If you could choose just one?

Frank Black

If you could choose one player from any team in the world to play for Ireland at this World Cup - who would you choose and why?

Given the injury to Wallace, I'd have to pick Richie McCaw - though Dan Carter would be tempting.

totallegend

Will Genia

theboss80

Gotta be Sonny BW for me at inside centre taking ball into contact and offloading to BOD.:D

Captain_Generic

Probably Paddy Wallace

thomond2006

John Hayes David Pocock

danthefan

Probably Genia. I'd also consider Nonu.

Hagz

Will Genia

CatFromHue

I would like Genia but I've been thinking we need more from our pack so Courtney Lawes would be my choice to partner POC.

Fireball07

McCaw.

thomond2006

Actually come to think of it, Quade Cooper. For two reasons:

1. We couldn't help be but entertaining.
2. We might **** up but at least we'd go down in style!

andrewdcs

Genia.

Sinfully good recently. But as the good book says, covet not thy neighbours scrumhalf.

Kiwi_knock

Has to be Genia at scrum half, would not say no to Beale at full back either.

roycon

corey jane - a definite starter in the big matches for nz on the right wing(because of the left hand off) can play full back inside and outside centre.hes an excellent passer aswell

Fight_Night

Genia. Or Bakkies Botha when he was a few years younger.

vinny chase

Tempted by Pocock, Carter (obv), SBW or Muliaina but going to go with the majority and take the absolutely brilliant Will Genia.

Edit: Good thread btw.

tolosenc

Richie Gray.

Iron Hide

Sonny Bill, Genia or Pierre Spies. Maybe Richard Kahui too but that'd be coz he's probably got the coolest name in world rugby! :P

WeeBushy

thomond2006 wrote: »

Actually come to think of it, Quade Cooper. For two reasons:

1. We couldn't help be but entertaining.
2. We might **** up but at least we'd go down in style!

On a similar vain, Rupeni Caucaunibuca. If you're going down, do it in the ridiculous!

Great thread.

Podge_irl

Another for Genia here. Impressive player, and more importantly all our scrum halves are a bit poo.

Iron Hide wrote: »

Pierre Spies

I'd take Heaslip over him every single time.

chupacabra

Genia or Pocock

GerM

McCaw/Pocock at the moment simply because we're toothless up front and aren't winning the contact areas. If we were, I'd have Genia but, as it stands, we would make Will Genia look like Will Carling with the speed/quality of ball.

bamboozle

Backies Botha to spend 80 minutes oblitorating rucks ensuring we get quick ruck ball

or McCaw or Pocock for the same reason but it would be more fun with Botha!

if it was to be a back Kurtley Beale is an amazing player, his broken field running is exactly what we need to get our backline clicking.

wixfjord

Yes indeed, I'd agree with the sentiments here!

I'm a HUGE Genia fan, so he'd be first on my list.

Pocock perhaps, though it would mean we'd have to drop someone, Ferris probably.

I'd also take Beale in a heartbeat, or Nacewa if he can be counted!

andrewdcs

bamboozle wrote: »

Backies Botha to spend 80 minutes oblitorating rucks ensuring we get quick ruck ball

or McCaw or Pocock for the same reason but it would be more fun with Botha!

if it was to be a back Kurtley Beale is an amazing player, his broken field running is exactly what we need to get our backline clicking.

Yeah, funny thing about our backline is that if you look at them all season for their respective clubs, that's exactly what they do, week in week out, some of the best in Europe.
At International level space is shut-down, better defence standard, but Beale, Cooper, Genia always LOOK to have an extra 5 yards, even if they don't. Cool head stuff, they must drive grounds staff mental, oozing class all over the place.

twinytwo

Has to be richie....

Imagine being unlucky enough to have leamy, botha, and burger in the same pack.. the yellow card would never go back in the pocket.:pac:

axel the red

Nonu; with him crossing the gain line and offloading to BOD the world would be our oyster

Mr.Applepie

twinytwo wrote: »

Has to be richie....

Imagine being unlucky enough to have leamy, botha, and burger in the same pack.. the yellow card would never go back in the pocket.:pac:

The team would start with at least an 18 point handicap

SSK

I would hope that we will have sorted out our breakdown issues before the Oz game so in that case I would definitely take Genia.

Actually any half competent scrum half would do...Pienaar or Parra would be fine.

McCaw, SBW, Gray would be next in line for me.

mrboswell

Samo.
He's the daddy of the world cup and you gotta love the hair!

LeeHoffmann

Seeing as we're in the realms of fantasy, I'd bring back Lomu. From current players, I'd pick Sonny Bill Williams

PhatPiggins

Nonu hands down. We have decent players for most positions were you might be tempted otherwise, 9/10/7/15 and so on.

simonmln

SBW inside BOD would be pretty decent.

errlloyd

Great thread.

I think I'd choose a scrum half, but possibly a kicking scrum half. Always been a big fan of Freddie Michilak and Ruan Pienaar. Be a bit of craic.

But if we could bring in any player, I think it would have to be Gareth Edwards.

Surprised more people haven't suggested hookers tbh!! John Smit anyone?

It's Genia for me. There is no other position bar sub TH prop where we have such a massive gulf in class between our available players and the best in the world.

Unfortunately Reddan, Boss nor Murray could hold a candle to this guy.

