Hurricanes all time XV
-
@chris-b said in All time Blues 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!
Speaking of Tana, that's a good segway into an all time Canes backline. Dunno if it's worth making a new all time Canes XV thread as who knows what the pack would look like. Wouldn't matter though with:
TJP
Beauden
Lomu
Nonu
C Smith
Umaga
Cullen -
The Canes have always had an all-star backline. It was their forward pack, and in particular the tight five, that was their weakness.
-
@no-quarter said in All time Blues XV:
@chris-b said in All time Blues 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!
Speaking of Tana, that's a good segway into an all time Canes backline. Dunno if it's worth making a new all time Canes XV thread as who knows what the pack would look like. Wouldn't matter though with:
TJP
Beauden
Lomu
Nonu
C Smith
Umaga
CullenOr would you lean more towards players who actually contributed to a successful era where the made 2 finals in a row including a break through first win?
Guys like Aso and Laumape? -
@no-quarter I miss Cory Jane ...
-
@virgil meh, Cully, Lomu & BB running around in the same backline....directed and unleashed by Conrad...with Nonu & Umaga threats as well
-
@virgil said in Hurricanes all time XV:
@no-quarter said in All time Blues XV:
@chris-b said in All time Blues 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!
Speaking of Tana, that's a good segway into an all time Canes backline. Dunno if it's worth making a new all time Canes XV thread as who knows what the pack would look like. Wouldn't matter though with:
TJP
Beauden
Lomu
Nonu
C Smith
Umaga
CullenOr would you lean more towards players who actually contributed to a successful era where the made 2 finals in a row including a break through first win?
Guys like Aso and Laumape?Isn't the idea to pick the best team from available players not just the players who were fortunate enough to be in the team when they finally got over the line. Nonu and Umaga/Jane/Lomu are all better players than Laumape and Aso.
-
Agree with @taniwharugby and @Nepia
Just thought I’d throw that thought out there, as superb as those guys were they never won anything.
Though as mentioned it was more due to not having a decent pack and world class 10 -
@stargazer said in Hurricanes all time XV:
@no-quarter I miss Cory Jane ...
I knew there was a right wing I was forgetting! Still think Umaga gets in ahead though, he was unstoppable back in the early days at 14 linking with Cully.
Anyone want to have a stab at the pack? Coles, JC and Rodders have to be there. Vanisi at 7? He was all class.
-
@stargazer said in Hurricanes all time XV:
@no-quarter I miss Cory Jane ...
Was re-watching his 2009 debut test against Australia while grinding out some exercise at the weekend. He was awesome - small, but that fend of his is a thing of beauty. Amazing in the air, and maximised his talent. Hell of a decent bloke by all accounts.
I too miss Cory Jane
-
@no-quarter said in Hurricanes all time XV:
@stargazer said in Hurricanes all time XV:
@no-quarter I miss Cory Jane ...
I knew there was a right wing I was forgetting! Still think Umaga gets in ahead though, he was unstoppable back in the early days at 14 linking with Cully.
Anyone want to have a stab at the pack? Coles, JC and Rodders have to be there. Vanisi at 7? He was all class.
Masoe was also excellent, and an AB
-
I also don't think TJ is a lock at 9 - I'd take Piri, although Piri is a great sub as he reads the game so well so might be a plan to start him on the bench.
-
Schwalger
Tialata
Coles
Eaton
Waller
Masoe
Rodders
JCThe props and locks were always our weakness. We had good hookers (Seal killer and Hewitt miss out) and loosies
-
@canefan no room for Bull?
-
Thrush over Waller?
No mention of Vito or Tiatia amongst the loosies either.
-
Surely Ben Franks ahead of Schwalger, if not going with Bull Allen? (Got to try and get one kind of Hawkes Bay player in there
).
-
@nepia Cully was that 'kind of' HB player too....
-
@taniwharugby said in Hurricanes all time XV:
@nepia Cully was that 'kind of' HB player too....
He never played for HB (Vikings aren't the Bay you son of a bitch), Franks would fly in on a weekend and play 80 minutes before flying back to Christchurch.
-
@virgil said in Hurricanes all time XV:
@no-quarter said in All time Blues XV:
@chris-b said in All time Blues 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!
Speaking of Tana, that's a good segway into an all time Canes backline. Dunno if it's worth making a new all time Canes XV thread as who knows what the pack would look like. Wouldn't matter though with:
TJP
Beauden
Lomu
Nonu
C Smith
Umaga
CullenOr would you lean more towards players who actually contributed to a successful era where the made 2 finals in a row including a break through first win?
Guys like Aso and Laumape?TJP, BB, Smith and Nonu were there for the first of those finals. Nonu and Smith would have to go close to forming an all time rugby XV midfield so would be a lock for the canes.
The props and locks are definitely where the quality of this team drops off a cliff.
-
@taniwharugby said in Hurricanes all time XV:
@canefan no room for Bull?
He'd be in a tussle with Norm for the 3rd hooker spot
-
@bovidae said in Hurricanes all time XV:
Thrush over Waller?
No mention of Vito or Tiatia amongst the loosies either.
