Now lads how about naming your all time 15.

subfreq

I said best player of professional era not all time.

Gregan since professionalism wins hands down for me.

Bugnug

subfreq wrote: »

I said best player of professional era not all time.

Gregan since professionalism wins hands down for me.

Your wrong mate. George Gregan is not the best at anything of any era and if you are Austrailian then you are insulting a litany of amazing Aussie rugby players, Campese, Eales, Lynah, Horan, George Smith, and even the new kid on the block Pocock. Do you even know the names I have mentioned. I doubt it because if you did then you would know that you are not making sense. Give me your reasons for choosing Gregan because I just dont get it???

foreman1916

for my time watchinhg rugby it would have to be richie mccaw.

but i would say cullen was probablely the best of the lot.

Sangre

Bugnug wrote: »

Your wrong mate. George Gregan is not the best at anything of any era and if you are Austrailian then you are insulting a litany of amazing Aussie rugby players, Campese, Eales, Lynah, Horan, George Smith, and even the new kid on the block Pocock. Do you even know the names I have mentioned. I doubt it because if you did then you would know that you are not making sense. Give me your reasons for choosing Gregan because I just dont get it???

Did you really just compare Pocock to George '139 caps' Gregan?

myflipflops

That I have seen in the flesh - Martin Johnson (I have a leaning towards forward play though).

2nd - Eddie Hekenui

In another point, the game has cahnged so much in the past 10/15 years that it is nearly a different sport to what was played in the 50's, 60's, 70's, 80's.

Comparisons between players from different era's are basically irrelevant (although fun!) so I can only judge from what I have seen.

Bugnug

Sangre wrote: »

Did you really just compare Pocock to George '139 caps' Gregan?

Ever heard the saying "quality not quantity" What your saying has no relevance. Mal O Kelly is one of Irelands most capped players if not the most capped? but he is no Jamie Heaslip!

Bugnug

Here is my top 15,

1. Jason Leonard
2. Keith Wood
3. Os Du randt
4. John Eales
5. Paul O Connell
6. Jean Pierre Rives
7. Michael Jones
8. Zinzane Brooke
9. Gareth Edwards
10. Dan Carter
11. Gerald Davies
12. Tim Horan
13. Brian O Driscoll
14. David Campese
15. Serge Blanco

boksmashoffice

Bugnug wrote: »

Here is my top 15,

1. Jason Leonard
2. Keith Wood
3. Os Du randt
4. John Eales
5. Paul O Connell
6. Jean Pierre Rives
7. Michael Jones
8. Zinzane Brooke
9. Gareth Edwards
10. Dan Carter
11. Gerald Davies
12. Tim Horan
13. Brian O Driscoll
14. David Campese
15. Serge Blanco

Smit and Fitzy are on a different planet compared to Woods.

siltirocker

boksmashoffice wrote: »

Smit and Fitzy are on a different planet compared to Woods.

:eek: Are you serious?

I'd have Wood at Hooker b4 Smit in a heart beat man! And i suggest most posters on this forum would agree! Man, i'd have Moore ahead of him too!

Fitzy was an awesome All Black though!

Bugnug

boksmashoffice wrote: »

Smit and Fitzy are on a different planet compared to Woods.

You're on a different planet mate. Jon Smit ahead of Keith Wood, are you serious! Yes I agree that Fitzy was a super player and it was a tight call between the two. Keith Wood brought that running dynamic play that made him different from all other hookers. Unstopable from close range.

Come on lads no challenge to my top 15?

handsomecake

i think most people have a natural bias to players who played while we were alive etc and thats fair. i was born in 1984 and the best ive seen is christian cullen.
richie mccaw and dan carter are true greats also and god knows how much more they can do.carter is the all time leading all black points scorer and at a conservative guess could play for 5 more years.

john eales,tim horan,keith wood,tana umaga,bernie larkham, gets honourable mentions.


i think o driscoll is the greatest irish player of all time though

Bugnug

myflipflops wrote: »

That I have seen in the flesh - Martin Johnson (I have a leaning towards forward play though).