Mickiemcfist

Id get some referees like the all blacks do

JustinDee

Deleted User wrote: »

It's Genia for me. There is no other position bar sub TH prop where we have such a massive gulf in class between our available players and the best in the world.

Unfortunately Reddan, Boss nor Murray could hold a candle to this guy.

Watch Genia whenever Aussie are under pressure. Some crazy stuff that a captain would park his boot up the keyster for.
Great on front foot, in attack of course and is the form halfback of this season.

GerM

simonmln wrote: »

SBW inside BOD would be pretty decent.

Tell that to BOD.

JustinDee

JustinDee wrote: »

Watch Genia whenever Aussie are under pressure. Some crazy stuff that a captain would park his boot up the keyster for.
Great on front foot, in attack of course and is the form halfback of this season.

I watch him all the time, I'm pretty creepy about it at this stage. I just don't think there's near enough problems with his game that he's not the best #9 in the world by a long shot.

The Frenchies could probably get close to him, and Youngs might get there in a bit but that's about it.

thomond2006

JustinDee wrote: »

Watch Genia whenever Aussie are under pressure. Some crazy stuff that a captain would park his boot up the keyster for.
Great on front foot, in attack of course and is the form halfback of this season.

Meh we're well used to that having watched TOL for the last 3 years. :pac:

endabob1

errlloyd wrote: »

Great thread.

I think I'd choose a scrum half, but possibly a kicking scrum half. Always been a big fan of Freddie Michilak and Ruan Pienaar. Be a bit of craic.

But if we could bring in any player, I think it would have to be Gareth Edwards.

Surprised more people haven't suggested hookers tbh!! John Smit anyone?

Astonished that there isn't a long line of props & hookers, our weakest area imo, although I understand the calls for Genia, he's not much use behind a pack going backwards.
I'd have Bismarck du Plessis a better hooker, scrumager and better in the loose than Smit who's only in the Bok team for his captaincy.

Monty Burnz

Another vote for Caucau, but maybe not the current vintage. If choosing guys in current condition, probably McCaw. No more penalties conceded at ruck time.

corny

endabob1 wrote: »

Astonished that there isn't a long line of props & hookers, our weakest area imo, although I understand the calls for Genia, he's not much use behind a pack going backwards.
I'd have Bismarck du Plessis a better hooker, scrumager and better in the loose than Smit who's only in the Bok team for his captaincy.

Thats why i'd go for Rupeni. Built like a prop now and probably better than Tony Buckley at holding up a scrum. He could play inside centre when not scrummaging.:)

bamboozle

errlloyd wrote: »

Great thread.

I think I'd choose a scrum half, but possibly a kicking scrum half. Always been a big fan of Freddie Michilak and Ruan Pienaar. Be a bit of craic.

But if we could bring in any player, I think it would have to be Gareth Edwards.

Surprised more people haven't suggested hookers tbh!! John Smit anyone?

he is about 2 years past his prime, comical if he starts ahead of Bismark du Plessis who is the best hooker in the world currently

bamboozle

GerM wrote: »

Tell that to BOD.

padser

PhatPiggins wrote: »

We have decent players for most positions were you might be tempted otherwise, 9/10/7/15 and so on.

No we don't.

9 - I have no idea who we will pick - but whoever it is he woulnd't make it into a list of the top 15 scrumhalves in the world.

7 - We have a world class 6 who can cover 7 or a HC class 7 who is essentially untested at international level

15 - We have a FB who was world class 2 years and spent one year off form (I thought Fitz was going to take the FB jersey from him at the beginning of last season) and one year injured and has the grand total of 2 games under his belt.


Nonu is a good player, but if you were listing most influential positions on the pitch, inside centre would be fairly far down on that list

shuffol

Fourie du Preez, still a class act and for me suits our style better than Genia

twinytwo

bamboozle wrote: »

he is about 2 years past his prime, comical if he starts ahead of Bismark du Plessis who is the best hooker in the world currently

I was thinking the same thing... but as he is el cap-e-tan he will start. But when you have matfield jumping the hooker does not really matter.

twinytwo

padser wrote: »

No we don't.

9 - I have no idea who we will pick - but whoever it is he woulnd't make it into a list of the top 15 scrumhalves in the world.

7 - We have a world class 6 who can cover 7 or a HC class 7 who is essentially untested at international level

15 - We have a FB who was world class 2 years and spent one year off form (I thought Fitz was going to take the FB jersey from him at the beginning of last season) and one year injured and has the grand total of 2 games under his belt.


Nonu is a good player, but if you were listing most influential positions on the pitch, inside centre would be fairly far down on that list

Give murray a season or 2... he is going to be awesome.

bamboozle

twinytwo wrote: »

Give murray a season or 2... he is going to be awesome.

is murray really this good? in his appearances off the bench i havent seen a whole lot, poor kicking slick pass, can he break?

bamboozle

bamboozle wrote: »

is murray really this good? in his appearances off the bench i havent seen a whole lot, poor kicking slick pass, can he break?

he's not there yet. Lot of raw talent. Like twinytwo says, we need to give him time.

But right now, no, he's not anywhere near the top 15 which was the original post.

twinytwo

bamboozle wrote: »

is murray really this good? in his appearances off the bench i havent seen a whole lot, poor kicking slick pass, can he break?

The difference between his kicking and say TOL is he gives it short and high so you actually have some hope of getting to the ball, rather than ****ing everyone over by gifting the other team a counter attack.