Peak ABs
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Just to put the lie to no pre 1987 nominations BG Williams breakthrough year in 1970 was pretty special. 18 years old - first PI in the AB's in like forever, touring SA. His impact on the game was Lomu like. Fast strong, big (for the time) with a prodigious side step. 14 tries in 13 games....
Stil gotta go with Jonah though
He's a total knob but Ali Williams 2005 was pretty special too.
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@ACT-Crusader said in Peak ABs:
Kronfeld in both 95 and 96 I thought was pretty phenomenal. To me he outshone MJ.
Kronfeld took openside play to a new level with the way he attacked the ball once it hit the deck. No regard for his own safety!!Bahahaha, comedy gold.
Kronfeld was a great player (@Tim's comments about him are comedy gold too) and Hawkes Bay born and bred, but even then he's only just good enough to lace Jones boots.
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Just to put the lie to no pre 1987 nominations BG Williams breakthrough year in 1970 was pretty special. 18 years old - first PI in the AB's in like forever, touring SA. His impact on the game was Lomu like. Fast strong, big (for the time) with a prodigious side step. 14 tries in 13 games....
Stil gotta go with Jonah though
He's a total knob but Ali Williams 2005 was pretty special too.
Yeah, talk to the old timers from SA and they reckon BG was unstoppable that year. Although, to pedant, he was the first PI in the ABs in 3 years.
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@canefan shit, i trust you over me on this, but my impression of Savea's career was that he started not so good and didn't look like ever stepping up, then suddenly he was fucking amazing, and then his form fell off a cliff.
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@mariner4life said in Peak ABs:
@canefan shit, i trust you over me on this, but my impression of Savea's career was that he started not so good and didn't look like ever stepping up, then suddenly he was fucking amazing, and then his form fell off a cliff.
I wouldn't trust me mate! I've got plenty wrong before. I do recall going home and seeing him play, probably in his first super season, thinking this guy is Jonah v2.0
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@mariner4life said in Peak ABs:
@canefan shit, i trust you over me on this, but my impression of Savea's career was that he started not so good and didn't look like ever stepping up, then suddenly he was fucking amazing, and then his form fell off a cliff.
I wouldn't trust me mate! I've got plenty wrong before. I do recall going home and seeing him play, probably in his first super season, thinking this guy is Jonah v2.0
my memory is of him looking like he should be, and then disappointing the shit out of everyone. And then the turned in to the Savea we all love, seemingly out of nowhere
but again, my memory is fallible.
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I thought 2014 was Saveas peak? Was awesome all over the park, taking high balls, smashing people in attack and defence, looking for all money as the very best thing playing rugby.
Kronfeld is one of my fave players (guess what TR Jnr's name is, and it aint Kronfeld) he followed in MJ's footsteps and redefined the role of a 7, and McCaw did when it was his turn...even if Kronfeld wasnt impressed they picked him haha.
I am a HUGE McCaw fan, and he would be in any 15 I could pick.
For my mind, without thinking too hard I know Cully would be my FB, Jonah on one wing, Bunce at 13, DC at 10, McCaw at 7...I'd need to sit down and think through the rest of my options.
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@mariner4life said in Peak ABs:
Kronfield was a gun. Scorer of my favourite AB try ever.
Pop pass from Jonah to go over after taking the short line from a scrum? RWC95 - I think it was maybe England or Ireland???
Blessed in the 7 Jersey are we.
Yep. Marty 'not enough caps' Holah says Hi
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Kronfelds strength was his support play, look at all the great tries we scored in that era. He was either the guy scoring the try or on the shoulder of the guy who scored in the end. He followed Jonah every where he rampaged in the 95 RWC
Some call it great support, others call it try poaching and glory seeking
It's only great if you create a chance to finish a move that is stopped. (which he often did)
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@mariner4life said in Peak ABs:
@canefan shit, i trust you over me on this, but my impression of Savea's career was that he started not so good and didn't look like ever stepping up, then suddenly he was fucking amazing, and then his form fell off a cliff.
Yeah, 2012 he was raw as and I was a bigger advocate for Hosea gear playing as our "power" winger (especially after he KO's Keith Earls in Hamilton). 2013 and 2014, I think there are strong arguments that Savea was our best performing All Black outside of Read, given both impact on individual matches and consistency across matches.
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When savea came from I think being world under 20s player of the year or something then played for the canes and sucked and then start of the next season didn't suck. I remember him making the crusaders look like school kids one game near the start of the season. Both on d and attack
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Def. McCaw in 2011 and, being an old bugger, BeeGee Williams in 1970 was the equal of Jonah in 1995. Jeff Wilson was pretty special in most years he played in as well
It's hard to leave out players like Michael Jones, Bruce Robinson, Steve McDowell and Colin Meads who were consistently better than any other player year on year