Thrush could make a case, as for Vito and Filo, I'd have them both with Filo on the bench and Vito bracketed with Masoe.
I didn't have time to make the list complete, some of us are trying to work!!!
-
I don't think anyone has mentioned Gordon Slater? He seemed like a consistently good prop even when the rest of the pack wasn't going well
-
@duluth said in Hurricanes all time XV:
I don't think anyone has mentioned Gordon Slater? He seemed like a consistently good prop even when the rest of the pack wasn't going well
I can't think of a less dynamic player with ball in hand.
Based on that logic he must have been a hell of a scrummager.
-
@bovidae said in Hurricanes all time XV:
Thrush over Waller?
At best you got 70 minutes out of Waller as he was always yellow carded, and gave away more penalties than anyone else. Definately Thrush
-
@mn5 said in Hurricanes all time XV:
@duluth said in Hurricanes all time XV:
I don't think anyone has mentioned Gordon Slater? He seemed like a consistently good prop even when the rest of the pack wasn't going well
I can't think of a less dynamic player with ball in hand.
Based on that logic he must have been a hell of a scrummager.
Based on that logic Jamie Macintosh must have been the worlds best scrummager.
Tito just for the tokenism would be worth a look. Or another All Black lock Bryn Evans....(I will fight to get some HB players in there)
-
Could chuck Bill Cavubati on the bench for some impact late in the game. Holds the record for the heaviest international player weighing in at 165kgs for Fiji.
-
@nepia said in Hurricanes all time XV:
I also don't think TJ is a lock at 9 - I'd take Piri, although Piri is a great sub as he reads the game so well so might be a plan to start him on the bench.
That's a fair point. Always felt he played his best footy for the ABs whereas TJP does well in the open style of SR. Tough call...
-
@magpie_in_aus I'll add Karl Lowe.
-
So we're looking at:
Ben Franks
Dane Coles
Neemia Tialata
Jason Eaton
Jeremy Thrush
Jerry Collins
Chris Masoe
Rodney So'oialo
TJ Perenara / Piri Weepu
Beauden Barrett
Jonah Lomu
Ma'a Nonu
Conrad Smith
Tana Umaga / Cory Jane
Christian CullenThat pack should be able to secure at least 20% possession, which is about all that backline would need to run up 50+ points.
-
@no-quarter That pack actually looks decent TBH, decent scrummaging front row, two hard working locks, a bruising loosie trio and add the Superstar backs, this team could do well in the All time XV Super comp.
-
@no-quarter said in Hurricanes all time XV:
So we're looking at:
Ben Franks
Dane Coles
Neemia Tialata
Jason Eaton
Jeremy Thrush
Jerry Collins
Chris Masoe
Rodney So'oialo
TJ Perenara / Piri Weepu
Beauden Barrett
Jonah Lomu
Ma'a Nonu
Conrad Smith
Tana Umaga / Cory Jane
Christian CullenThat pack should be able to secure at least 20% possession, which is about all that backline would need to run up 50+ points.
The JC Rodders Masoe era Canes were an excellent team. The one thing it really missed was a quality 10. I reckon we would have stood a strong chance of a title if we'd had one of the top 3 10's in NZ instead of Jimmy Gopperth (with due respect)
-
@canefan I don't think you need the due respect, the Canes were always behind the 8 ball with Gopperth running the show (and Holwell TBF ... ducks for cover to avoid flying taniwha's). If only a Cruden or a Barrett had arrived earlier.
-
@Nepia yeah the pack is better than I thought it would be, though I doubt it would compete with an All Black laden Crusaders XV. It's the drop off in class from Beauden to our next best 10 that is massive if you exclude Cruds who played his best footy for the Chiefs.
-
@nepia Dooley was a no frills reliable 10, did his core roles well, but his highlight reel wouldn't really stack up even when put against guys like Gopperth, but I know which I'd prefer in my team.
-
@taniwharugby said in Hurricanes all time XV:
@nepia Dooley was a no frills reliable 10, did his core roles well, but his highlight reel wouldn't really stack up even when put against guys like Gopperth, but I know which I'd prefer in my team.
I always liked Holwell. He was great at kick regathers, uncanny timing
-
@taniwharugby I wasn't rating Gopperth over him ....
-
@nepia I know, just saying that I felt Gopperth was more a highlight reel player, so I'd take Holwell who was more consistent, and a strong defender.
-
-
@no-quarter said in Hurricanes all time XV:
I miss watching Cully play in his prime. Just the shot of adrenaline you got every time he touched the ball, I'd never pick any fullback in the world over him.
He could step off either foot without slowing down. A real physical freak
-
@no-quarter said in Hurricanes all time XV:
Could chuck Bill Cavubati on the bench for some impact late in the game. Holds the record for the heaviest international player weighing in at 165kgs for Fiji.
Yes, he was fun to watch. He and Bull Allen on the bench against a tiring team could be destructive !
-
@no-quarter said in Hurricanes all time XV:
I miss watching Cully play in his prime. Just the shot of adrenaline you got every time he touched the ball, I'd never pick any fullback in the world over him.
Man that gave me wood. My favourite ever player by a country mile... until Beauden showed up. How awesome would those two have been together?