Blues all time XV

[Gunner]

Woodcock
Fitzpatrick
Brown
Williams
R Brooke
Kaino
Jones
Z Brooke
Devine
Spencer
Rupeni
Tuitupou
Clarke
Lomu
Mils

Mealamu
Dowd
Faumuina
Luatua
Blowers
Tonu’u
Evans
Howlett

Gone with Evans as he was a bloody good player, despite only being there one year. Covers 10/15
Can afford to have a 14/15 on the bench as Mils covers midfield.

[Duluth]

@gunner said in All time Blues XV:

Gone with Evans as he was a bloody good player, despite only being there one year. Covers 10/15

Good player obviously, but I struggle to put Evans in an all time Blues team when his form for the Blues was poor. He was replaced by Nacewa that year

[Gunner]

@duluth said in All time Blues XV:

@gunner said in All time Blues XV:

Gone with Evans as he was a bloody good player, despite only bkeing there one year. Covers 10/15

Good player obviously, but I struggle to put Evans in an all time Blues team when his form for the Blues was poor. He was replaced by Nacewa that year

Fair enough - my memory of his form whilst at the Blues is poor.

[ACT Crusader]

I’d have Rok ahead of Lomu. His record at the Blues over a long period was excellent. I think overall Rok was better for the Blues.

Howlett ahead of Mils. And even though he was only there for a relatively short period, Caucau was simply awesome in a Blues jersey.

I was a big fan of both Eroni Clarke and Tuitupo.

Spencer full stop. No other 10 in Blues history comes close. Mertz was better though....

[mariner4life]

Cashmore
Doug
Clarke
Tuitupo
Rupeni
Carlos
Devine
Zinny
Braid
MJ
Brooke
Williams
Brown
Fitzy
Dowd

[Crucial]

Mils ahead of Cashmore with Nacewa on bench covering 10,15. Leaves room for either Dougie or Vidiri on the bench.
Did MJ play at 7 for blues? Hadn't he moved by then? If that is the case, he has to play 6 with JK on bench instead of Blowers.

[kiwiinmelb]

You could almost roll out the 2003 backline , cant remember exactly how it went , but i do remember as an attacking unit , it was as good if not better as any backline i have seen operating at super rugby level

[Salacious Crumb]

If there was ever one player I wanted ABs to poach, it was Rupeni. Omg I wanted to see what he looked like wearing black. (And if not for pressure from back home, I’ve always believed he was a little heartbroken that he never got to do it.)

[Salacious Crumb]

@act-crusader said in All time Blues XV:

Spencer full stop. No other 10 in Blues history comes close. Mertz was better though....

Oh, really?

#TwistsTheKnife

[nzzp]

@salacious-crumb said in All time Blues XV:

#TwistsTheKnife

Given our current performance, this just makes me sad now.

[kiwiinmelb]

@salacious-crumb said in All time Blues XV:

If there was ever one player I wanted ABs to poach, it was Rupeni. Omg I wanted to see what he looked like wearing black. (And if not for pressure from back home, I’ve always believed he was a little heartbroken that he never got to do it.)

Yeah I would love to have seen it for no other reason to see the best brought out in him , was an exceptional natural talent , was sad to see him running around fat and slow a few years later

[cgrant]

For me, Olo Brown is another certainty. He was the best tighthead prop in the world in the late nineties while Charlie Faumuina never was.

[nzzp]

@cgrant said in All time Blues XV:

For me, Olo Brown is another certainty. He was the best tighthead prop in the world in the late nineties while Charlie Faumuina never was.

Olo was insanely good. One of the only players I can remember who didn't have to trial for the All Blacks - they tested his backups, rather than him. Straightest back in the game, and just not interested in a public profile.

Wish I could 'like' your post twice.

[Chris B.]

@salacious-crumb said in All time Blues XV:

@act-crusader said in All time Blues XV:

Spencer full stop. No other 10 in Blues history comes close. Mertz was better though....

Oh, really?

#TwistsTheKnife

I reckon Tana needs two or three more years - he's definitely getting there!

[Dice]

@gt12 said in Blues all time XV:

@duluth

That’s fine, Mealamu probably makes an all-time Chiefs 15 ahead of Hika.

If I were selecting that Blues team though, I’d pick 23. Makes it a little easier to squeeze in some extra players

Toeava at 12 for me. I still hate it that he never got a proper shot at that position, but when he was fit, and at 12, he was unstoppable. If not there, 23 for sure.

I like Ice at 12 as well. He had some really dominate performances at 12 and his peak at the position was higher than any of the other options.

Like you, I would've loved to have seen him get an extended run at 12, but because we always had other 12 options around like McAlister and Stanley during his time here, he had to play other positions more to fit the best players in the backline.

[canefan]

@chris-b said in Blues all time XV:

@salacious-crumb said in All time Blues XV:

@act-crusader said in All time Blues XV:

Spencer full stop. No other 10 in Blues history comes close. Mertz was better though....

Oh, really?

#TwistsTheKnife

I reckon Tana needs two or three more years - he's definitely getting there!

#culturechange

[gt12]

@dice

Yeah, I can't really justify picking him anywhere except 23 in this team (even there is a bit hard with the class over the years), but if I were picking the Blues team I wanted to see play, he'd be at 12.

[KiwiMurph]

@mariner4life said in Blues all time XV:

Cashmore
Doug
Clarke
Tuitupo
Rupeni
Carlos
Devine
Zinny
Braid
MJ
Brooke
Williams
Brown
Fitzy
Dowd

Nailed it.

[Nepia]

Ok, it seems like everyone else is letting this one go - Cashmore??? Over 100 test AB fullback Mils?

[KiwiMurph]

@nepia said in Blues all time XV:

Ok, it seems like everyone else is letting this one go - Cashmore??? Over 100 test AB fullback Mils?

Just on the logic of this.

It's about what he did at the Blues.

Mils played for the Blues between 2002 and 2005. Which were a combination of centre, wing, fullback.

Otherwise Blues would stick Nonu at 12.