2nd - Eddie Hekenui

In another point, the game has cahnged so much in the past 10/15 years that it is nearly a different sport to what was played in the 50's, 60's, 70's, 80's.

Comparisons between players from different era's are basically irrelevant (although fun!) so I can only judge from what I have seen.

Eddie Hekewho??????????

anonymous_joe

myflipflops wrote: »

That I have seen in the flesh - Martin Johnson (I have a leaning towards forward play though).

2nd - Eddie Hekenui

In another point, the game has cahnged so much in the past 10/15 years that it is nearly a different sport to what was played in the 50's, 60's, 70's, 80's.

Comparisons between players from different era's are basically irrelevant (although fun!) so I can only judge from what I have seen.

Bugnug wrote: »

Eddie Hekewho??????????

Indeed? Wtf?

Aidric

Ciaran-Irl wrote: »

Who is?

From my time watching the game, I might go for Lomu. Not just for how he played, though that was great, but because he brought Rugby into the mainstream. He made rugby cool for many, many people.

Lomu, greatest player off all time? Lol, that's ridiculous stuff. Serge Blanco gets my vote.

myflipflops

Bugnug wrote: »

Eddie Hekewho??????????

anonymous_joe wrote: »

Indeed? Wtf?

A legendary Leinster outhalf from around 2000 for all the wrong reasons.

Arguably the worst player ever to wear the blue and grace Donnybrook. Certainly the worst player I've personally seen represent Leinster in the flesh.

anonymous_joe

myflipflops wrote: »

A legendary Leinster outhalf from around 2000 for all the wrong reasons.

Arguably the worst player ever to wear the blue and grace Donnybrook. Certainly the worst player I've personally seen represent Leinster in the flesh.

I know who he is. I thought you were calling him the best you'd ever seen... :pac:

twinytwo

its easy he is one of the few players that would walk into any team that has ever set foot on a rugby pitch... greatest ever?.. maybe.. in the greatest 3 ever definitely. At his best not a player around that could touch him

OldJay

Bugnug wrote: »

Come on lads no challenge to my top 15

Your choices are spread across decades of rugby union. The game has changed hugely over the past 15 years. As I've said before in these 'Tyson v Ali' threads, gone are the days of pints the night before a game and half-time ciggies.

handsomecake

ive thought about this a bit more and i reckon when carter and mccaw retire,we will have had the pleasure of witnessing the two best players in the world ever. i cant split them.

top point scoring all black of all time and mccaw will probably break fitzpatricks test caps record.

i think they are peerless in their respective positions.

i can only really comment on players ive seen in my time,eg ive never seen rod laver play tennis, garfield sobers play cricket or fangio in formula 1, but their records speak for themselves.its a very subjective subject.people tend to side with players from our era...............tiger woods,federer,ronaldo,schumacher etc

carter ,mccaw,cullen

2040

handsomecake wrote: »

ive thought about this a bit more and i reckon when carter and mccaw retire,we will have had the pleasure of witnessing the two best players in the world ever. i cant split them.

top point scoring all black of all time and mccaw will probably break fitzpatricks test caps record.

i think they are peerless in their respective positions.

i can only really comment on players ive seen in my time,eg ive never seen rod laver play tennis, garfield sobers play cricket or fangio in formula 1, but their records speak for themselves.its a very subjective subject.people tend to side with players from our era...............tiger woods,federer,ronaldo,schumacher etc

carter ,mccaw,cullen

Players will only get better as time goes on though. Federer is the best tennis player of all time. Woods is the best golfer of all time. BOD, Carter and McCaw etc are the best rugby players of all time. With new technologies, training methods etc in the future, players will only get better. When people put Jack Kyle in an all time Irish XV, it's a relative thing. He was great at the time.

narwog81

far too drunk to comment on the thread at a whole but christian cullen is peerless at 15.....imo of course:D

maddness

Whatever about the best player ever, he is without doubt the greatest Irish rugby player ever. I never thought another man could give me so much pleasure for so long!:eek: